To be eligible for veterans' benefits, one must be a "veteran" or a dependent of a "veteran" under M.G.L. c. 4, sec. 7, cl. 43rd as amended by the Acts of 2005, ch. 130. See below for service requirements and exceptions.

*Naval and Marine DD214 must indicate Expeditionary Medal. All DD214's must specify campaign: Lebanon, Granada, or Panama.

• For GUARD MEMBERS to qualify they must have 180 days and have been activated under Title 10 of the U.S. Code Members who were activated under Title 10 or Title 32 of the U.S. Code or Massachusetts General Laws, chapter 33, sections 38, 40, and 41 must have 90 days, at least one of which was during wartime, per the above chart.
• For RESERVISTS to qualify, they must have been called to regular active duty, at which point their eligibility can be determined by the above chart.

Training Duty Exception

Active duty service in the armed forces shall not include active duty for training in the Army or Air National Guard or active duty for training as a Reservist in the Armed Forces of the United States.

Minimum Service Exception (for Death or Disability)

It is not necessary that an applicant have completed the minimum service for wartime or peacetime campaign if he/she served some time in the campaign and was awarded the Purple Heart, or suffered a service-connected disability per the Discharge Certificate, or died in the service under honorable conditions.

This chart can be downloaded in PDF format

Eligible Dependents

The following categories of persons may qualify as dependents eligible to receive veterans’ benefits:

• Spouse of the veteran.
• Widow or widower of the veteran.
• Dependent parent of the veteran.
• Any person who acted as a parent to the veteran for five years immediately preceding the commencement of the veteran’s wartime service.
• Child of the veteran until his or her 19th birthday.
• Child of the veteran between 19 years and 23 years of age while the child is attending high school, an institution of higher learning or some other accredited educational institution provided that the applicant is in receipt of benefits under the provisions of M.G.L. c. 115.
• Child of the veteran 19 years of age or older who is mentally or physically unable to support himself or herself and was affected by the disability prior to his or her 18th birthday.
• Legally adopted children of the veteran.

Who is NOT eligible?

None of the following shall be deemed to be a veteran:

• Any person, who at the time of entering into the armed forces of the United States, had declared his/her intention to become a subject or citizen of the United States and withdrew his/her intention under the provisions of the act of Congress approved July 9, 1918.
• Any person who was discharged from the said armed forces on his/her own application or solicitation by reason of his/her being an enemy alien.
• Any person who has been proved guilty of willful desertion.
• Any person whose only service in the armed forces of the United States consists of his/her service as a member of the Coast Guard auxiliary or as a temporary member of the Coast Guard Reserve, or both.
• Any person whose last discharge or release from the armed forces is dishonorable.