Delaware offers various benefits for veterans. On this page, you’ll find a concise overview of each of these benefits.
Delaware State Veterans Home
The Delaware Veterans Home in Milford welcomes veterans who have been residents of Delaware for at least one year prior to application. Eligible veterans must have served a minimum of 180 days on active duty, including Reserve/Guard members eligible for retirement pay at 60, and require a nursing home level of care.
Delaware Veteran Financial Benefits
Pension Benefits for Paraplegic Veterans
A paraplegic veteran may be eligible to receive an annual pension of $3,000 from the state. To qualify, the veteran must provide evidence of their paraplegic and fully disabled status, with the disability directly attributed to their wartime military service.
Income Tax
Individuals under the age of 60 can now enjoy tax-free military retirement and Survivor Benefit Plan payments of up to $12,500, as extended in 2022.
Disabled Veterans School Tax Credit
Delaware residents who have been permanently disabled veterans for at least three years may qualify for an exemption from the school tax portion of their property tax bill.
Delaware Veteran Employment Benefits
State Employment Veterans Preference
Disabled veterans applying for state jobs receive an additional 10 points, while all other eligible veterans receive five points. These preference points can also be claimed by the unmarried widow or widower of a veteran, the spouse of a member of the armed forces who is a prisoner of war (POW) or missing in action (MIA), or the spouse of a veteran who is totally disabled.
License and Permits for Military Spouses
Spouses of military personnel moving to Delaware are granted a six-month temporary occupational license. This temporary license enables them to pursue employment in their field while they apply for endorsement or reciprocity.
Delaware Veteran Education Benefits
Children of Deceased Veterans
Children of military members who died while on active duty, or due to disease, wounds, injuries, or disabilities incurred during duty, as well as children of POW/MIA members, qualify for up to four years of tuition-free college education. The college does not need to be located in Delaware.
To be eligible, the child must be between the ages of 16 and 24 and have been a resident of Delaware for at least three years prior to the application date.
Delaware National Guard Tuition Assistance
The assistance provides up to 100% coverage of tuition costs at a state college or university, or the average in-state tuition at a private college or university in Delaware.
Delaware Veteran Recreation Benefits
State Park Admission
Any active-duty member or veteran with an honorable discharge, including members of the Delaware National Guard residing in the state and owning a motor vehicle registered in Delaware, receive a 50% discount on the annual fee for vehicle entrance to state parks and recreational areas.
Hunting, Trapping and Fishing License for Active-Duty Military
Active-duty members stationed in Delaware are eligible to pay the resident rate for a license.
Hunting, Trapping, and Fishing License for Disabled Veterans
Veterans with a disability rating of 60% from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are eligible to receive a complimentary license.
Delaware State Veterans Cemeteries
There are two state veterans cemeteries located in Bear and Millsboro.
Eligibility for burial typically mirrors the requirements for burial in a National Veterans Cemetery and includes a residency criterion.
