The State of California offers the College Fee Waiver program to spouses and children of deceased or disabled U.S. veterans. Eligibility is determined by your local California County Veterans Services Office. The Fall Program for Freshmen and the UC Extension programs do not qualify for the College Fee Waiver program.
The college-fee waiver benefit:
- Applies exclusively to fees for academic programs that are subsidized by the State of California.
- Applies only to UC-systemwide fees. You are responsible for paying all campus-based fees.
How to Receive the Fee Waiver Benefit for UC Berkeley
To receive the Cal-Vet College Fee Waiver benefit, you must:
- Meet UC Berkeley’s California residency requirements; and
- Provide the Veterans Benefits unit a copy of your current Authorization Letter (from your County Veterans Services Office) at the beginning of each academic year.
The processing of your fee waiver benefits:
- Cal Vet Fee Waivers are processed after fees are assessed and before the start of each term. If your waiver is not yet reflected on your billing statement, please contact Veterans Benefits for more information.
- Each Authorization Letter is valid for one academic year, which begins in the fall semester and runs through the following spring and summer. You must renew the benefit annually through your local County Veterans Services Office.
- Tuition & fees for fall semesters are assessed in July and due in August. Please plan accordingly.
Cal-Vet Fee Waiver for Summer Sessions
The fee waiver benefit covers the per-unit tuition for summer sessions. However, you are responsible for the Campus Fee and any miscellaneous fees, such as the Document Management Fee, Cancellation Fee, Program fees, etc.
- If you are a continuing UC Berkeley student, simply enroll in Summer Session classes. Your tuition will be waived automatically. You must be matriculated and registered at a UC campus during the current academic year or admitted/readmitted for the upcoming academic year.
- Students visiting from other UC campuses should contact Veterans Benefits for assistance.
- Students from institutions outside the UC system are not eligible to use this benefit to attend UC Berkeley Summer Sessions.
Programs Not Covered By the Fee Waiver
In accordance with State law and UC policy, tuition and fees for the following programs are not covered by the Cal Vet fee waiver because they are not subsidized by the State of California:
- Summer Session for visiting students outside the UC system (see above).
- University Extension courses, including the Fall Program for Freshmen (FPF).
Additionally, self-supporting Graduate Professional Degree Programs (SSGPDP) are not covered by the fee waiver, including:
- Master of Analytics – (M.Analytics)
- Master of Bioprocess Engineering (MBE)
- Master of Biotechnology (M.Biotech)
- Master of Business Administration – Evening & Weekend (EWMBA)
- Master of Business Administration – Executive (EMBA)
- Master of Climate Solutions (MCS)
- Master of Computational Social Science (MaCSS)
- Master of Design (MDES)
- Master of Development Engineering(M.DevEng.)
- Master of Advanced Study in Engineering (MAS-E)
- Master of Engineering Part-Time (M.Eng PT)
- Master of Financial Engineering (MFE)
- Master of Information and Cybersecurity (MICS)
- Master of Information & Data Science (MIDS)
- Master of Laws (LL.M.) – Traditional and Executive Tracks
- Master of Molecular Science and Software Engineering (MSSE)
- Master of Nutritional Science & Dietetics (M.NSD.)
- Master of Public Affairs (MPA)
- Master of Public Health – Online/On-Campus (OOMPH)
- Master of Real Estate Development + Design (MRED+D)
- Master of Social Welfare – Flexible (Flex MSW)