Summary
SB-60 provides important clarification to California Veterans, National Guard, and their families who use education benefits at California’s public universities by ensuring extended education courses that fulfill an undergraduate degree program requirement in California public universities are covered by the California Veteran Fee Waiver and the California Military Department GI Bill.
Background
The California Veteran Fee Waiver (CalVet Fee Waiver) is a California specific Veteran benefit for the spouses and children of military Veterans. As long as the Veteran meets certain qualifications, the spouse and children of that Veteran, upon acceptance, can attend any California State University (CSU) or University of California (UC) school with no tuition, registration, or enrollment fees.
This unique benefit for Californian Veterans has undergone minor adjustments and changes since its passage into law in 1976. While the original qualifications included level of disability and income status of the Veteran, through the past 47 years the CalVet Fee Waiver has now grown to incorporate only the income status of the spouse or child and requires that the Veteran did serve and was injured or disabled due to that service. The most recent amendment in 2023 incorporated the use of the State Poverty Level instead of the Federal Poverty Level, to ensure that applicants to the Fee Waiver were not unfairly held to the nationwide standard.
Similar to the Federal G.I. Bill (college benefit for active service members), California also offers its own Military Department GI Bill (Ca GI Bill) to California National Guard who meet certain criteria. This benefit covers the cost of attendance to an approved academic institution, after other financial aid is applied.
Extended education degree programs, hosted by public universities, are not covered under the CalVet Fee Waiver and are sometimes not considered eligible under the Ca GI Bill. Extended education programs are self-sustaining within the university through local partnerships and demand. They can culminate in unique business or health industry degrees and certificates or Wildfire Science degrees in support of CalFire.
Proposal
SB-60 will clarify the CalVet Fee Waiver and Ca GI Bill include and cover extended education courses that meet the requirements of an undergraduate degree program at California public universities