StacksVerified U.S. regulatory reference

38 CFR §21.5134

Verified against eCFR.gov as of June 20, 2026View official text on eCFR.gov ↗
The Department of Veterans Affairs may not pay benefits to a serviceperson (other than one enrolled in a course, courses or a program of education leading to a secondary school diploma or an equivalency certificate) unless he or she:
  1. (a)Has completed 3 months of contributions to the fund or has made a lump-sum payment which is the equivalent of at least 3 months of contributions to the fund;
  2. (b)Has agreed either to have a monthly deduction from his or her military pay, or has made a lump-sum contribution to the fund, or both, so that the 12 months participation requirement of § 21.5052(a) of this part will be met; and
  3. (c)Is serving on active duty in an enlistment period subsequent to the initial period of active duty defined in § 21.5040(b)(3) of this part.