Veterans of the United States Uniformed Services may be eligible for a broad range of programs and services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Eligibility for most VA benefits is based upon discharge from active military service under other than dishonorable conditions. Active military service means full-time service, other than active duty for training, as a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or as a commissioned officer of the Public Health Service, Environmental Science Services Administration or National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or its predecessor, the Coast and Geodetic Survey.
Veterans may be eligible for a wide-variety of benefits and services. These include disability compensation, pension, education and training, health care, home loans, insurance, vocational rehabilitation and employment, and burial. See our Veterans page for an overview of the benefits available to all Veterans.
Disability compensation is a monthly tax-free benefit paid to Veterans who are at least 10% disabled because of injuries or diseases that occurred or were aggravated during active duty or active duty for training. VA also pays disability compensation for disabilities from injury, heart attack, or stroke that occurred during inactive duty training. The disability must not be a result of your own willful misconduct, or alcohol or drug abuse.
Veterans with a service-connected disability may also quality for other benefits, including: Automobile Allowance, Clothing Allowance, Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) or Special Home Adaptation (SHA) Grant, Service Disabled Veterans' Insurance (SDVI) and Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment.
VA Pension provides tax-free monthly benefit to wartime Veterans with limited or no income who are:
Eligibility requires least 90 days of active military service, including one day during a wartime period. If your active military service occurred after September 7, 1980, you must have served at least 24 months or the full period that you were called up.
VA education benefits provide financial support for undergraduate and graduate degrees, vocational and technical training, licensing and certification tests, apprenticeships, and on-the-job training. You may be eligible for one or more of the following VA education benefit programs if you meet these requirements:
VA Health Benefits include all the necessary inpatient hospital care and outpatient services to promote, preserve, or restore your health. VHA medical facilities provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy.
VA guaranteed loans are provided by private lenders, such as banks and mortgage companies, and not by VA directly. Through the VA Home Loan Guaranty Program, VA guarantees a portion of your loan against loss and helps lenders provide you with more favorable financing terms. VA offers the following home loan products and grants:
VA offers life insurance programs that provide financial security and peace of mind for Servicemembers, Veterans, and their families. VA provides the following life insurance options at relatively low monthly premiums, which vary by program:
VA provides a variety of employment and independent living services through the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) program. VA may provide you with vocational counseling, job search assistance, and other education and training services. The VR&E VetSuccess program provides a range of career services, including:
VA provides memorial services and allowances to help reimburse burial costs for a Veteran and/or his or her dependents. Burial benefits include burial at a national cemetery, an inscribed headstone, marker, or medallion, an allowance to partially reimburse the burial and funeral costs of a Veteran, a Presidential Memorial Certificate, and an American flag to drape over a Veteran's casket.
Eligibility requires that the Veteran was serving on active duty, or his/her death was due to an injury or disease that developed during, or was aggravated during, active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty for training.
The specific VA benefit or program web page will provide tailored information about how to apply for a particular benefit or program. Generally, Servicemembers, Veterans, and families can apply for VA benefits using one of the methods below.
For more information on how to apply and for tips on making sure your claim is ready to be processed by VA, visit our How to Apply page.
For more information on how to apply for health care, visit our Apply for VA Health Benefits page.