Veteran Status Defined

Criteria for Veteran Status for Federal Aid Purposes

Definition of a Veteran

A veteran is a former member of the Armed Forces of the United States (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard) who served on active duty and was discharged under conditions, which were other than dishonorable.

The Department of Education and the Department of Veterans Affairs have varying criteria for individuals to claim veteran status. Please note, the criteria listed here are specifically addressing the requirements of the Department of Education to direct students how to answer the question regarding veteran status on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students who meet these criteria are considered independent for the purposes of federal student aid.

The FAFSA Simplification Act aligns the definition of veteran with the definition used by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) to determine veterans’ benefits. The Act cites Title 38 of the U.S. Code for the definition of a veteran. Generally, a veteran is an individual who:

  • Served on active duty in the U.S. armed forces (the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Space Force, or Coast Guard) for other than training and who was discharged or released under a condition other than “dishonorable”; or
  • Served on active duty for training or inactive duty for training in the U.S. armed forces and was disabled from injury incurred or aggravated in the line of duty.

Members of the National Guard or Reserves are only considered veterans if they were called up to active federal duty by presidential order for a purpose other than training. It does not matter how long the active duty lasted or if the student returned to reserve status afterward, but, as with the other qualifying veterans, the student must have had a character of service that was not “dishonorable.”

The FAFSA form also tells students to answer “Yes” to the question about veteran status if they aren’t yet a veteran but will be by June 30, 2025.

Students serving in ROTC or currently attending a U.S. military academy are not veterans. Additionally, students who attended a U.S. military academy or military academy preparatory school but were discharged prior to commission (commonly known as “early exit cadets”) are not veterans.

Applicants who meet these criteria should check "yes" to the vet question on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).