Due to the unique nature of the summer term at UC Berkeley, if students are enrolled in summer and expect VA Benefits for that term, they must notify the Veteran Services office in order for any funds to be requested and subsequently disbursed.

Types of Benefits

Application Fee Waiver for U.S. Military Service Members (EWMBA Applicants Only)

  • U.S. Military service members (active duty and veterans) may be eligible to waive the $200 application fee.
  • After you have started your online application, but before submitting it, please email the admissions office at [email protected] if you are interested in submitting the Application Fee Waiver Request form. Please do not submit your application until you receive a response to your request.

The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) website provides extensive details on the education benefits available to veterans in various statuses, such as vocational/rehabilitation, the Post 9/11 GI Bill®, and active duty.

The Haas School of Business, as part of the public University of California system, is one of the few top ranked MBA programs in the country that is able to benefit from the expanded Post 9/11 Benefits® signed into law in January 2011. Depending on length of qualifying service, veterans can obtain:

  • Funding for up to 100% fees
  • A monthly housing allowance (determined by the VA Office and affected by unit load)
  • An annual book stipend up to $1,000

Check out the VA’s Benefits Calculator to learn more details about the amounts available to you. Please also check out the BAH Calculator to get an idea of what your housing allowance might be.

MBA students who are fully sponsored, meaning all fees are paid by a third party or outside agency, may choose to work as GSIs and/or Readers. However, if you are eligible for a fee remission from UC Berkeley, you will only receive it if your sponsoring agency reduces the sponsorship by that amount. Fee remissions will not be paid to the student as a refund if fees are being covered by an outside source.

For those of you who waive the student health insurance, the Health Insurance Fee will not be triggered to your account, so expect a lower partial fee remission.

The Evening & Weekend MBA students are not eligible for the CAL Vet Tuition/Fee Exemption as funding differs between programs.

Overview of Process

After admission to the program:

  1. Request your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) from the VA Office.
  2. Review the handy checklist for initiating benefits at UC Berkeley.
  3. Ultimately, benefits covering part or all of the fees will be disbursed to the university when you start your program. Housing allowances and book allowances are disbursed directly to the student.

The Fry Scholarship (expanded to include surviving spouses)

Section 701 of the Choice Act expands the Fry Scholarship to include the surviving spouses of Service Members who died in the line of duty after September 10, 2001. Prior to this, only children were eligible for this benefit. Eligible spouses are entitled to receive:

  • 36 months of full benefits, equal to 100% level of the Post-9/11 GI Bill®
  • Education must start on or after January 1, 2015. Education prior to January 1, 2015, is not eligible to receive benefits under Section 701
  • A spouse has 15 years from the date of the Service Member’s death to utilize benefits. If a spouse remarries, benefits end the date of the remarriage.

To learn more, please review the Veteran Affairs Fact Sheet. To either apply or make an election, complete an application (Form VA-Form 22-5490) and follow the application instructions.

Resources

Haas Veterans Club
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://haas.campusgroups.com/veterans/home

Veteran Services
Office of the Registrar
120 Sproul Hall #5404
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720
Ph (510) 642-1592, Fax (510) 643-4222
Email: [email protected]