Services

Veteran Benefits Assistance

Programs that provide assistance for veterans in understanding and/or obtaining the full benefits and services to which they are entitled by law based on service to their country.

Veteran Burial Benefits

A program of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs that provides a variety of burial benefits for eligible deceased veterans of peacetime or wartime service who have been discharged under conditions other than dishonorable and, in the case of some benefits, for their dependents. Included are burial in a national cemetery (opening and closing the grave, headstones and markers and perpetual care); headstones and markers for graves of veterans that are located anywhere in the world as well as niche markers for urns; headstones or markers for memorial plots in situations where the veteran's remains are not available for burial; Presidential Memorial Certificates; and burial flags which drape the veteran's coffin and are given to the next of kin or close associate following the funeral. Burial and funeral allowances are also available to certain veterans under specified conditions.

Veteran Compensation and Pension Benefits

Programs administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that provide monthly payments to veterans who are disabled and were discharged under other than dishonorable conditions, their dependent children, surviving spouses and parents. Included are compensation benefits for veterans with service-connected disabilities; and pension benefits for veterans with limited incomes who are age 65 or older or are permanently and totally disabled as a result of a condition not related to military service. Veterans who are more seriously disabled may qualify for Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits which are paid in addition to the basic compensation or pension rate. A veteran cannot receive both Aid and Attendance and Housebound benefits at the same time.

Veteran Education Benefits

Programs administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or other organizations that provide educational financial assistance for veterans and service personnel and their eligible dependents. Veterans and service personnel who served on active duty between January 31, 1955 and January 1, 1977 for specified periods of time are eligible for a variety of education benefits under the GI Bill including a stipend for tuition assistance at approved educational institutions. Veterans and service personnel who entered active duty after January 1, 1977 may participate in a voluntary contributory plan in which the individual's savings for a future education are administered and augmented by the government. Partial educational assistance is also available to the survivors of deceased or disabled veterans whose death or permanent and total disability was service-connected; and to the spouses and children of servicemen and women who have been listed for more than 90 days as missing in action, captured in the line of duty or forcibly detained by a foreign power. 

Programs also include Post-911 GI Bill, MYCAA Spouse Benefits, and Schools participating in the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Veteran Survivors Benefits

A program administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that provides special payments for the eligible survivors of deceased veterans whose wartime or peacetime service meets specific criteria for service-connected death compensation or non-service-connected death pensions. Eligible survivors (dependent children, surviving spouses and parents) who are seriously disabled may also qualify for Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits which are paid in addition to the basic benefit.

Veteran Transition Assistance Programs

Programs that provide guidance and information regarding benefits, services, and outplacement assistance for active duty separtees and retirees and their family members returning to civilian life with the objective of making the transition as smooth and stress-free as possible. Services may include benefits counseling, employment search, and placement assistance, relocation services, financial planning assistance, eligibility information regarding medical and dental insurance coverage and other forms of assistance to facilitate adjustment to civilian life. Special employment transition assistance includes certification of job skills and experience; information about applying active duty job skills and experience to private-sector employment; information about geographic areas of relocation including the labor market and cost of living; identification and location of employment and training opportunities; instruction in resume preparation, job analysis, and interview techniques; and information about loans and grants to facilitate the acquisition of employment. Also included are programs that help National Guard and Reserve personnel who have been activated for deployment resolve issues pertaining to duty requirements and employment benefits.

Veterans Services

Programs for Individuals who are former members of one of the branches of the armed forces and who, by length and type of services, honorable discharge or release or degree of disability, qualify for the benefits and privileges that are provided by law for ex-servicemen and women.