Veterans Education Campaign
Autistic students are locked out of their veterans’ education benefits
Here is the situation. A disabled child of a veteran earns VA Chapter 35 education benefits. The family does everything right. Then they discover the benefits will not pay for the college program their child actually attends, because the program does not grant a standard degree.
That is not a misunderstanding. That is the policy. And it is locking out the very students who need college the most.
A loved one’s story
A loved one of mine is autistic. He is enrolled in the Aspiring Scholars Program at Cal State San Marcos: a four-year college program for autistic students, recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, founded by Dr. Rebecca Brooks after nearly a decade of work building a genuine college pathway. It is college in every way that matters: classes, internships, and a path to employment.
He qualified for VA Chapter 35 benefits as the son of a veteran. His father served in the Marine Corps from 2001 to 2025 and retired with a 100% disability rating. His mother completed that application herself.
Because Aspiring Scholars is a non-degree program, Chapter 35 will not pay for it. The CalVet College Fee Waiver, California’s own benefit for veterans’ dependents, will not cover it either: it applies to state-supported degree programs, and this program runs through extended learning. Student loans will not cover it. He is also a Category 1 client of the Department of Rehabilitation, but he is on the waitlist with no timeline. These veteran dependent benefits are not a backup plan. They are the plan.
From kindergarten through twelfth grade, students like him get individualized support. The day they start college, it vanishes, replaced by extra time on tests and note-taking. Programs like Aspiring Scholars are the bridge: confidence, skills, real inclusion, a path to a brighter future. The benefits system should recognize that.
What Sacramento has tried
SB 60 would have waived extended-education fees for veterans’ dependents. It passed two Senate committees unanimously, then died in Senate Appropriations. And it only covered courses that count toward a degree, which is exactly the gap that leaves non-degree programs out.
AB 264 would have let families use CalVet and Chapter 35 together by repealing the ban on concurrent receipt. It passed the Legislature. Governor Newsom vetoed it on September 30, 2026.
Neither reached students like him. The fix is still waiting.
What we are asking for
Make federally recognized college programs for autistic students, including Comprehensive Transition Programs like CSUSM’s Aspiring Scholars, eligible for VA Chapter 35 benefits and the CalVet waiver. In California: revive and expand SB 60 to cover non-degree programs. Not just for one family. For every veteran’s child coming after.
How you can help
Contact your representatives. If you are in California, write to your Assembly member and state Senator through the Legislature’s contact portal and ask them to revive and expand SB 60. At the federal level, ask your House member and Senators to make Chapter 35 cover recognized non-degree college programs.
Share this page. Most people, including most policymakers, have no idea this gap exists. Awareness is the first step.
Support our work. Donate to help us keep this campaign going and build the resources families need.
Are you a reporter? We can connect you with families and with program leadership. Email media@transcenders.app.
Sign the petition.
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Transcenders Inc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity, EIN 99-3771541. We advocate for policy change; we do not provide legal advice.