VACAA

The Veterans Choice and Accountability Act (VACAA) of 2014 allows eligible veterans, active-duty service members, and their dependents to qualify for a waiver of the non-resident tuition fee at public universities, even if they are not residents of that state. At UCLA, this waiver removes the non-resident tuition fee, which is the only additional fee charged to non-resident students, but it does not grant California residency.

This applies to those using education benefits under:

• Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33)
• Montgomery GI Bill® - Active Duty (Chapter 30)
• Montgomery GI Bill® - Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606)
• Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA, Chapter 35)

At UCLA, students who initially qualify for in-state tuition under this law can retain the benefit even if they exhaust their education benefits, as long as they remain continuously enrolled.

Process to Receive the Non-Resident Tuition Waiver at UCLA:
This process is initiated with the UCLA Office of the Registrar and continues with UCLA Student Accounts and then the UCLA Veteran Resource Center.

1. Submit Statement of Intent to Register (SIR).
2. Complete the Statement of Legal Residence (SLR) to determine residency classification.
3. Be classified as a non-resident for tuition purposes.
4. Submit a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) for their VA education benefits.
5. Be processed by UCLA, after which the additional non-resident tuition fee will be waived from their student bill.

Important Note:

• This waiver only removes the additional non-resident tuition fee; it does NOT grant the student California residency.
• Students will still be classified as non-resident for other residency-related purposes at UCLA.