Virginia State Veteran's Benefits
The state of Virginia provides several veteran benefits. This section offers
a brief description of each of the following benefits.
 | Veteran Long Term Care Benefits |
| Veteran Employment Benefits |
| Veteran Education Benefits |
| Other State Sponsored Veteran Benefits |
Virginia Veteran Long Term Care
Virginia Veterans Care Center
The Virginia Veterans Care Center (VVCC) is a state-of-the-art model for
long term health care and the only state home for veterans in the
Commonwealth of Virginia. The mission of the VVCC is to provide affordable,
high quality, comprehensive nursing and domiciliary care to Commonwealth of
Virginia residents who are admitted to the VVCC, are aged or infirm, and are
honorably discharged veterans of the United States Armed Forces.
Virginia Veterans Care Center has 240 beds in the facility to provide
comprehensive, high quality care with on-site laboratory work, x-rays,
dental clinic, physical therapy, respiratory therapy, podiatry care, and
many other ancillary health care services. The Salem VA Medical Center is
also located next door for additional services for those qualified.
Additionally, the building and grounds offer an array of amenities to
include wheelchair accessible nature trails and deck, library, chapel,
barber shop, billiard room, wood working shop, and convenience store. The
facility is nestled in the landscape of the Blue Ridge mountainside and has
been enjoyed by our veterans since it was opened on Veterans Day, 1992.
Learn more about the Virginia
Veterans Care Center
Virginia Veteran Employment Programs
Virginia Employment Commission (VEC)
VEC provides job referral and placement resources available to assist
veterans in finding jobs. Veterans Employment Representatives (LVERs) and
Disabled Veterans Outreach Program (DVOP) staff are available in most VEC
offices to assist veterans with employment services.
Learn more about the Virginia
Employment Commission
Department of Human Resource Management – Veteran Outreach
Services
The Department of Human Resource Management places great importance on
providing veterans access to information about employment services and
assistance.
Learn more about the Department of
Human Resource Management
Education Assistance Programs
Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program
The Military Survivors and Dependents Program (MSDEP) provides educations
benefits to spouses and children of military service members killed, missing
in action, taken prisoner, or who became at least 90 percent disabled as a
result of military service in an armed conflict. Military service includes
service in the United States Armed Forces, United States Armed Forces
Reserves, the Virginia National Guard, or the Virginia National Guard
Reserves. Armed conflict includes military operations against terrorism or
as the result of a terrorist act, a peace-keeping mission, or any armed
conflict after December 6, 1941. This program may pay for tuition of fee at
any state-supported college or university in Virginia. Benefits are
available for up to four years.
Learn more about the Virginia
Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program
Honorary Diplomas for World War II Veterans
Veteran Honorary High School Diplomas recognize the life experiences of
veterans who were unable to complete their high school education because of
service n the armed forces during World War II, the Korean War, and the
Vietnam War. Since the first honorary diplomas were issues in 2001, more
than 1,000 have been awarded to veterans of these three wars.
To obtain an honorary diploma, a veteran may submit a statement to the
Veterans Education Unit of the Virginia Department of Education describing
his or her serve, The location of the last school attended, and affirming
that he or she was unable to complete high school upon return to civilian
life The guidelines also allow family members and veterans’ organizations to
submit this information on behalf of the veteran.
Learn more about Honorary Diplomas
for World War II Veterans
Other Virginia State Veteran Benefits
License Plates
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) offers a variety of veteran
and military-related license plates.
Learn more about License Plates
Lifetime Hunting and Fishing Licenses
The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) offers a
lifetime hunting and fishing license to service-connected, totally and
permanently disabled veterans for only $5.00.
Learn more about Lifetime Hunting and Fishing
Licenses
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History of
Veterans Day
Our friends at Military.com
have put together a short but very thorough history lesson about the Veterans
Day holiday. We pass it on to you so you can tell your children and
grandchildren how the day came to be:
November 11, or what has come
to be known as Veterans Day, was originally set as a U.S. legal holiday to
honor Armistice Day - the end of World War I, which officially took place on
November 11, 1918. In legislature that was passed in 1938, November 11 was
"dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and
known as 'Armistice Day.' As such, this new legal holiday honored World War
I veterans.
In 1954, after having been
through both World War II and the Korean War, the 83rd U.S. Congress, at the
urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of1938 by
striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting the word "Veterans." With
the approval of this legislation on June 1, 1954, November 11 became a day to
honor American veterans of all wars.
In 1968, the Uniforms Holiday
Bill ensured three-day weekends for Federal employees by celebrating four
national holidays on Mondays: Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans
Day, and Columbus Day. Under this bill, Veterans Day was moved to the last
Monday of October. Many states did not agree with this decision and
continued to celebrate the holiday on its original date. The first Veterans
Day under the new law was observed with much confusion on October 25, 1971.
Finally on September 20,
1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed a law that returned the annual
observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11, beginning in
1978. Since then, the Veterans Day holiday has been observed on November 11.
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Virginia Housing Development Authority - Granting Freedom Program
The Virginia Housing
Development Authority has a program that provides funds for disabled veterans
to modify their homes to accommodate their disabilities. There have been
very few applicants and we're trying to be sure the program is widely
publicized. This program, which was open only to veterans of the Iraq and
Afghanistan conflicts, has now been opened up to veterans back as far as WW
II. The reason the program has been expanded is because of so few
applications. The VHDA contact's name is Julia Perkinson, and she may be
reached at (804) 343-5751.
From the VHDA website (http://www.vhda.com/vhda_com/Template_a.asp?VHDA_COM_PAGE_NAME=GrantingFreedom):
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Granting Freedom Program Highlights:
Granting Freedom funds can be used to widen
doorways, raise toilet heights, lower counters and add ramps, grab bars,
tubcuts, visual smoke detectors, shower chairs, handheld shower fixtures and
any other modifications recommended by a VA physician, VA hospitalization
officer or VA physical therapist.
Properties eligible for grants include homes
and apartments in Virginia.
The maximum award available for each
dwelling unit is $4,000.
When the modification work has been
completed, the grant funds will be paid to the merchant or contractor. (Funds
are not directly dispersed to the serviceman or woman.)
For more information, please contact:
Julia Perkinson
Grant Administrator
VHDA
601 S. Belvidere Street
Richmond, VA 23220
(877) VHDA-123 toll-free
(804) 783-6705 TDD
(804) 343-5580 fax
julia.perkinson@vhda.com
VHDA in Richmond
VHDA is located at 601 South Belvidere
Street, near the Lee Bridge and in between the Virginia War Memorial and
Afton Chemical Corporation (formerly known as the Ethyl Corporation Research
Center).
Both the building and parking
are accessible, and ramps in the front of the building allow for easy
entrance. Restroom facilities meet accessibility standards that were set
prior to the Americans with Disabilities Act Guidelines. Plans are currently
underway to bring restrooms up to full ADA compliance.
TDD/TTY
You can also contact VHDA via TDD 24 hours a
day, seven days a week. Associates will return your call during business
hours. TDD for Deaf and hard of hearing: (804) 783-6705.
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Virginia War Orphan Education Program
Renamed and Expanded
RICHMOND—New
legislation passed by the 2006 General Assembly renamed the Virginia War Orphan
Education Program to the Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program.
The legislation also expands eligibility for educational benefits to spouses.
Under
the new legislation a spouse or child, between the ages of 16 and 29, of a
military service member killed, missing in action, taken prisoner, or at least
90 percent disabled may be eligible for education benefits. These benefits may
include full payment of tuition, fees, room and board, and books at any
state-supported college or university in Virginia. Previously, these benefits
were not available to spouses, and eligibility capped at 25 years of age.
“We have more than 850 children
of military service members who are taking advantage of this program and who are
currently enrolled in state-supported colleges and universities around
Virginia,” stated Vince Burgess, Commissioner of the Virginia Department of
Veterans Services (DVS). “This new legislation acknowledges the value that
Virginia places on the men and women who serve in the military. It ensures that
the educational needs of their families will be taken care of should something
happen to the service member during a military operation.”
The
veteran must have been a Virginia citizen at the time he or she entered the
military or must have been a Virginia citizen for at least five years prior to
the surviving dependent’s application for admission. The surviving spouse may
also satisfy residency requirements if he or she lived in Virginia for at least
five years prior to marrying the service member or has been a citizen of
Virginia for at least five years immediately prior to the date of application.
Eligibility will usually be
determined using documentation from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
However, the veteran or surviving spouse may be asked to provide documentation
verifying residency, the applicant’s age or relationship.
Additional
information about the program and eligibility requirements is available at the
DVS website,
www.dvs.virginia.gov.
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