Letter to the Editor: California Disabled Veterans’ Dependent Priority University Admissions Bill

To The California Legionnaire,

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, there were approximately 982,000 veterans living in California as of September 2021, but the number of disabled veterans among them is not specified. Of those 982,000 Veterans, the number of Disabled Veterans with college-age dependents and grade point averages of 3.5 or higher is but a tiny fraction.

I’m interested in beginning a grass roots effort to have any college-aged dependent of a disabled veteran (all VA ratings 0-100%) with a high school or college GPA of 3.5 or higher be guaranteed admissions offers to any University of California or California State University system institution of higher learning.

For example, in California there are UC and CSU systems. The popular schools within these systems routinely reject bright students with high GPAs. It’s a fight to get kids into CAL, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCSD, SDSU, UCSB, Cal Poly SLO, UCLA, etc. 

I am requesting a feasibility study so that dependents of disabled veterans with GPAs of 3.5 or higher are guaranteed admission offers to state-run schools. This priority admissions program would result in an admissions offer to all desired UC or CSU schools only open to those students / dependents meeting eligibility criteria.

Every branch of the military is struggling to meet recruiting and retention goals. A benefit such as this could help mitigate those challenges. 

This [proposed] California Assembly Bill gives the state an opportunity to honor and respect Disabled Veterans and their families. Service connected disability Veterans and their families have earned the right for admission into UC and CSU colleges.