Why this exists
The VA process is dense, and it can feel that way on purpose. Forms point to other forms, the rating that decides your check is buried in a table most people never see, and the rules shift without anyone calling to tell you. We have sat in that fog ourselves. This is the resource we wish someone had handed us when we started: the rules pulled out into the open, the math shown honestly, and a straight answer about where every number comes from. No pressure, no upsell, and no pretending the system is simpler than it is. Think of it as a fellow veteran handing you the map before you walk in. The longer story, including our methodology and funding in full, is on Why We Exist.
What we do
We publish free calculators, rating guides, and the public sources behind every number, so you walk into your claim already knowing the lay of the land.
Our research arm includes the California Veteran Education Observatory, an independent research project on how federal, state, county, and campus education programs work together for California veterans and military-connected students, with published methodology, downloadable datasets, and source provenance.
How we keep this free
Everything here is free for veterans, and it will stay that way. We do not use third-party behavioral advertising or cross-site ad networks, we do not sell your information, and we never charge you to use the calculators or the library. The work is supported by clearly labeled, first-party sponsorships and directory listings that VA accredited representatives and veteran focused businesses pay for. Those listings never change what a calculator computes or what a guide says, and no one can pay to be presented as VA or as our endorsement. That line does not move.
Source-first, not personality-driven
We keep the desk deliberately source-first. The point is that you never have to take our word for anything. Every rating, every dollar figure, and every deadline links straight to the law or to VA's own pages, so you can verify it yourself in a click. The trust should come from the sources, not from a personality or a sales pitch. One exception exists because scholarly accountability requires it: our original research publications carry a named author with a public ORCID record, so that the work can be cited, checked, and answered for. That is accountability, not celebrity. You will not find bios, photos, or personal branding here.
Credentials and public record
Everything below is independently verifiable on a government or registry website we do not control.
- California-Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise. Aurelis LLC, the operating entity behind this site, is certified by the State of California as a disabled veteran owned business. The certification is searchable in the state's public Cal eProcure supplier registry. Certification verifies ownership; it is not an endorsement of our content by the State of California.
- Veteran-founded and operated. Built and run by a service-connected disabled veteran who has been through the claims process this site explains.
- Named research authorship. Original research is published under Alec Morgan, ORCID iD 0009-0009-1894-4361.
- Original research. First-party analyses built on records obtained under FOIA and on primary government sources, published in our research hub with datasets available for download.
- Federal rulemaking participation. We file formal public comments in VA rulemakings, each posted to the official federal docket. The full list, with links to every Regulations.gov record, is on our public comments page.
What we do not do
We are not a law firm, VSO, accredited claims agent, or VA representative. We provide educational information only and encourage veterans to seek accredited help for individual claim advice.