At Berkeley Law, we are dedicated to providing support to veteran and military-connected students. Click each item below to learn more about available opportunities and resources.
UC Berkeley Fee Waivers
For military-related exemptions to nonresident supplemental tuition, see Exceptions & Exemptions.
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 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.
Berkeley Law Military Scholarships
The U.S. Military Promise Program offers a flat scholarship of $10,000 per year for three years, which can be used to pay for tuition and fees or living expenses. All active duty U.S. military and honorably discharged veterans are eligible for this scholarship and eligible students are typically identified using admission applications and Isakson and Roe survey.
The Berkeley Law Active Duty Military and Veterans Scholarship was created to provide scholarships for active duty U.S. military and honorably discharged veterans. We are awarding a $10,000 scholarship each year through the Continuing Student Scholarship.
Available Resources and Services
UC Berkeley Veteran Services Center offers information related to the types of benefits, benefits certification, contact information for dedicated support, and campus resources for students who have served in the military.
Eligibility for veteran’s educational benefits is determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), not by UC Berkeley. You can apply for benefits and check your eligibility by visiting the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website.
Available Services from Cal Veteran Services Center
- Counseling
- Academic, VA Benefits, Personal
- Counseling and Psychological Services
- Readjustment Counseling with Dr. Kathleen Pierce, VA Psychologist from the Oakland Vet Center
- To schedule an appointment with Dr. Pierce call: (510) 763-3904
- Prospective Students
- Peer Advising
- Front Desk Peer Advisors
- Cal Veteran Services Center is located at 102 Hearst Memorial Gym
- Community Room
- Space to study and relax, computers, printing, refrigerators, microwave, coffee, phone charging
- Study Room
- Access to space when the building is open (there are times when room is unavailable due to classes and meetings).
Presented on November 29, 2022
Legal Obstacles Veterans Encounter (LOVE): The Bay Area accounts for the largest homeless veteran population in the Nation. L.O.V.E.’s purpose is to provide student advocacy for veterans to overcome legal obstacles. This objective covers a wide variety of legal areas governed by several different entities, namely the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, and state and local agencies. We have a working relationship with Swords to Plowshares, a Bay Area-based nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting all veterans. L.O.V.E. has worked with Swords in assisting veterans seeking to obtain their earned benefits and by participating in monthly in-take clinics where our members work with local attorneys to assist veterans who are applying for discharge upgrades. This includes the veteran’s character of service (e.g., honorable, bad conduct, dishonorable) and the “narrative reason for separation.” Among the many possible “narrative reasons for separation” are “misconduct,” “disability,” “personality disorder,” and “homosexual conduct.” L.O.V.E. will also provide legal research support for the Veterans Law Practicum and their efforts to advocate for veterans who have been deported after their period of service.
Email LOVE_SLP@berkeley.edu to learn more about this organization!
Military and Veterans at Berkeley Law (MVBL): Military and Veterans at Berkeley Law’s mission is to create a community where veterans can help veterans succeed in law school and beyond. This means, first and foremost, promoting social cohesion among veterans and military service members at the school. Additionally, we seek to develop veteran-specific professional opportunities for our members, as well as host events geared toward educating the wider student body on military-related topics in the law.
Website: https://callink.berkeley.edu/organization/bamv
Email: mvbl@berkeley.edu
On January 5, 2021, the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 was enacted. The law will have a transformative effect on the mission of Education Service to provide ready access to, and timely and accurate delivery of, education benefits to Veterans, Service members, and their families, as well as further enable VA to empower GI Bill® beneficiaries to achieve their vocational and career goals. Under the new provisions, schools must provide financial information to students using benefits under chapters 30, 31, 32, 33, or 35 of Title 38, U.S.C., or Chapter 1606 of Title 10, U.S.C. with a College Financing Plan (personalized shopping sheet). This can be found on your CalCentral by going to “My Finances” tab and clicking on “College Financing Plan” in the Financial Aid & Scholarships section.
VA Education Benefits FAQ
To initiate Veterans Affairs benefits at UC Berkeley, you must provide all required documentation to the Veterans Benefits team at veteransbenefits@berkeley.edu. Detailed information about the required documents for this process can be found on the Checklist for Initiating Benefits on the UC Berkeley website.
Email veteransbenefits@berkeley.edu if:
- You plan to enroll in less than the full-time requirement for your school, college, or program.
- You change your major program, add or drop courses, or need to withdraw from the University.
You must request certification for each semester you intend to use your benefit via your Cal Central account (My Dashboard tab > Student Resources > Submit a Form > VA Enrollment Certification Request link).
Veterans Benefits begins the certification process one to two months prior to the beginning of the semester to increase the likelihood that you will receive your benefits at the start of the semester.
To be certified for benefits you must:
- Have no active financial or enrollment holds on your account (viewable on the “My Academics” page of CalCentral).
- Submit an enrollment certification request