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Priority Apr 30, 2026; renewal Jun 1, 2026; late applications through Apr 30, 2027
California Military Department GI Bill® Award Program is sponsored by California Military Department. This California state-funded education award provides eligible members of the California Army National Guard, California State Guard, and California Naval Militia with tuition-free education at qualifying California colleges and universities, including CSU campuses.
The award can cover tuition and fees, books and supplies, housing and food, transportation, and personal educational expenses.
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CMD GI Bill Award Program | Cal Guard California Military Department (formerly the California National Guard Education Assistance Award Program) This is the official website for the California Military Department GI Bill Award Program (CMD GI Bill), formerly known as the California National Guard Education Assistance Award Program (CNG EAAP).
The CMD GI Bill issues educational awards to qualifying members of the California Army or Air National Guard, California State Guard, and the California Naval Militia. This State Grant can pay for up to 100% of the tuition and fees at a University of California, California State University, or a California Community College. It can also be used for eligible California proprietary and private institutions.
See the Frequently Asked Questions regarding how the award amount is calculated. Applications are now being accepted for the 2026-27 academic year! Applicant’s Fact Sheet (.
pdf) Frequently Asked Questions (. pdf) For the Record Change Request form, please email cmd. gi.
bill@cmd. ca. gov. To find the list of eligible institutions, visit: CSAC Website and then select the “Cal Grant eligible schools” link at the bottom of the page.
The California State University system and the University of California system do not consider enrollment in most of their Extended Education/Continuing Education/University Extension Programs to be the equivalent as enrollment in their main campuses due to different admission requirements and different financial aid options.
Therefore, enrollment in the Extended Education/Continuing Education/University Extension Programs may not qualify for the CMD GI Bill (Formerly CNG EAAP). If you have additional questions after reviewing the Fact Sheet and the Frequently Asked Questions, you can contact one of the CMD GI Bill Coordinators by sending an email to: cmd. gi.
bill@cmd. ca. gov. E-mails will be processed in the order received.
If you are a CA ARNG Service Member and are looking for assistance with the federal GI Bill (Post 9/11 or the Montgomery GI Bill) or Federal Tuition Assistance, you will need to go to the Pages tab and select G-1 Civilian Education Branch.
2026-2027 AY New or Returning Students 2025-2026 AY New or Returning Students CMD GI Bill New Application Process Complete the application process below to apply for the 2026-27 academic year (AY) if you did not participate in the CMD GI Bill for the 2025-26 AY or were withdrawn from the Program. The 2026-27 academic year goes from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. (This is not for classes that start prior to July 1.)
Applications are not transferable from one academic year to another. If you are currently a CMD GI Bill participant for the 2025-26 AY, go to For Renewal Students Tab, and complete the Renewal Application process listed there by June 1, 2026. 5-Step Application Process Visit the FAFSA website and fill out the 2026-27 AY Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) You do not need to send anything in to confirm you completed it.
Once you have completed step 2, the California Student Aid Commission will confirm the date your FAFSA was submitted. Visit the CSAC Website and complete the 2026-27 AY Initial Application. (If you do not have a WebGrants 4 Students or the Golden State Teacher Grant Program account, you will need to complete the First Time User process before applying.
If you do have an existing account, you will need to Login as a Returning User. If you Login and it keeps kicking you back to the login page, contact the California Student Aid Commission at 888-224-7268 and ask for a help ticket number. If they are unable to solve the issue, e-mail the CMD GI Bill Coordinators and provide the ticket number you were given.)
For the next 3 steps: Scan and e-mail the forms as a . pdf document to: cmd. gi.
bill@cmd. ca. gov. (If you take a picture with your phone and then convert to a .
pdf, it may not be accepted as the pages are often distorted. Unfortunately, the National Guard Bureau does not allow for the downloading of documents from Google Drive or the iCloud, so if you attach the documents directly from there, they will be removed by the system. Save your forms to your desktop and then attach them to the e-mail.
You can then delete them from your desktop.) Submit a completed 2026-27 AY Statement of Understanding (. pdf) Submit a CMD GI Bill Service Commitment Acknowledgement (.
pdf) form. Submit a completed Letter of Recommendation (. pdf) form from a former or current professor or school counselor, a current or former commander, or a civilian employer.
(This step is only for applicants who apply by April 30, 2026.) To be considered a Priority Applicant, you must complete all five steps of the application process by the Priority Deadline of April 30, 2026, for your application to be considered complete and considered for the Priority Board. Your “completed application date” will be the date that you complete all 5 steps.
Applicants who do not submit a Letter of Recommendation but meet the other requirements will be added to the first-come, first-serve wait-list. Applications will continue to be accepted after April 30, 2026, on a first-come, first-serve basis until all funds are exhausted or we can no longer accept applications (no later than April 30, 2027).
Applicants who will complete the first 4 steps after April 30, 2026, do not need to complete step 5. CMD GI Bill New Application Process Complete the application process below to apply for the 2025-26 academic year (AY) if you did not participate in the CMD GI Bill for the 2024-25 AY or were withdrawn from the Program. The 2025-26 academic year goes from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026.
(This is not for classes that start prior to July 1.) Applications are not transferable from one academic year to another. If you are currently a CMD GI Bill participant for the 2024-25 AY, go to For Renewal Students Tab, and complete the Renewal Application process listed there by June 1, 2025.
5-Step Application Process Visit the FAFSA website and fill out the 2025-26 AY Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) You do not need to send anything in to confirm you completed it. Once you have completed step 2, the California Student Aid Commission will confirm the date your FAFSA was submitted. Visit the CSAC Website and complete the 2025-26 AY Initial Application.
(If you do not have a WebGrants 4 Students or the Golden State Teacher Grant Program account, you will need to complete the First Time User process before applying. If you do have an existing account, you will need to Login as a Returning User. If you Login and it keeps kicking you back to the login page, contact the California Student Aid Commission at 888-224-7268 and ask for a help ticket number.
If they are unable to solve the issue, e-mail the CMD GI Bill Coordinators and provide the ticket number you were given.) For the next 3 steps: Scan and e-mail the forms as a . pdf document to: cmd.
gi. bill@cmd. ca.
gov. (If you take a picture with your phone and then convert to a . pdf, it may not be accepted as the pages are often distorted. Unfortunately, the National Guard Bureau does not allow for the downloading of documents from Google Drive or the iCloud, so if you attach the documents directly from there, they will be removed by the system.
Save your forms to your desktop and then attach them to the e-mail. You can then delete them from your desktop.) Submit a completed 2025-26 AY Statement of Understanding (.
pdf) Submit a CMD GI Bill Service Commitment Acknowledgement (. pdf) form. Submit a completed Letter of Recommendation (.
pdf) form from a former or current professor or school counselor, a current or former commander, or a civilian employer. (This step is only for applicants who apply by April 30, 2025.) To be considered a Priority Applicant, you must complete all five steps of the application process by the Priority Deadline of April 30, 2025, for your application to be considered complete and considered for the Priority Board.
Your “completed application date” will be the date that you complete all 5 steps. Applicants who do not submit a Letter of Recommendation but meet the other requirements will be added to the first-come, first-serve wait-list. Applications will continue to be accepted after April 30, 2025, on a first-come, first-serve basis until all funds are exhausted or we can no longer accept applications (no later than April 30, 2026).
Applicants who will complete the first 4 steps after April 30, 2025, do not need to complete step 5. Renew your CMD GI Bill (formerly CNG EAAP) award for the 2026-2027 academic year! The 2026-2027 academic year goes from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.
(This is not for classes that start prior to July 1.) Only those who are currently participants in the CMD GI Bill (formerly CNG EAAP) for the 2025-2026 year should complete this process. Everyone else should complete the “For New or Returning Students” process.
The deadline to complete the Renewal Application Process is June 1, 2026. Visit the CSAC Website and complete the 2026-27 AY Renewal Application. (If you do not have a WebGrants 4 Students or the Golden State Teacher Grant Program account, you will need to complete the First Time User process before applying.
If you do have an existing account, you will need to Login as a Returning User. If you Login and it keeps kicking you back to the login page, contact the California Student Aid Commission at 888-224-7268 and ask for a help ticket number. If they are unable to solve the issue, e-mail the CMD GI Bill Coordinators and provide the ticket number you were given.)
Submit a completed 2026-27 AY Renewal Statement of Understanding (. pdf) Those who entered the Program during the 2020-21 AY or after must submit a CMD GI Bill Service Commitment Acknowledgement (. pdf) form.
Scan and e-mail the forms as a . pdf document to: cmd. gi.
bill@cmd. ca. gov. (If you take a picture with your phone and then convert to a .
pdf, it may not be accepted as the pages are often distorted. Unfortunately, the National Guard Bureau does not allow for the downloading of documents from Google Drive or the iCloud, so if you attach the documents directly from there, they will be removed by the system. Save your forms to your desktop and then attach them to the e-mail.
You can then delete them from your desktop.) As of January 1, 2015, CMD GI Bill, formerly CNG EAAP, participants attending a summer term must submit documentation from their unit commander starting enrollment in the summer term will not adversely impact a participant’s attendance at mandatory military training in order to be eligible for an award for the term.
All participants attending a summer term, whether it is considered mandatory or discretionary, must complete the Summer Term Certification (. pdf) California Student Aid Commission The California State University California Community Colleges
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Active members of the California Military Department who maintain California residency, attend a qualifying institution and eligible program, enroll in at least three academic units per term, maintain a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA, and pursue a certificate, degree, or diploma leading to a bachelor's, graduate, or doctoral degree. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
Applications for California Military Department GI Bill® Award Program are due April 30, 2027. Build your timeline backwards from this date to cover registrations, approvals, and final submission checks.
California Military Department GI Bill® Award Program is funded by California Military Department. Verify program details on the funder's official page before applying.
This opportunity targets applicants in California. If your organization operates elsewhere, check the official notice for location requirements.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
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