Chapter 4. Educational Assistance of California Military And Veterans Code >> Division 4. >> Chapter 4.

As used in this article:
  (a) "Veterans" means (1) any person who served in the Army, Navy, or Marine Corps of the United States and was killed in action or died as a result of war service in the World War since April 6, 1917; (2) any member of the Army, Navy, Coast Guard or Marine Corps of the United States, or any of their auxiliaries, including, but not limited to, the Philippine Commonwealth Army, the Regular Scouts (" Old Scouts"), and the Special Philippine Scouts ("New Scouts"), who was killed in action in World War II on or after December 7, 1941, and prior to January 1, 1947, or who died at any time as a result of war service during such period; (3) any member of the armed forces of the United States who was killed in action during any period of hostilities in which the United States is engaged, or who died or was totally disabled at any time as a result of active service during any such period or during the induction period; or (4) any person who, at the time of entry into the armed forces of the United States was a resident of this state and was subsequently declared by the United States government to be 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.
  (b) "Dependent of a veteran" means the natural or adopted child of a veteran, or stepchild of a veteran as defined by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs for compensation purposes, the unmarried surviving spouse of a veteran, or the spouse of a totally disabled veteran.
  (c) "Induction period" means (1) the period beginning September 16, 1940, and ending December 6, 1941, and the period beginning January 1, 1947, and ending June 26, 1950, and (2) the period beginning on February 1, 1955, and ending on the day before the first day thereafter on which individuals (other than individuals liable for induction by reason of a prior deferment) are no longer liable for induction for training and service into the armed forces under the Universal Military Training and Service Act.

(a) (1) Notwithstanding any other law, on or after January 1, 2001, a claimant is not ineligible for a disabled veterans' benefit for lack of certification of disability of the veteran with respect to whom the benefit is sought, if there is a currently pending application to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (USDVA) for certification of disability for that veteran and the subsequently received certification qualifies the veteran for the benefit. An entity of state government, or any political subdivision thereof, to which a claim for a disabled veterans' benefit is made, shall require the claimant to provide written verification that an application had been pending with the USDVA at the time the claim for the disabled veterans' benefit is submitted.
  (2) For purposes of this subdivision, "disabled veterans benefit" means an exemption, privilege, service, or other legal benefit that is provided pursuant to law by the state, or a political subdivision thereof, exclusively to a disabled veteran, or his or her surviving spouse, parent, or child.
  (b) (1) For purposes of applying the disabled veterans' property tax exemption set forth in Section 205.5 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, any amount of tax, including any interest or penalty thereon, levied upon that portion of the assessed value of real property that would have been exempt if the veteran's pending application for certification of disability had been finalized, shall be canceled or refunded if both of the following conditions are met:
  (A) The certification is received and is forwarded to the county assessor.
  (B) A return is made as required by Section 277 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.
  (2) Any refund issued pursuant to this subdivision is subject to the limitations periods for refunds set forth in Section 5097 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.

(a) A dependent of a veteran applying for aid under this article shall be over 14 years of age or shall have entered the ninth grade, and shall be a native of or shall have lived in this state for five of the nine years immediately preceding the date that the application is filed.
  (b) Any dependent of a veteran who has attained eligibility pursuant to this article while under 21 years of age may continue to receive the benefits of this article until the needed training is completed or until he or she attains the age of 27 years, whatever first occurs.
  (c) The eligibility limitations of subdivision (b) shall not apply to the spouse or dependent widow of a veteran. However, the spouse or dependent widow of a veteran shall be limited to not more than 48 months, of full-time training, or the equivalent thereof in part-time training.
  (d) Notwithstanding the eligibility limitations of subdivision (b), a dependent who has honorably served in the Armed Forces of the United States may be granted an extension of training through the age of 30 years.
  (e) The eligibility limitations of subdivisions (a) and (b) shall not apply to the dependent of a veteran as defined in paragraph (4) of subdivision (a) of Section 890.

A dependent of a veteran who desires to continue his education may apply to the department. If in the opinion of the department the educational needs of the applicant can be satisfactorily met in educational institutions in this State or elsewhere, the department shall assume state wardship over the education of the applicant. The department may provide educational counsel for applicants and assist them in securing admission to suitable institutions of learning. Tuition may be paid at private schools only when suitable opportunity is not available in public or semipublic institutions.

The department, insofar as funds permit, may provide:
  (a) For the payment of tuition and other fees.
  (b) For the monthly payment of an allowance for books, supplies and living expenses of the student. Qualified applicants may claim their first monthly allowance upon completion of school registration and the department is authorized to establish a revolving fund if necessary to expedite payment.

For students of collegiate, community college, business and trade school rank, the amount expended by the department as an allowance for living expenses shall not exceed one hundred dollars ($100) per month. Dependents enrolled in the fifth year of any course requiring five years may be considered to be at the undergraduate level. For students of high school rank, the amount shall not exceed fifty dollars ($50) per month during the time the student is in actual attendance at a day school. Absence during the month on account of illness shall be included as attendance.

For tuition and fees:
  (a) The amount expended on account of any one applicant of undergraduate, collegiate, community college, business, or trade school rank under this article shall not exceed the maximum rate authorized for the regular school year under Section 69566 of the Education Code and not to exceed one-third more for students pursuing a summer session or full year course.
  (b) For students of high school rank, the sum shall not exceed four hundred fifty dollars ($450) a year for students pursuing a regular course and five hundred fifty dollars ($550) a year for students pursuing a summer session or full year course.

The department shall consider applications in the order in which they are received. If the funds available are insufficient to meet the obligations which would arise from the guardianship of all worthy applicants, the department shall assume wardship over the applicants who are most urgently in need of further education, taking into consideration both scholastic achievement and financial need.

No dependent of a veteran, as defined in paragraph (1), (2) or (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 890, shall be eligible to receive the benefits of this article during the time that he is entitled to receive federal educational benefits under Chapter 35, Title 38, United States Code, as amended, or duplicate assistance from any other government source.

Upon application to the department by a dependent of a veteran as defined in paragraph (4) of subdivision (a) of Section 890, the department shall reimburse such person for the costs of tuition and fees incurred by such person at a public or private educational institution in the amount provided for in Section 895.

Any person who is reimbursed by the department for tuition and fees or on whose account the department has paid tuition and fees, shall not at the same time be eligible for any other allowances provided for in this article if, at such time, such person is also therefor entitled to receive educational assistance under Chapter 35, Title 38, United States Code, as amended, or duplicate assistance from any other government source.

The sum of three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) is hereby annually appropriated from the receipts heretofore or hereafter collected under the provisions of Chapter 5, Statutes of 1938, or any other act under which oil royalties are or may be collected, other than those receipts received from rents, bonuses, and royalties accruing from the use of state school land, to carry out the purposes of this article. Such amount shall annually be paid into the General Fund.

The department may, for the purposes of this article, draw upon its appropriation for educational assistance to veterans under Section 981 to 981.8 of the Military and Veterans Code.