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Veterans Preference — Ranked Ahead, Not Points

Disabled veterans rank ahead of every other applicant, veterans ahead of every nonveteran — and a rejected veteran finalist must be told why, in writing.

Verified August 19, 2026

What this benefit is

Disabled veterans rank ahead of every other applicant, veterans ahead of every nonveteran — and a rejected veteran finalist must be told why, in writing.

What it's worth: Ranked ahead of nonveterans — disabled veterans ahead of everyone

  • This is ranking by category, not points: disabled veterans first, then veterans, then everyone else.

Who is entitled to it

  • You were discharged under honorable conditions.
  • Your home is in Minnesota.

Not sure whether that describes you?

Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.

How to claim it

  1. 1Claim the preference with the application — a disabled veteran claims that tier with VA evidence, because it ranks ahead of everyone including other veterans.
  2. 2If you separated recently and meet the minimum qualifications, you must be CONSIDERED, and the top five recently separated veterans must be interviewed — hold the agency to that.
  3. 3If you reach the finalist pool and are rejected, the authority must notify you in writing of the reasons. Ask for it; the obligation is the statute’s, not a courtesy.
File with
The hiring agency, with your application
Documents you will need
dd214 · va benefit summary letter
No renewal
Once granted it does not need renewing.
CorrectionOlder guidance describes Minnesota preference as ten points for a veteran and fifteen for a disabled veteran. The statute as it reads now ranks by category instead — disabled veterans ahead of all applicants, veterans ahead of nonveterans. A veteran hunting for the points misses that the current shape is stronger.
Worth knowingThe written-reasons rule has teeth: a veteran finalist who is passed over is owed the reasons in writing, which is the record an appeal is built on.
Worth knowingSurviving spouses, and spouses of disabled veterans unable to qualify because of the disability, hold the preference in their own right.

Sources

Why only one source type: The statute on the revisor's own site states the ranking, the interview guarantee and the written-reasons obligation in terms.

This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.