Veteran’s Affairs (VA)

FAFSA information is also sent via CPS to the Department of Veteran’s Affairs for a status match. If the student answers ‘Yes’ to the FAFSA question asking if they are a Veteran, the VA scans its databases to see if it considers the student to be a veteran. There is no minimum amount of time the student has to serve in order to be considered a veteran.

Criteria for a student to meet Title IV aid requirements as a Veteran are:

• The student has served in the U.S. Armed Forces (U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or Coast Guard) and has been on active duty (does not include those in the Reserves that have not been called to active duty)
• The student was released from the military under a condition other than dishonorable
• The student is currently serving in the Armed Forces, provided documents confirm intended release prior to the end of an award year. The student has attended a U.S. military academy or U.S. preparatory school (U.S. MAPS or NAPS, not high school academies) for at least one day and was released under conditions other than dishonorable.
  • Students currently attending a U.S. military academy or ROTC students are not veterans
• The student is a member of the Reserves or Coast Guard, provided the student has been called to active duty for purposes other than training
• The student has served in the Reserves or Coast Guard and has been discharged for any reason other than a dishonorable discharge

The student may be asked to provide documentation to substantiate their Veteran status if the VA returns a C-Code for non-match. Items that may be requested to resolve veteran status include:

• DD214, Report of Separation
• A letter or memo from a commanding officer stating the intent to release the student prior to the end of the award year
• A letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs that states its records have been updated to show the student is a veteran