Aid for U. S. Veterans, Active Duty Military, and Their Dependents

On This Page

› How you report income and veterans benefits on your FAFSA.

› Benefits available to dependents of veterans.

› Tuition assistance and scholarships for veterans.

Applying for Aid

Apply for financial aid using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, (FAFSA). By completing the FAFSA, you are considered automatically for most financial aid programs.

On Active Duty in the U.S. Armed Forces

If you plan to attend the university any time during the academic year, you can complete your FAFSA—

  • before your military release date and
  • before you are admitted to the university.

Veteran of the U. S. Armed Forces

You are a veteran for financial aid purposes and are not required to provide your parents’ information on the FAFSA if you—

  • are currently serving or have engaged in active duty in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard,
  • are a National Guard or Reserve enlistee who was called to federal active duty for purposes other than training,
  • were a cadet or midshipman at one of the service academies (example: West Point), and
  • were released from service under a condition other than dishonorable, or
  • are not now a veteran but will be by June 30.

Reporting Income and Veterans Benefits

Read and follow the FAFSA instructions for each question. The way in which you report income and benefits on your FAFSA may differ from what you report to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Some guidelines—

  • Veterans noneducation benefits such as Disability, Death Pension, or Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), and/or VA Educational Work Study allowances should be reported as untaxed income on your FAFSA.
  • Report your food allowance (BAS).
  • Do not report your military housing allowance (BAQ or BAH) or the value of your on-base military housing.

Veterans Education Benefits

Federal veteran's education benefits will NOT affect financial aid award amounts.

For information about veterans education benefits, visit the G.I. Bill Web site or contact your local Veterans Affairs Office or the SDSU Veterans Center to determine what education benefits you may be eligible to receive and how to activate your benefits.

Some of the benefits for which you may be eligible are—

  • Post- 9/11 G.I. Bill - Chapter 33
  • Montgomery G.I. Bill – Active Duty, Chapter 30
  • Montgomery G.I. Bill - Selected Reserve, Chapter 1606
  • Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Chapter 31)
  • Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP, Chapter 1607)
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Dependents of Veterans

Dependents of certain veterans may be eligible for educational assistance through the—

  • Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program (Chapter 35) and/or
  • Cal Vet Fee Waiver Program (described in the section that follows)

For Chapter 35 eligibility, visit the G.I. Bill Web site or contact your local Veterans Affairs Office or the SDSU Veterans Center.

Cal Vet Fee Waiver Program

The spouse, child, or registered domestic partner of a veteran may qualify for fee waiver benefits at any California State University if the veteran—

  • served during a “qualifying war period,” and
  • has a service-connected disability, or
  • died while on active duty or as a result of a service-related condition.

The child of a veteran may also qualify for a waiver of California state basic tuition and fees if the veteran—

  • has a service-connected disability,
  • had a service-connected disability at the time of death, or
  • died of service-related causes.

Dependents of a member of the California National Guard who was killed or permanently disabled while in service to the state may be eligible for similar benefits.

If eligible, the fee waiver will affect your total financial aid eligibility due to the reduction in your
cost of attendance.

The Student Account Services Web site has instructions on how to obtain authorization and use your fee waiver before you register each semester.

For more information contact—

Tuition Assistance for Active Duty and Reservists

Basic tuition and fees and out-of-state tuition assistance may be available to you if you attend the university while on active duty or as a reservist.

Scholarships

All San Diego State University (SDSU) students, regardless of nationality, citizenship, residency status, area of study, or grade point average, are encouraged to apply for as many scholarships as possible.

The Scholarships section of this Web site includes—

  • a free online "Scholarship Search" where you'll find SDSU-administered scholarships,
  • an “Other Scholarships” option that lists scholarships from outside organizations, and
  • the “Resources and Links” section which provides links to help in your search.

SDSU Veterans Scholarship

To qualify for a veterans scholarship, the recipient must enroll full time and have been awarded an Honorable Discharge from the U.S. Armed Forces. Review the SDSU Veterans Scholarship application requirements and online application.

Active Military Service and Education Loan Deferment

The borrower of an education loan, may be eligible to postpone repayment of that loan for up to three ( 3 ) years if serving on active duty during—

  • a war or other military operation,
  • a national emergency, or
  • if performing qualifying National Guard duty under the same circumstances.

Note: For PLUS Loans, only principal is deferred – interest continues to accrue.

To see if your service qualifies you for a deferment of your loan payments, contact—

For additional information, visit the following Web sites:

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs

The California Department of Veterans Affairs

The SDSU Veterans Center (located in Student Services West, Room 1575)

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