Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon Portland Community College

Educational benefits for family members

student in PCC cap and gown in front of memorial

Spouses and children of permanently disabled or fallen service members may qualify for two kinds of educational benefits:

  1. PCC tuition waiver
  2. VA Dependents Educational Assistance

You may be eligible for one or both of these benefits.

Types of benefits

PCC tuition waiver

PCC is honored to offer a tuition waiver to children and spouses of permanently disabled or fallen service members. With this waiver, you have the opportunity to earn a tuition-free associate degree.

Who is eligible
  • Applicants must be the dependent or spouse of a member of the United States Armed Forces who either died in active duty, became 100% disabled in connection with military service, or died as a result of a disability sustained in active duty.
  • Dependents must begin using the waiver at an Oregon public institution by the age of 23.
  • You must apply for the waiver within 21 years of the date of death or disability.
  • You must be a degree-seeking student with a declared major.
  • You must be an Oregon resident.
What the waiver covers
  • The waiver covers up to 135 credits or completion of a degree/certificate (whichever comes first).
  • The waiver only pays for classes that satisfy degree requirements.
  • The waiver covers tuition, but not fees. See tuition and fees.
How to use the waiver:
  1. Get admitted

    If you haven’t taken a class at PCC in the last two years, apply for admission.

  2. Apply for waiver

    Complete the waiver application and submit documents. You only need to apply for the waiver once, not every term.

  3. Register for classes, pay fees

    Register for classes as early as you can. You’ll get an email when we post the waiver to your account (this usually happens the week before the payment due date). Then pay any fees not covered by the waiver.

Contact us

For questions regarding the Veterans Dependent Tuition waiver, please contact vadw-group@pcc.edu.

VA Dependents Educational Assistance

Veterans Affairs provides educational stipends to eligible spouses and dependents of permanently disabled and fallen service members through the Dependents Educational Assistance Program.

How to use this benefit

To begin using this benefit, follow the steps for using VA Benefits at PCC.

Contact us

If you need help, please contact veterans@pcc.edu.