Benefit Application Process
🎯 Onboarding Timeline for New Students Using VA Benefits – Fall 2025
Spring 2025 (Pre-Fall Prep)
After April 15: The CalVet and VA Bruin and Military Benefits Intake (BaMBI) portal opens for Fall 2025 submissions.
→ Submit your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) and/or CalVet Fee Waiver Award Letter with 16-digit code for processing and approval.
Beginning April 20: UCLA begins approving submitted VA and CalVet benefit requests.
August 2025
August 15: Priority deadline to submit your Certificate of Eligibility and/or CalVet Fee Waiver Award Letter with 16-digit code via the BaMBI portal.
✅ We will still process benefit submissions after this date and throughout the academic year.
⚠️ However, to ensure timely coordination across multiple departments, we cannot guarantee your benefits will be:
• Processed before the fee payment deadline
• Included in the first round of VA certifications
• Reflected in your financial aid award before disbursement
📌 Processing may be significantly delayed if documents are submitted late, and students are always responsible for any outstanding charges on their BruinBill.
August 22: Fee Assessment Date – You will see your tuition and fee charges appear on BruinBill.
✅ If your CalVet waiver is already approved, it will apply the next business day.
⚠️ You must have a bill for the CalVet waiver to appear.
✅ A $0 VA Fee Deferral is added for approved Chapter 33 students.
September 2025
Early September: UCLA submits the first VA certification (unit count only) to the VA.
📌 You must be enrolled in units (not waitlisted) to be certified.
📨 The VA receives a $0 tuition/fee certification—you’ll get a confirmation email/letter from the VA (this is correct!).
September 15: Financial Aid Disbursement for most students.
⚠️ VA benefits and CalVet waivers are not included—check with UCLA Financial Aid to see when your benefits will be reflected.
September 20: Fall Quarter Fee Payment Deadline
✅ Chapter 33 students with approved BaMBI requests are protected by a $0 Fee Deferral.
🏠 Housing charges must still be paid or placed on a payment plan.
💳 CalVet and Chapter 35 students must pay their remaining balance or enroll in a payment plan by this deadline.
October 2025
Mid-October: VA ADVANCE Credit Memos applied to BruinBill as placeholder for expected VA tuition/fee payment.
🧾 These are estimates and will be removed once actual VA payment arrives.
⚠️ Fall ADVANCE Memos are delayed due to multi-department coordination with Financial Aid.
Week 4 of the Fall Quarter: UCLA submits the second VA certification to the VA (includes tuition and fees).
November 2025
November 1: VA disburses your first Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) for Chapter 33 or stipend for Chapter 35.
⏳ VA pays 30 days after term start—typically on or around the 1st of the month.
~2 weeks after second certification: VA sends tuition/fee payment to UCLA.
✅ This replaces the ADVANCE Credit Memo on your BruinBill.
November 18: Winter Quarter Fee Assessment – charges appear on BruinBill.
✅ Chapter 33 students receive a $0 VA Fee Deferral the next day.
💳 A Winter ADVANCE Credit Memo is also added to BruinBill.
December 2025
December 1: VA disburses the second MHA/stipend for Fall.
December 9: First round of Winter certifications sent (unit count only).
📌 You must be enrolled in Winter classes (not waitlisted) to be certified.
December 12: Fall Quarter ends.
December 20: Winter Fee Payment Deadline
✅ Chapter 33 students are protected by a $0 VA Fee Deferral.
💳 CalVet and Chapter 35 students must pay or enroll in a payment plan.
December 26: Winter Financial Aid Disbursement (VA/CalVet benefits are not included).
📆 Winter Quarter Timeline
January 2026
January 1: VA disburses your final MHA or Chapter 35 stipend for Fall.
📉 Payment will be reduced because Fall ended on December 12.
January 5: Winter Quarter begins.
End of January: Add/Drop deadline
🕒 UCLA does not recertify VA enrollment until after February 1 to avoid disrupting VA processing.
📣 If your unit count changes before the deadline, notify the Veterans Resource Center.
February 2026
February 1: VA disburses your first Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) for Chapter 33 or monthly stipend for Chapter 35 for Winter Quarter.