The applicant shall show proof of eligibility no later than ten (10) working days from the date of an application for an examination unless this same proof is already on file with the examining organization. The University System employer will determine eligibility and the validity of the documents provided as proof of the applicant's eligibility.
Armed Forces are defined as the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and includes the National Guard and the Reserve Components of all five Armed Forces. Service in the Merchant Marines under certain conditions may be considered. Contact your local Veterans’ Affairs (VA) office about Merchant Marine service.
Proof of eligibility must include, as a minimum, a copy of the veteran's DD214/DD215 form (Department of Defense), NGB22 form (National Guard), or Discharge Orders or DD256 Discharge Certificate (Reserves). Applicants may have more than one form. Each form presented by applicants will document different periods of service. For example one form might document three (3) years of service in the Army and a second form document a second period of six (6) years in the Army.
Identifying veterans who served during periods of hostility can be determined from the "RECORD OF SERVICE or STATEMENT OF SERVICE or LENGTH OF SERVICE". If any portion of the veteran's service time falls within any of the periods of hostility, the applicant is eligible to claim a preference as a veteran who served during a period of hostility.
World War I |
April 6, 1917 to November 11, 1918 |
World War II |
December 7, 1941 to December 31, 1946 |
Korea |
June 27, 1950 to January 31, 1955 |
Vietnam |
February 28, 1961 to May 7, 1975 |
Lebanon |
June 6, 1983 to December 1, 1987 |
Grenada |
October 23, 1983 to November 21, 1983 |
Panama |
December 20, 1989 to January 1, 1990 |
Persian Gulf |
August 2, 1990 to November 30, 1995 |
War on Terrorism |
September 11, 2001 to the present |
Applicants claiming a disability must provide a copy of their DD214/DD215 form and a copy of the United States Department of Veteran Affairs award letter authorizing the disability benefit.
A recommended Guide for Veteran Document Verification is contained in Form 3.3a to assist applicants and University System employers with this verification process.
Unremarried spouses or parents of a deceased or disabled veteran applying for a veteran’s preference must complete Form 3.3b to verify eligibility for such preference.