SACRAMENTO – AB 1745 unanimously passed the Senate today, September 12th, and now moves to the Governor’s desk for consideration.
AB 1745 expands eligibility for dependents of veterans to qualify for free access to higher education. The bill makes changes to the College Fee Waiver for Veteran Dependents, which waives tuition and fees at any California Community College, California State University, or University of California campus.
“The sacrifices made by members of the military have long consequences, sometimes across generations,” said Assemblywoman Soria. “It’s important that we prioritize benefits for our veteran dependents, including increasing access to higher education.”
Federal and state governments offer educational and other benefits to aid veterans and their dependents in achieving success in civilian life. Among these benefits, California offers a college fee waiver to veteran dependents attending California public college or university. Unfortunately, this program currently disqualifies many dependents of service-disabled veterans due to an income cap. This bill raises the income cap to qualify a greater number of veteran dependents so that they may achieve their higher education goals.