UCLA
Veteran Resource Center

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, or choose to no longer use their benefit, 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.

To remain approved for VA’s GI Bill® programs, schools must charge in-state tuition and fee amounts to “covered individuals.” A covered individual for the VACAA waiver is defined as:

  • A Veteran who lives in the state where the Institution of Higher Learning (IHL) is located (regardless of his/her formal state of residence) and was discharged or released after a minimum of 90 days of military service and using Post 9/11 or Chapter 30 benefits.
  • An individual using transferred Post 9/11 benefits who lives in the state where the IHL is located (regardless of his/her formal state of residence).
  • Anyone using transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill®benefits who lives in the state where the IHL is located and the transferor is a member of the uniformed service who is serving on active duty. Effective 7/1/2017
  • Anyone using benefits under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship who lives in the state where the IHL is located (regardless of his/her formal state of residence). Effective 7/1/2017
  • Anyone using educational assistance under chapter 31, Veterans Readiness and Employment (VR&E) who lives in the Commonwealth of Virginia while attending a school located in the Commonwealth of Virginia (regardless of his/her formal State of residence) Effective 3/1/2019.
  • Anyone using Chapter 35 Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits who lives in the state where the IHL is located while attending classes (regardless of their formal state of residence). Effective 8/1/2022

Anyone described above while he or she remains continuously enrolled (other than during regularly scheduled breaks between courses, semesters, or terms) at the same school. The person must be using educational benefits under either Chapter 30, Chapter 31, Chapter 33 or Chapter 35, of title 38, United States Code