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Veteran benefits are earned through your service in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, or Space Force. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers several programs, including healthcare, education, and disability compensation, to help you transition after your service.

With so many benefits available, it can sometimes be complicated for veterans to find programs they qualify for. Read on to learn more about the types of veteran benefits available, eligibility requirements, and how to sign up for them.

What are Veteran Benefits?

Veteran benefits are programs designed to support you after you serve. These benefits are designed to help veterans adjust back to civilian life and achieve new personal, professional, and financial goals.

Veteran benefits include transition assistance, higher education and technical training and employment-related support. They also cover healthcare, housing assistance, counseling, and other forms of support.

Besides the benefits provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs, other government agencies also offer support, such as disabled veteran debt forgiveness programs from the U.S. Department of Education.

Types of Veteran Benefits

Veterans have access to a wide range of benefits designed to support their transition to civilian life, improve their quality of life, and provide stability. Whether you're looking for education assistance, housing support, or financial aid, various programs are available to meet your needs.

To learn more, call the Veterans Affairs benefits hotline at 1-800-827-1000, reach out online, or use the VA’s chat service.

Healthcare Benefits for Veterans

The VA is dedicated to supporting the health and well-being of veterans and their families. You’ll have access to essential healthcare services and income support programs, including:

  • Access to disability compensation and claims
  • Tax-free benefits for surviving dependents
  • Commercial and military group life insurance options

Active-duty service members can apply for VA-provided healthcare after receiving their retirement or separation orders. Free healthcare is available at VA medical centers or through eligible providers for up to ten years after discharge for service-related conditions.

Retired service officers and military members may also qualify for the TRICARE program. Additionally, the VA provides various support services for caregivers, including financial assistance for those caring for disabled veterans.

Education Benefits for Veterans

Veterans can also receive the training and education they need to transition to civilian life. The most well-known education benefit for veterans is the GI Bill, which helps pay for certifications, technical training, graduate school, and college.

If you have served for at least three years, you may be able to access benefits such as:

  • University and college tuition
  • Flight school
  • Entrepreneurship training
  • Trade school and vocational training
  • Certification and licensing courses
  • Part-time and online school

You may also qualify for Veterans Readiness and Employment services to help with education, job training, resume development, employment accommodations, and skills coaching. You may also be able to receive other services if you need help starting your own business.

Disability Compensation Benefits for Veterans

VA disability compensation is a tax-free monthly benefit for veterans with service-related injuries or illnesses while in the military. It’s also available for veterans whose existing condition worsened due to service.

You may qualify for VA disability compensation for mental health conditions like PTSD and physical conditions that developed before, during, or after service. The VA assigns a disability rating (expressed as a percentage) to represent how much the disability has reduced your health, mobility, and ability to function on a daily basis.

Your disability compensation rate is based on your disability rating. The rating is also used to determine your eligibility for other disabled veteran benefits, including health care.

Burial Benefits for Veterans

Interment or burial for veterans is free in Arlington National Cemetery or in a VA National Cemetery. Many tribal and state programs also provide free or low-cost burial options for veterans and their immediate family members in veterans’ cemeteries.

The VA also provides a Presidential Memorial Certificate and free headstones. Burial allowances are paid to eligible family members to help defray funeral and burial costs. The allowance amount depends on whether the veteran was hospitalized by the VA or if the death was service-connected.

VA Loans

The VA also helps service members, veterans, and eligible surviving spouses become homeowners. Veterans can get access to a mortgage loan guarantee benefit as well as other programs to help buy, repair, build, adapt, or retain a home for personal occupancy.

VA loans are available through mortgage companies and banks at favorable terms. One of the main benefits of the VA loan is that you don’t need a down payment to qualify for the loan. The interest rates are competitively low, and the closing costs are limited. There’s also no need for private mortgage insurance (PMI) with a VA loan.

Eligibility for Veteran Benefits

You must be a veteran to qualify for most VA benefits. In some cases, you may be able to qualify if you’re a dependent or survivor of a veteran. A veteran is defined as a person who has served in active military, air service, or navy and who was released or discharged from service under conditions other than dishonorable.

Here are the basic eligibility requirements for most VA benefits:

  • Must meet the VA's definition of a veteran
  • Must fulfill active-duty service requirements
  • Must have received an honorable discharge or general discharge
  • Service-connected disabilities cannot result from willful misconduct
  • Pension eligibility is denied if discharge was due to willful misconduct

Applying for Veteran Benefits

You can apply for veteran benefits on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website. If you have questions or need assistance with benefits, you can also contact the Federal Benefits Unit (FBU).

Veterans can complete tasks like filing disability claims or applying for VA health care or the GI Bill on the website. You’ll be able to find all the necessary forms, including VA Form 21-526EZ (VA disability claim), online, which makes the application process easy.

Other options for applying include visiting a VA regional office near you to apply in person, mailing to the VA regional claims processing office, or seeking help from an accredited representative to apply for benefits.

Check To See Which Veteran Benefits You Qualify For

Veteran benefits are constantly changing, so it's important to stay updated with current changes–everything from the VA Disability Compensation COLA increase in 2025 to changes in health care benefits.

If you have served in the military, there may be several benefits you qualify for. Visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website to check your eligibility.