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Six benefits Pennsylvania Veterans can take advantage of right now. Do you know other benefits Pennsylvania has to offer?
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The more than 810,000 Veterans in Pennsylvania have many reasons to call the state home: the Liberty Bell, the Poconos and signature snacks like pretzels, Philly cheesesteaks and whoopie pies. The Keystone state also serves up many worthy Veterans’ benefits, so you can live life to the fullest after your military service:
1. Connect with a Pennsylvania county director for Veterans affairs (CDVA). Start taking advantage of what’s available to you by meeting with a CDVA. They are trained and accredited to assist you in applying for U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits such as compensation and pensions, the GI Bill, health care, home loans and more. Among other free services, they help you file appeals for denied claims, seek discharge upgrades and access state benefits (see below).
Learn more: https://rly.pt/3gVcxlx.
2. Qualify for monthly assistance or emergency relief. Pennsylvania offers the following assistance if you have certain service-connected disabilities or need direct financial support as a Veteran or service member:
• Blind Veteran Pension: If you are or know of a Veteran who is blind due to a service-connected injury or disease living in Pennsylvania, officials want to spread the word about the Blind Veterans Pension.
“This program, which only has about 100 enrolled Veterans, provides eligible blind Veterans (with) a pension of $150 per month,” said Joel H. Mutschler, director of the state’s Bureau of Veterans Programs, Initiatives, Reintegration and Outreach, in a VA blog published in late July. “Our goal is to continue to identify and enroll every eligible Veteran who deserves this benefit because of their service and sacrifice.” Details: http://rly.pt/3p2JejH.
• Amputee and Paralyzed Veteran Pension: Pensions of $150 per month are also available if you are Veteran living in the state, served honorably and experienced a service-connected injury that resulted in the loss or loss of use of two or more extremities. Details: http://rly.pt/34m1Mnb.
• Veterans temporary assistance: If you’re an honorably discharged Veteran in Pennsylvania and in need of temporary assistance due to a medical issue, disability, unemployment, natural or manmade disaster, or another necessity of living, you may seek a grant of $1,600 through this fund. Details: Learn more about the program and eligibility at http://rly.pt/34n3EMs.
• Emergency financial help for service members: If you’re a current or qualifying former service member experiencing hardship, apply for grants of up to $3,500 through the Pennsylvania Military Family Relief Assistance Program. Payments support emergency needs such as loss of income or property due to natural disaster or emergency child care. Details: Learn more about the program and eligibility at https://rly.pt/3amqGGU.
3. Apply for a grant as a nonprofit service or county outreach provider. If you work for a Pennsylvania Veteran-serving nonprofit that addresses homelessness, behavioral health or Veterans’ court issues or conduct outreach to Veterans as part of a county, multiple counties or the Pennsylvania Association of County Directors of Veterans Affairs, apply for a share of $800,000 from the state Veterans’ Trust Fund. Maximum grants are $50,000 for nonprofits and $20,000 for counties. The application deadline is Jan. 27, 2021.
Learn more: Direct questions to the Division of Grants at [login to see] , contact Jennifer Snyder at [login to see] or visit http://rly.pt/37qQzDO.
4. Explore the disabled Veteran property tax exemptions. If you are a Veteran in Pennsylvania with qualifying service and a 100% service-connected disability rating or qualify because you are blind, paralyzed or sustained the loss of two or more limbs, you may be exempt from real estate tax on any building or up to five acres of land. Unmarried surviving spouses may be eligible as well.
Learn more: https://rly.pt/2Kxr4b0.
5. Look into education and licensing benefits. Pennsylvania offers these higher education and licensing benefits:
• Pennsylvania National Guard tuition and fee assistance: If you agree to serve in the state National Guard for six years and meet other criteria, you may apply for tuition and fee benefits for attendance at public two- or four-year state institutions of higher education. Details: http://rly.pt/3r2fgyh.
• Academic credit for military training: Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Center (PA TRAC) program, Veterans and service members can find out which military courses apply toward degree requirements at certain Pennsylvania higher education institutions. See page 22 of the Veterans Resource Guide linked below for other ways to get academic or professional development credit for military training or service. Details: http://rly.pt/3mx9sZU.
• Civilian licensing programs: If you’re interested in a civilian job that requires a commercial driver’s license (CDL), Pennsylvania may ease the process if you can show comparable military service. If you’re on active or reserve duty or are an honorably discharged Veteran and can show two years of military commercial motor vehicle experience, you may be able to skip the CDL skills test. Details: http://rly.pt/3alWg7K.
6. Start a business. After the military, you may choose a career in health care, high tech, public service, the service sector or another industry (http://rly.pt/2J4TFUI). Or you can become an entrepreneur. Here are a few resources to get your Veteran-owned business off the ground in the Keystone state:
• Consult with a Pennsylvania Small Business Development Center (SBDC). This nationwide business assistance network is partly funded by Congress through a partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The network (https://rly.pt/33Ldx5F) gives you access to free and at-cost training to start, grow and expand your small business. Through 16 offices across the state, the Pennsylvania SBDC (http://www.pasbdc.org) provides comprehensive small business outreach and assistance in areas such as capital acquisition, environmental management, marketing, operations, strategic planning and technology.
• Locate other trainings. Also check out SBA’s Boots to Business training offerings for transitioning service members, Veterans and military spouses at https://rly.pt/2ZBUTvp. In addition, find local, no-cost business advisers at https://rly.pt/2E3xICV, https://rly.pt/33A6Xi0 and https://rly.pt/3hy2eTc.
• Get verified as Veteran-owned. Once your Veteran business is set up, get help getting verified from VA’s Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization (https://rly.pt/3kheSZ6) and start doing business directly with VA, the second largest federal agency.
More resources for Pennsylvania Veterans
• Download the Veterans Resource Guide for Pennsylvania Veterans to look into other benefits, including license plates, transportation services, van rentals and more: https://rly.pt/2WpqZJ1.
• Head to the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs’ Veterans Affairs webpage: http://rly.pt/2WoSP87.
• Visit the main Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs page: http://rly.pt/3he5G6W.
1. Connect with a Pennsylvania county director for Veterans affairs (CDVA). Start taking advantage of what’s available to you by meeting with a CDVA. They are trained and accredited to assist you in applying for U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits such as compensation and pensions, the GI Bill, health care, home loans and more. Among other free services, they help you file appeals for denied claims, seek discharge upgrades and access state benefits (see below).
Learn more: https://rly.pt/3gVcxlx.
2. Qualify for monthly assistance or emergency relief. Pennsylvania offers the following assistance if you have certain service-connected disabilities or need direct financial support as a Veteran or service member:
• Blind Veteran Pension: If you are or know of a Veteran who is blind due to a service-connected injury or disease living in Pennsylvania, officials want to spread the word about the Blind Veterans Pension.
“This program, which only has about 100 enrolled Veterans, provides eligible blind Veterans (with) a pension of $150 per month,” said Joel H. Mutschler, director of the state’s Bureau of Veterans Programs, Initiatives, Reintegration and Outreach, in a VA blog published in late July. “Our goal is to continue to identify and enroll every eligible Veteran who deserves this benefit because of their service and sacrifice.” Details: http://rly.pt/3p2JejH.
• Amputee and Paralyzed Veteran Pension: Pensions of $150 per month are also available if you are Veteran living in the state, served honorably and experienced a service-connected injury that resulted in the loss or loss of use of two or more extremities. Details: http://rly.pt/34m1Mnb.
• Veterans temporary assistance: If you’re an honorably discharged Veteran in Pennsylvania and in need of temporary assistance due to a medical issue, disability, unemployment, natural or manmade disaster, or another necessity of living, you may seek a grant of $1,600 through this fund. Details: Learn more about the program and eligibility at http://rly.pt/34n3EMs.
• Emergency financial help for service members: If you’re a current or qualifying former service member experiencing hardship, apply for grants of up to $3,500 through the Pennsylvania Military Family Relief Assistance Program. Payments support emergency needs such as loss of income or property due to natural disaster or emergency child care. Details: Learn more about the program and eligibility at https://rly.pt/3amqGGU.
3. Apply for a grant as a nonprofit service or county outreach provider. If you work for a Pennsylvania Veteran-serving nonprofit that addresses homelessness, behavioral health or Veterans’ court issues or conduct outreach to Veterans as part of a county, multiple counties or the Pennsylvania Association of County Directors of Veterans Affairs, apply for a share of $800,000 from the state Veterans’ Trust Fund. Maximum grants are $50,000 for nonprofits and $20,000 for counties. The application deadline is Jan. 27, 2021.
Learn more: Direct questions to the Division of Grants at [login to see] , contact Jennifer Snyder at [login to see] or visit http://rly.pt/37qQzDO.
4. Explore the disabled Veteran property tax exemptions. If you are a Veteran in Pennsylvania with qualifying service and a 100% service-connected disability rating or qualify because you are blind, paralyzed or sustained the loss of two or more limbs, you may be exempt from real estate tax on any building or up to five acres of land. Unmarried surviving spouses may be eligible as well.
Learn more: https://rly.pt/2Kxr4b0.
5. Look into education and licensing benefits. Pennsylvania offers these higher education and licensing benefits:
• Pennsylvania National Guard tuition and fee assistance: If you agree to serve in the state National Guard for six years and meet other criteria, you may apply for tuition and fee benefits for attendance at public two- or four-year state institutions of higher education. Details: http://rly.pt/3r2fgyh.
• Academic credit for military training: Under the Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Center (PA TRAC) program, Veterans and service members can find out which military courses apply toward degree requirements at certain Pennsylvania higher education institutions. See page 22 of the Veterans Resource Guide linked below for other ways to get academic or professional development credit for military training or service. Details: http://rly.pt/3mx9sZU.
• Civilian licensing programs: If you’re interested in a civilian job that requires a commercial driver’s license (CDL), Pennsylvania may ease the process if you can show comparable military service. If you’re on active or reserve duty or are an honorably discharged Veteran and can show two years of military commercial motor vehicle experience, you may be able to skip the CDL skills test. Details: http://rly.pt/3alWg7K.
6. Start a business. After the military, you may choose a career in health care, high tech, public service, the service sector or another industry (http://rly.pt/2J4TFUI). Or you can become an entrepreneur. Here are a few resources to get your Veteran-owned business off the ground in the Keystone state:
• Consult with a Pennsylvania Small Business Development Center (SBDC). This nationwide business assistance network is partly funded by Congress through a partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The network (https://rly.pt/33Ldx5F) gives you access to free and at-cost training to start, grow and expand your small business. Through 16 offices across the state, the Pennsylvania SBDC (http://www.pasbdc.org) provides comprehensive small business outreach and assistance in areas such as capital acquisition, environmental management, marketing, operations, strategic planning and technology.
• Locate other trainings. Also check out SBA’s Boots to Business training offerings for transitioning service members, Veterans and military spouses at https://rly.pt/2ZBUTvp. In addition, find local, no-cost business advisers at https://rly.pt/2E3xICV, https://rly.pt/33A6Xi0 and https://rly.pt/3hy2eTc.
• Get verified as Veteran-owned. Once your Veteran business is set up, get help getting verified from VA’s Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization (https://rly.pt/3kheSZ6) and start doing business directly with VA, the second largest federal agency.
More resources for Pennsylvania Veterans
• Download the Veterans Resource Guide for Pennsylvania Veterans to look into other benefits, including license plates, transportation services, van rentals and more: https://rly.pt/2WpqZJ1.
• Head to the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs’ Veterans Affairs webpage: http://rly.pt/2WoSP87.
• Visit the main Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs page: http://rly.pt/3he5G6W.
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