Plan A or Plan B: the College Fee Waiver, answered.
Every answer below is sourced to CalVet's own College Fee Waiver page, retrieved 2026-08-26, and to the Observatory's county and campus audits. Nothing is paraphrased where the exact words matter.
In CalVet's words: "The College Fee Waiver for Veteran Dependents benefit waives mandatory system-wide tuition and fees at any State of California Community College, California State University, or University of California campus. This program does not cover the expense of books, parking or room and board." CalVet program page, retrieved 2026-08-26.
The two plans most families use
CalVet runs four plans, A through D. Plans A and B cover most situations; the county office determines which applies.
Who qualifies
- The unmarried child of a veteran who is totally service-connected disabled, or whose death was officially rated as service-connected (the child must be over 14 and under 27; extended to 30 if the child is a veteran)
- The spouse of a wartime veteran who is totally service-connected disabled (no age limit)
- The unmarried surviving spouse of a wartime veteran whose death was rated service-connected (no age limit)
- Any dependent of a veteran declared missing in action, captured in the line of duty by hostile forces, or forcibly detained or interned in the line of duty by a foreign government or power
- Service requirement
- The veteran must have served at least one day of active duty during a period of war as declared by the U.S. Congress, or during any time in which the veteran was awarded a campaign or expeditionary medal.
- Income
- There are no income restrictions under this plan.
- Chapter 35
- Concurrent receipt of Plan A benefits and VA Chapter 35 benefits is prohibited; the dependent must sign an Election To Receive College Waiver Benefits statement acknowledging this.
- Timing
- For children, the event that caused entitlement (the veteran's service-connected death or total disability rating) must have occurred before the child's 21st birthday.
Who qualifies
- The child of a veteran who has a service-connected disability, had a service-connected disability at the time of death, or died of service-related causes
- Children are the only dependents eligible under this plan; spouses cannot use Plan B
- Service requirement
- Wartime service is not required.
- Income
- The child's annual income (adjusted gross income plus the value of support provided by a parent) may not exceed the limit CalVet publishes each academic year: $22,941 for academic year 2026-27 per CalVet's Notes section.
- Chapter 35
- There is no prohibition against receiving concurrent VA Chapter 35 benefits.
- Timing
- There are no specific age requirements; entitlement is measured each academic year against the previous calendar year's income.
Plan A and Plan B, side by side
| Rule | Plan A | Plan B |
|---|---|---|
| Veteran's disability | Totally service-connected disabled, or death officially rated as service-connected | Any service-connected disability, including at the time of death or death from service-related causes |
| Wartime service | Required: at least one day of active duty during a declared period of war, or a campaign or expeditionary medal | Not required |
| Income limit | None | $22,941 for AY 2026-27 (student income, measured on the previous calendar year) |
| Chapter 35 at the same time | Prohibited; a signed election statement is required | No prohibition |
| Who can use it | Unmarried children, spouses, unmarried surviving spouses, and dependents of MIA or captured veterans | Children only |
| Age limits | Children over 14 and under 27 (30 if the child is a veteran); no age limits for spouses | No specific age requirements |
| Qualifying event timing | Must have occurred before the child's 21st birthday | No equivalent timing rule stated |
One page, two income limits
CalVet's own page currently shows two Plan B limits: the Notes section announces $22,941 for academic year 2026-27 while the Eligibility tab still displays $22,273 for 2025-26. A family reading only the Eligibility tab could wrongly conclude a student earning between $22,274 and $22,941 is ineligible. The full record, with both quotes and retrieval dates, is in the source discrepancy tracker, and every audited page that publishes an income figure is tracked on the income limit watch.
The questions families actually ask
What does the College Fee Waiver cover, and what does it not cover?
CalVet states it directly: "The College Fee Waiver for Veteran Dependents benefit waives mandatory system-wide tuition and fees at any State of California Community College, California State University, or University of California campus. This program does not cover the expense of books, parking or room and board." Campus-based local fees, such as health or activity fees, are set by each campus and can remain after the waiver. CalVet also states that self-supported programs, commonly extension or extended education courses, are not required to apply the waiver because they are not state funded.
What is the difference between Plan A and Plan B?
Plan A serves dependents of veterans who are totally service-connected disabled, or whose death was rated service-connected, when the veteran served during wartime. It has no income limit, but it prohibits receiving VA Chapter 35 benefits at the same time. Plan B serves children of veterans with a service-connected disability of any rating. It requires no wartime service and allows concurrent Chapter 35 benefits, but the student's own annual income must stay under a limit CalVet publishes each academic year. Most families qualify under one of these two plans; Solano County's fee waiver page states most students are eligible under either Plan A or Plan B.
What is the Plan B income limit right now?
CalVet's Notes section states: "The new income limit for eligible students under Plan B for academic year (AY) 2026-2027 is $22,941." Be aware that the Eligibility tab on the same CalVet page still displays the prior year figure, $22,273 for academic year 2025-26. The Observatory logged that dual display as an open source discrepancy so families do not measure themselves against the outdated number.
Whose income counts under Plan B, the student's or the parents'?
The student's. CalVet states: "The child's annual income, which includes the child's adjusted gross income, plus the value of support provided by a parent, may not exceed the annual income limit. The current academic year entitlement is based upon the previous calendar year's annual income." The figure combines the student's own adjusted gross income for the previous calendar year with the value of support a parent provided; the County Veterans Service Office makes the determination.
Can my child receive VA Chapter 35 (DEA) and the fee waiver at the same time?
It depends on the plan. Under Plan A, CalVet states: "Concurrent receipt of benefits under Plan A and VA Chapter 35 benefits is prohibited. To receive benefits under Plan A, a dependent must sign an 'Election To Receive College Waiver Benefits' statement acknowledging this fact." Under Plan B: "There is no prohibition against receiving concurrent VA Chapter 35 benefits." Because Chapter 35 pays the student a monthly amount while the waiver removes tuition charges, a Plan B student can hold both; a Plan A dependent must choose.
Can a spouse or surviving spouse use the fee waiver?
Under Plan A, yes, in defined cases: the spouse of a wartime veteran who is totally service-connected disabled, and the unmarried surviving spouse of a wartime veteran whose death was rated service-connected, with no age limit restrictions. Under Plan B, no: CalVet states children are the only dependents eligible under that plan.
What are the age limits?
Plan A: the child must be over 14 and under 27, extended to 30 if the child is a veteran, and the event that caused entitlement (the veteran's service-connected death or total disability rating) must have occurred before the child's 21st birthday. Spouses under Plan A have no age limit restrictions. Plan B has no specific age requirements. Separately, CalVet's dependency notes state that adopted children and stepchildren must have entered that status before the child's 23rd birthday.
Does the waiver work at private universities, out-of-state schools, or extension programs?
No. The waiver applies to mandatory systemwide tuition and fees at California Community Colleges, CSU, and UC campuses only. CalVet also states that self-supported academic programs, commonly referred to as extension courses or extended education, are not required to apply the waiver because those courses, degrees, and certificates are neither funded by the state nor systemwide programs, and it advises dependents to research their academic programs thoroughly before applying to the college or university.
How do we apply, and where?
Download CalVet form DVS-40 and file it with your County Veterans Service Office; CalVet also publishes a College Fee Waiver Calculator to check eligibility first. How counties take the application varies: the Observatory's county audit found offices with online submission portals (Riverside, Solano, Stanislaus), offices that publish walk-in intake (San Joaquin, Sacramento), and offices that publish email, fax, and mail channels (San Diego). Check your county's published intake on the county pathway map before you go.
Do we have to reapply every year?
Yes. The waiver is awarded per academic year and must be renewed with current documentation. Under Plan B, each academic year's entitlement is measured against the student's previous calendar year income, so a student can qualify one year and not the next.
Can the waiver be granted retroactively for past terms?
Generally no. CalVet states that Education Code section 66025.3 does not provide the authority to grant College Fee Waiver benefits retroactively. One exception exists under Military and Veterans Code section 890.3(a)(1): when an application was denied solely because the veteran's service-connected claim was still pending at VA, and VA later awards a service-connected rating, retroactive benefits are permitted for the academic years in which the family applied and was denied. Keep the denial letters and bring them back to the county office with the VA award notice.
What changed with AB 1745, and why did the income limit jump?
Effective January 1, 2024, Plan B applicant income is measured against the state poverty level published on the Franchise Tax Board's resident requirement filing chart instead of the federal poverty threshold, beginning with academic year 2024-25. CalVet calls this a substantial change because the state threshold is significantly higher: it cites a 2023 state threshold of $20,913 against a federal threshold of $15,225. The practical effect is that more students qualify under Plan B than before.
Plan C
Dependents, and surviving spouses who have not remarried, of California National Guard members killed, permanently disabled, or deceased from a disability incurred in active service to the state. Activation must have been under Military and Veterans Code section 146; a copy of orders under section 146, not section 143, must be furnished.
Plan D
Medal of Honor recipients and children of Medal of Honor recipients under age 27. Benefits are limited to undergraduate studies, applicants are subject to both income and age restrictions, and there is no prohibition against receiving concurrent VA Chapter 35 benefits.
How to apply
Not sure which plan fits? Walk the rules one question at a time with the fee waiver checker.
- Check eligibility with CalVet's College Fee Waiver Calculator.
- Download and complete CalVet form DVS-40.
- File it with your County Veterans Service Office through the intake channel your county publishes (online portal, email, fax, mail, walk in, or phone; it varies by county).
- Include dependency verification (birth certificate, adoption record, or marriage certificate) and, for Plan B, income verification for the previous tax year.
- Take the award letter to the campus office that applies the waiver; renew every academic year.
Your county's published intake channels are on the county pathway map; which campuses publish fee waiver instructions is tracked in the campus directory. How the waiver combines with the GI Bill and other aid is in the interaction navigator.
Sources
- College Fee Waiver (program page, all plan language quoted verbatim) (California Department of Veterans Affairs, retrieved 2026-08-26)
- CalVet College Fee Waiver Program (county intake and Plan A election form) (Solano County Veterans Service Office, retrieved 2026-08-26)
- College Fee Waiver instructions (county intake channels and current limit) (County of San Diego, retrieved 2026-08-26)
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.
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