Cold War Veterans Blog

State-by-state look at vets' benefits

In addition to benefits offered by the The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, military veterans and their families may also qualify for a variety of other perks offered by every state and the District of Columbia.

LIAISONS: Vets missing out on benefits

ALABAMA: Free tuition at state colleges and technical schools for disabled veterans and dependents.

ALASKA: One-time 25% discounts for some veterans on the purchase of residential or recreational land.

ARIZONA: Exemptions from vehicle license taxes and registration fees for fully disabled veterans and surviving spouses.

ARKANSAS: Income tax exemption of the first $6,000 of service or retirement pay.

CALIFORNIA: Home loans below market interest rates with low or no down payments.

COLORADO: Free hunting and fishing licenses for fully disabled veterans.

CONNECTICUT: $1,500 property-tax exemptions for wartime veterans.

DELAWARE: High-school diplomas for World War II veterans who didn't graduate because of military service.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Assistance applying for federal benefits.

FLORIDA: Homestead tax exemptions for veterans with service-connected permanent and total disabilities.

GEORGIA: Free driver's licenses for some veterans.

HAWAII: Payments of up to $5,000 to totally disabled veterans to help buy or remodel homes to improve handicapped accessibility.

IDAHO: Advocates to help seek federal benefits.

ILLINOIS: Each county grants one four-year scholarship annually for free tuition at the University of Illinois to veterans' children.

INDIANA: Emergency grants for families of National Guard and reservists for food, housing, utilities, medical services or transportation.

IOWA: Grants up to $10,000 to help family members be with injured veterans during recovery and rehabilitation.

KANSAS: Helps veterans prepare for, find and keep jobs.

KENTUCKY: Tuition waivers at state schools for children and spouses of disabled or deceased veterans.

LOUISIANA: Employment preferences in civil service jobs and layoffs.

MAINE: State guarantees for a percentage of small-business loans.

MARYLAND: Exemptions from 5% excise tax on the sale or transfer of boats by active-duty military.

MASSACHUSETTS: $2,000 annuities to some veterans and their spouses as well as Gold Star Parents.

MICHIGAN: Annual tuition grants of up to $2,800 for eligible children of some deceased or permanently disabled veterans.

MINNESOTA: Cash assistance for rent, mortgages, utilities for veterans unable to work because of temporary disabilities.

MISSISSIPPI: Professional licenses don't expire while military personnel are on active duty or for 90 days afterward.

MISSOURI: State tax exemptions for payments from the Agent Orange compensation fund to veterans or dependents.

MONTANA: $250 death payments made by counties.

NEBRASKA: Temporary emergency aid for food, fuel, shelter, clothing, funeral and medical costs for veterans, spouses and dependents.

NEVADA: Free hunting and fishing licenses for disabled veterans.

NEW HAMPSHIRE: $100 bonuses for discharged or deceased veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan after 9/11.

NEW JERSEY: Readjustment counseling for veterans and their famiilies.

NEW MEXICO: $4,000 reduction in the taxable value of real estate.

NEW YORK: Burial allowance of up to $6,000 for some military personnel killed in combat or while on active duty in hostile locations since Sept. 29, 2003.

NORTH CAROLINA: Income-tax exemptions for federal grants for veterans who are blind or lost the use of limbs.

NORTH DAKOTA: Loans of up to $5,000 for temporary financial emergencies. Half the interest is refunded if the loan is repaid on time.

OHIO: Free legal help for military personnel and their families.

OKLAHOMA: Exemption from sales, excise and some other taxes for totally disabled veterans.

OREGON: No loan fees on home improvement loans.

PENNSYLVANIA: $150 monthly pensions for totally disabled veterans who are paralyzed or blind.

RHODE ISLAND: Free license plates for former prisoners of war.

SOUTH CAROLINA: Exemption from parking meter fees when a veteran's vehicle has disabled veteran, Purple Heart or Medal of Honor license plates.

SOUTH DAKOTA: $40 toward the cost of installing a government headstone or marker at veterans' graves.

TENNESSEE: Free license plates for veterans with total service-connected disabilities.

TEXAS: Credit in state retirement system for active-duty military time.

UTAH: Discounted mass-transit fares for disabled and elderly veterans.

VERMONT: A "war bonus" of up to $120 for Vietnam veterans.

VIRGINIA: Job referral and placement assistance.

WASHINGTON: Estate-management services for veterans and family members who can't manage their finances.

WEST VIRGINIA: Tuition assistance to veterans who need new vocations and have exhausted the G.I. Bill.

WISCONSIN: Job training, counseling and alcohol and drug abuse treatment for homeless veterans and those at risk of becoming homeless.

WYOMING: Free tuition and fees for education to spouses and children of veterans whose deaths were service-connected.