California State Veterans Benefits

As a federal agency, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers benefits such as disability compensation, pension, and employment assistance to former service members nationwide. However, state agencies—including the California Department of Veterans Affairs, or CalVet—can also provide benefits tailored to state residents who've served in the military.

If you're a veteran living in California, you and your family may be entitled to state-specific education and housing aid in addition to federal VA benefits. Combined, these benefits may save you a significant amount of money, so it's important to learn about some lesser-known forms of assistance for California vets.

What Benefits Can Veterans Get in California?

CalVet offers many useful benefits for veterans including college tuition fee waivers for certain relatives, reduced annual fees for hunting and fishing licenses, lifetime state parks and recreation passes, and tax exemptions. Some benefits may have residency, military component, or disability status requirements, so not all benefits may be available to all veterans.

Education Benefits for Dependents of California Veterans

Children disabled or deceased veterans can receive a waiver for tuition and fees at a California state university or community college. Surviving spouses of deceased veterans are also eligible as long as they don't remarry. As a dependent, you may qualify under one of four plans offered by the state.

Types of California State Education Benefits

California educational benefits are divided into four types (with the no-frills names of Plan A, Plan B, Plan C, and Plan D). The specific type you may qualify for depends on the nature of the veteran's service, your relationship to the veteran, and in some cases your income level.

Plan A. The following dependents are eligible for education benefits under Plan A:

• Unmarried children (older than 14 and younger than 27) of veterans who are "totally service-connected disabled" or whose death was officially rated as service-connected. Children who are veterans themselves are eligible until age 30.
• Spouses of wartime veterans who are "totally service-connected disabled," without age limit restrictions.
• Unmarried surviving spouses of wartime veterans whose death has been rated as service-connected, without age limit restrictions.
• Any dependents of veterans who have been declared missing in action, captured in the line of duty by hostile forces, or forcibly detained or interned in the line of duty by a foreign government or power.

Furthermore, to qualify for education benefits as a dependent of a veteran, the veteran must have served at least one day of active duty during a period of war as declared by the U.S. Congress, or during any time in which the veteran was awarded a campaign or expeditionary medal. For children dependents, the event that caused the veteran's basic entitlement to benefits—such as the date the VA rated the veteran as totally disabled— must have happened before the child's 21st birthday.

You can't receive benefits under both Plan A and VA Chapter 35 at the same time, and you'll need to sign an "Election To Receive College Waiver Benefits" statement acknowledging this fact. There are no income restrictions for receiving benefits under Plan A.

Plan B. Plan B education benefits are available to children of veterans who have a service-connected disability, had a service-connected disability at the time of death, or died of service-related causes. Unlike Plan A, Plan B benefits are income restricted ($22,​273 for the 2025-2026 academic school year) but the veteran having wartime service isn't a requirement, and you can receive both Plan B and VA Chapter 35 benefits at the same time.

Plan C. Plan C benefits are available to dependents of members of the California National Guard who, while in the line of duty while on active service to the state, were killed, died of a disability caused by that service, or are permanently disabled as a result of an event caused by that service. "Active service to the state" means that the veteran was a member of the California National Guard activated according to Section 146 of the state Military and Veterans Code.

Plan D. Veterans who have received the Medal of Honor and their children under the age of 27 may qualify for educational assistance under Plan D. These benefits are for undergraduate studies only (attending school to get an associate or bachelor's degree), and are subject to both income and age restrictions. You can get both Plan D and VA Chapter 35 benefits concurrently, however.

How to Apply for Education Benefits

If you aren't sure which plan you qualify for, you can use CalVet's College Fee Waiver Calculator Tool to help determine which one is best suited for you. When you're ready to apply, you'll need to complete the fee waiver application form and take it to your local CalVet Veteran Service Office. You should apply before you start school—benefits are awarded on an annual basis for each academic year, and you must reapply each year to keep them coming.

Keep in mind that the state education fee waiver is only available for schools in the California Community Colleges, California State University, and University of California systems. You can't use it to attend a private or out-of-state school.

California Tax Exemptions

Veterans can benefit from property and business tax exemptions in certain circumstances. Note that these exemptions apply only to California-specific state, municipal, or county taxes—not federal taxes, which are governed by federal law.

Property Tax Exemptions

California has two separate property tax exemptions for veterans and disabled veterans. The "Veterans Exemption" excludes up to $4,000 worth of property from taxation. In order to qualify for this exemption, you must be either currently serving in the military, separated from service with an honorable discharge, the unmarried surviving spouse of a qualified deceased veteran, or the parent of a qualified deceased veteran. You can get this exemption if the total amount of all property you own is not worth more than $5,000 (or $10,000 if you're married) and you lived in California on January 1 (the "lien date").

Veterans who have a 100% disability rating from the VA—and weren't dishonorably discharged—are eligible for a "Disabled Veterans Exemption" from property tax based on the value of their home. (Surviving spouses who haven't remarried are also eligible.) The "basic" property tax exemption of $100,000 is available to everybody who qualifies. The "low-income" exemption of $150,000 is available to those whose annual income is below a certain limit. The exact numbers for both the exemption amounts and the annual income limit are compounded annually by an inflation factor.

You can apply for the Veterans or Disabled Veterans exemption by contacting your county assessor and asking for Form BOE-261-G, Claim for Disabled Veterans' Property Tax Exemption. After you've finished completing the form, you'll then need to file it with the assessor. You only need to do this once if you're claiming the "basic" exemption, but since the "low-income" exemption depends on your annual income, you'll need to file it every year.

Business Tax, License, and Fee Waiver

Veterans who are in the business of selling goods (other than liquor) can apply for an exemption from business-related licenses, taxes, and fees in some California municipalities. This waiver is only for veterans who engage in business activities involving sales, not services, and you'll need to show proof that you were honorably discharged from the military to be eligible. If you think you may qualify, it's best to speak with a representative at your nearest CalVet service office.

Disabled veterans with small businesses in California may be able to take advantage of the Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Program. This program aims to award 3% of California state contracts to small businesses owned by disabled veterans.

Home Loans for Veterans

CalVet offers home loans with little or no down payment and low interest rates. You may be eligible if you've served on active duty (excluding training) for a minimum of 90 days, have an honorable discharge, and don't already have a CalVet loan. There's no California residency requirement for these loans, so you can apply even if you enlisted outside the state. You can visit the CalVet website for more information about other housing benefits or to apply for a loan.

Employment Benefits and Veterans Preference Programs

CaVet administers several programs for veterans who are under or unemployed. The state itself also has hiring preferences for vets (and surviving spouses of 100% disabled veterans) who are seeking work provided they meet certain eligibility requirements. Preference doesn't guarantee that you'll get a job that you apply for—it just means that if you pass a qualifying examination, you'll be placed in the top rank of potential employees for the open position you applied for.

You'll need to apply for veterans' preference by completing Cal Form HR-1903 and submitting it along with a copy of your DD-214 discharge papers to the following address:

California Department of Human Resources
ATTN: Examination Unit
1515 S Street
Sacramento, CA 95811

Be sure to include any additional supporting documentation, such as your disability award letter or marriage certificate, along with your application for veterans' preference. If your application is approved, CalVet will retain your information for all future qualifying examinations, and you'll automatically be added to the top rank for any state job examination you pass. You can find out more at the CalCareers.gov website for veterans.

Health Care for California Veterans

In addition to VA health care, the state of California provides additional services to promote veterans' health and well-being. For example, the Veterans' Homes of California offer intensive care to older or disabled veterans who may need long-term assistance. The California Veterans Health Initiative aims to improve access to mental health treatment for vets and their families, many of whom struggle with conditions such as PTSD from their time in the military. And veterans who aren't eligible for VA health care may be able to purchase health insurance for themselves and their families through Covered California.

Additional Resources and Legal Help

You can browse the CalVet website at your leisure to find more information specific to your needs. If you're not finding the answers to your questions online, you can contact the office by email or over the phone at 800-952-5626 (800-221-8998 outside California, 800-324-5966 if you're hearing impaired).

Many veterans don't have a problem getting their federal or state benefits on their own, but if you're finding it difficult to get your disability rated correctly or need a discharge upgrade, it may be useful to contact an experienced veterans law attorney.