• U.S. veterans can qualify for benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs.veteran image by araraadt from Fotolia.com
  
  The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is the federal organization in charge of providing and regulating benefits and other services to veterans. Congress formally established it in 1930. The main purpose of this federal entity is to help veterans who return home from service and who face substandard living conditions by granting them a number of benefits. However, in order to receive these benefits, it is necessary for veterans to comply with certain regulations.
  
  

Veterans Pension

• To be eligible for the Veterans Pension, you must have served for at least 90 days, at least one day of which was during wartime. You must be disabled or older than 65 years to qualify for this benefit. You must also have limited or no income and must not have had a "dishonorable" discharge.
  
  

Educational Assistance Program

• The Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program offers up to 45 months of education benefits for a degree or on-the-job training. To be eligible for this program, you must be a son, daughter or spouse of a veteran. However, some of the regulations for this benefit restrict this category only to veterans who died or are totally disabled because of military service, veterans who are hospitalized due to military service, or veterans who have been captured or detained by a foreign government. Children of such veterans must also be between 18 and 26 years old in order to qualify. Spouses of such veterans have 10 years in which to utilize these benefits from the date they become eligible. In cases where the veteran died in service, this limit is extended to 20 years.
  
  

Disability Compensation

• The Disability Compensation program pays disabled veterans. Regulations that qualify you for this benefit include that you must have also served in a wartime period and not have had a "dishonorable" discharge. This benefit is granted only to veterans who were injured on duty, who have a disease-disability acquired while on duty, or who have a physical condition made worse by military service.
  
  

Other Regulations

• Other benefits are available to veterans such as home loans, health care, life insurance and survivor benefits. These programs also define eligibility based on a veteran's duty date, income and age.