EDINBURG – Veterans with less than honorable discharges can go online to see if they qualify for a status upgrade.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is working with the Department of Defense to create the new online tool.

Rio Grande Valley veteran service officers believe it’ll help veterans with less than honorable discharges come out of the shadows and seek help.

“If they don’t have an honorable if they have anything other than honorable we should always try to upgrade if it’s due to mental health. If their discharge was contributed or it was linked to somehow mental health whether it was prior and they're seeking out mental health treatment now. They should try," said Hidalgo County Veteran Services Officer Samuel Perez.

The VA explains veterans discharged with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries and issues with sexual orientation may qualify to get their discharge upgraded.

Perez says a discharge upgrade can be the difference in receiving benefits.