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Survivors and Dependents Education Program, Disabled Veteran Benefits, VTAP and more
Virginia is a strong supporter of the United States Armed Forces and its Servicemembers. Virginia is home to numerous military installations, including Naval Air Station Oceana, Fort Belvoir, and Marine Corps Base Quantico, among many others. To show the state’s appreciation for its military residents, Virginia offers various benefits to Veterans, including property tax exemptions for disabled Veterans, tuition assistance for spouses and children of qualifying Servicemembers, employment assistance, and hunting and fishing license privileges. The Virginia Veteran benefits system provides such perks as Virginia dependent education benefits, Virginia survivor benefits, and Virginia income tax exemption for Veterans. There are even more benefits available to Virginia Veterans.
Virginia offers several financial benefits to Veterans, including the Virginia property tax exemption for Veterans, VA home loans, and assistance with vehicle registration and sales taxes. The State of Virginia Veterans benefits looks to work in partnership with federal financial programs for Veterans through the VA as well. Some other financial benefits include free use of toll facilities, as Veterans who have been rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as having a 100% service-connected, permanent, and total disability are authorized free use of all toll bridges, toll roads, and other toll facilities in the state.
As part of the Virginia Veteran benefits program, the state offers the Virginia property tax exemption for Veterans. Primarily, the exemption applies only to disabled Veterans, or the spouses of deceased Veterans. The dwelling should be the primary inhabited residence for the applicant. Those eligible for the exemption include Veterans with a 100% disability rating through the VA or Veterans rated at less than 100% but rated at 100% due to unemployability. The surviving spouses of disabled Veterans or any Servicemember killed in action are also eligible.
The state also offers the Virginia income tax exemption for Veterans, in which some forms of military pay are not taxed by the state. Any Servicemember ordered to active duty for 90 or more days but who earns less than $30,000 is eligible to deduct up to $15,000 from their state income tax. National Guard members in pay grades O3 and below may deduct pay received for up to 39 calendar days, or $3,000, whichever is the lower amount. Also, any nonresident military spouse residing in Virginia with a stationed military spouse is exempt from state income tax. Any military retirement pay, disability pay, or pay received by a Medal of Honor recipient is also exempt from Virginia income tax.
Access to an affordable education is a primary reason as to why many join the military. The federal-level GI Bill provides many educational benefits to Servicemembers, but state-level programs for Veterans help fill in any gaps in the system, especially for those who might not be eligible for GI Bill benefits. Some of these Virginia Veteran benefits in education include the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program and programs like the Yellow Ribbon Program and state-level VR&E.
Virginia offers several tuition assistance programs for Veterans and their families, including the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program, the Virginia National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program, and the Yellow Ribbon Program, which can help cover tuition costs at participating institutions. VNGSTAP provides up to $7,000 per year toward a degree program physically located in Virginia.
There are many Virginia dependent education benefits for the survivors of Veterans seeking an education. This program, as part of the Virginia survivors benefits program, provides education benefits to spouses and children of military Servicemembers and Veterans who meet specific criteria, including being killed, missing, taken prisoner, or deemed 90% disabled due to military service. Applicants for VMSDEP may use benefits for up to 8 semesters toward tuition and fees.
Virginia offers various employment benefits to Veterans, including the Virginia Values Veterans Transition Program (V3), which focuses on education and employment and provides resume workshops and hiring events. V3 offers a peer-to-peer support system and works with a network of employers who have a commitment to hiring Veterans, especially those transitioning from the military to civilian life. Veterans also have hiring preference for state-level jobs in Virginia, and other Virginia Veteran benefits include career assistance and job hunting assistance. The Virginia Employment Commission facilitates Veterans and spouses employment assistance through its own programs, which include career counseling, resume help, personal development, and training opportunities.
Veterans in Virginia, including members of the Virginia National Guard and certain family members, are given hiring preference for state employment, provided they meet all requirements for the position, and this preference extends to local government employment as well. If the Veteran was honorably discharged, then the applicant is given “preferred qualification” status on civil service and state jobs.
Virginia’s VTAP, now known as the Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Transition Program, is a program of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services that provides transitioning service members and their spouses with peer-to-peer support and resources for a smoother transition to civilian life. The program also advocates for Veterans by pointing out the many benefits to businesses of hiring Veterans, such as an applicant pool of individuals who already have a certain amount of skilled training through the military, a proven record of dedication and resilience, and experience working on a team to accomplish necessary goals.
Virginia offers a comprehensive system of Veteran health programs, including access to VA healthcare, support for Veterans and their families, and resources for addressing specific needs like mental health, substance abuse, and homelessness, all coordinated through the Virginia Department of Veterans Services. Several Virginia Veteran benefits programs focus on healthcare within the state, especially Virginia disabled Veteran benefits programs.
The Virginia Veterans Care Centers are three skilled nursing facilities operated by the Virginia Department of Veterans Services, providing nursing care to honorably discharged Virginia Veterans, including skilled and intermediate nursing care, assisted living, and other services. Some of the services provided in these facilities include skilled nursing care, Alzheimer’s treatment, hospice care, medical transportation, and physical and occupational therapies. As part of its Virginia Veteran benefits programs, the state operates these facilities in partnership with the VA. A primary focus of these facilities is in administering 100% disabled Veterans benefits in Virginia to disabled Veteran residents.
Another part of the Virginia Veteran benefits program includes access to VA Hospital Virginia facilities and mental health programs. The Virginia Veteran and Family Support Program coordinates behavioral health, rehabilitative services, and community resources for Servicemembers, Veterans, and their families, addressing challenges like military service transition, deployments, post-traumatic stress, and traumatic brain injuries. The Virginia Veterans Services Foundation is an independent agency that provides supplemental funding when state and federal programs do not cover services needed and is offered through the DVS as part of the Virginia Veteran benefits program.
Virginia offers several home-related benefits to eligible Veterans, including a property tax exemption for 100% disabled Veterans and their surviving spouses. The state also provides assisted living facilities for Veterans and programs designed to help military families secure permanent home ownership. Several Virginia disabled Veteran benefits programs focus solely on helping disabled vets find housing.
The state operates several Veterans homes in Virginia, with each providing long-term care, memory care, and rehabilitation services for Veterans, and located in Roanoke, Richmond, and Virginia Beach. They provide geriatric care, domiciliary, and adult day care programs. To qualify, a Veteran must be over 18 years old, be a Virginia resident at the time of admission, and have an honorable discharge.
As part of the Virginia Veteran benefits program, the state helps facilitate several home loan programs for Veterans, often in conjunction with federal-level VA-backed home loan programs. The Virginia Veterans Services Foundation assists Veterans in securing VA-backed home loans, which feature no down payment, favorable terms such as low interest rates, and a variety of loan types ranging from VA Purchase Loans to VA Cash Out Refinance Loans. Private lenders, such as banks that specialize in VA-backed home loans, typically facilitate this.
Virginia offers park and recreation benefits to Veterans, including free admission and parking at state parks for those with 100% VA disability, as well as reduced fees for other services and amenities. The state also offers specialized hunting and fishing licenses for qualifying Servicemembers and Veterans.
As part of its Virginia Veteran benefits program, the state offers to disabled Veterans only free and reduced-fee state park passes through its Veteran Disability Passport program. Passholders with a 100% disability rating qualify for this Virginia state park pass for Veterans, and receive free admission and parking, as well as free boat launching and horse trailer parking. They receive 50% discounts on camping, swimming, and equipment rental, too. To apply, Veterans must submit the completed application and a copy of their VA benefits letter stating the extent of their disability.
The Virginia hunting license for Veterans allows for free freshwater fishing, while the hunting license allows for reduced-rate hunting licenses for qualifying Veterans. Eligible Veterans can obtain discounted or free hunting and fishing licenses, including lifetime licenses for those with service-connected disabilities or discounted annual licenses for those with 70% or greater disabilities. Those with total and permanent disabilities receive these licenses for free.
The state of Virginia Veterans benefits system operates several Veterans cemeteries in Virginia. Virginia has three state-run Veteran cemeteries: the Virginia Veterans Cemetery in Amelia, the Albert G. Horton, Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery in Suffolk, and the Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery in Dublin. Eligibility for burial in a Virginia state Veteran cemetery generally includes Veterans who were honorably discharged, their spouses and unmarried minor children (under 21), and, in some cases, unmarried adult children with disabilities.
As we can see, the state of Virginia offers many benefits to its resident Veterans. Such perks as the various tax exemptions, educational and health benefits, recreational benefits such as the Virginia hunting license for Veterans, and many other programs are only some of the ways in which the state honors its Veterans and Servicemembers.
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