State Survivor Benefits For California

ELIGIBILITY

• Children, stepchildren and unremarried spouses
• Children must enroll prior to 27th birthday or 30th birthday if serving active duty themselves. If they have a LOD ruling it can be used indefinitely
• Student qualifies as long as service member died while on active duty or from a service-connected disability
• Residency for the student varies depending on the school, but the service member did not have to be a resident of California
• Cannot be used with federal benefits

BENEFITS

• Waiver of in-state tuition, registration fees and some administrative fees
• Does not cover room, board, books or parking
• Unlimited amount of time; can be used toward graduate degrees
• Can be used at any California Community College, California State University or a University of California postsecondary program

DOCUMENTS

• Copy of DD1300, DD214 or death certificate
• Copy of student's birth certificate
• Copy of marriage license for spouses and stepchildren
• Proof of residency
• DVS-40 form
• Student's tax returns from the previous year

Application due date: No later than the end of July (some exceptions made in case-by-case scenarios)

Contact for further information: Department of Veteran’s Services at 916-653-2573 or the school's financial aid office directly

Note: This information is current as of Sept. 12, 2014. The information provided is meant to give a general overview of the state benefits and should be taken into consideration with individual circumstances.