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California education benefit library

Every benefit, one structure, every claim sourced.

20 structured records covering federal and California education benefits: who administers each one, what it covers and excludes, which office handles the next step, and how it interacts with the others.

Federal VA and DoD benefits

Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33)
Post-9/11 GI Bill

Veterans and service members with qualifying active-duty service after September 10, 2001; eligible dependents through transferred entitlement; eligible survivors through the Fry Scholarship.

Confirmed by current agency guidanceLast verified 2026-08-26
Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (Chapter 30)
MGIB-AD

Veterans and service members who paid into MGIB during qualifying active duty.

Confirmed by current agency guidanceLast verified 2026-08-26
Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606)
MGIB-SR

Members of the Selected Reserve, including National Guard, with a qualifying obligation.

Confirmed by current agency guidanceLast verified 2026-08-26
Veteran Readiness and Employment (Chapter 31)
VR&E

Veterans and some service members with a service-connected disability and an employment handicap, as determined by VA.

Confirmed by current agency guidanceLast verified 2026-08-26
Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (Chapter 35)
DEA / Chapter 35

Children and spouses of veterans who died in service, died of a service-connected condition, or are permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected condition, among other qualifying categories.

Confirmed by current agency guidanceLast verified 2026-08-26
Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship
Fry Scholarship

Children and surviving spouses of service members who died in the line of duty (and certain other qualifying deaths defined by statute).

Confirmed by current agency guidanceLast verified 2026-08-26
Yellow Ribbon Program
Yellow Ribbon

Students using the Post-9/11 GI Bill at the 100 percent tier (including Fry recipients) whose charges exceed what Chapter 33 pays.

Confirmed by current agency guidanceLast verified 2026-08-26
Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship
Rogers STEM Scholarship

Post-9/11 GI Bill or Fry recipients in qualifying STEM degree, teaching credential, or covered clinical training paths who have exhausted or nearly exhausted entitlement.

Confirmed by current agency guidanceLast verified 2026-08-26
Personalized Career Planning and Guidance (Chapter 36)
PCPG / educational and career counseling

Transitioning service members, veterans, and dependents eligible for a VA education benefit.

Confirmed by current agency guidanceLast verified 2026-08-26
VA Work-Study Allowance
VA work-study

Students using a VA education benefit at a three-quarter time rate or more.

Confirmed by current agency guidanceLast verified 2026-08-26
Military Tuition Assistance
TA

Active-duty members, and members of some reserve components, per branch policy.

Confirmed by current agency guidanceLast verified 2026-08-26

California programs

California College Fee Waiver for Veteran Dependents
College Fee Waiver (CFW)

Dependents (and in some plans spouses or survivors) of qualifying veterans, under four plans (A through D) with different service, disability, and income rules.

Confirmed by current agency guidanceLast verified 2026-08-26
California Military Department GI Bill Award Program
CMD GI Bill / California National Guard education award

Actively serving members of the California National Guard, State Guard, and Naval Militia who meet service and enrollment conditions.

Confirmed by current agency guidanceLast verified 2026-08-26
Resident rate and nonresident tuition exemptions for covered federal benefit users
In-state tuition rules for GI Bill users

Students using covered VA education benefits (categories expanded by federal law over time) enrolled at public institutions.

Confirmed by statute or regulationLast verified 2026-08-26
Priority registration for military-connected students
Veteran priority registration

Members of the Armed Forces and qualifying veterans (statute defines the covered window after service), at California Community Colleges and California State University; the University of California is requested to comply and addresses it by campus policy.

Confirmed by current agency guidanceLast verified 2026-08-26
Credit for Prior Learning and military credit
Military credit / CPL

Students with military training and experience documented on the Joint Services Transcript or equivalent.

Confirmed by systemwide guidanceLast verified 2026-08-26

Financial aid that coordinates with benefits

Dollar figures and annually changing thresholds are not hardcoded in these records; each record points to the official source for current-year values. Download the library on the data page.

The California Veteran Education Observatory is an independent research and public-information project of The Veteran Benefit Desk. It is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the California Department of Veterans Affairs, the California Student Aid Commission, or any college or university. It does not provide individualized legal, financial-aid, education, or benefits advice.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at va.gov/education.

Found an error or a source that changed? Submit an issue. Corrections publish under the corrections policy.

Printed from The Veteran Benefit Desk, https://veteranbenefitdesk.com/california-veteran-education/benefits. Figures reflect this page as published. Rates change each December; confirm current amounts at veteranbenefitdesk.com before relying on them.
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