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Use this page as the first week out of uniform. Work the federal doors in order, then open your state. You do not need the whole catalog first.
Get a VA.gov login, enroll in health care, lock a claim date if you will file, apply for school benefits, get a Veteran ID, and request a home-loan certificate. Then use your state, DC, or territory for the layer VA does not run — tax, tuition, plates, hunting, homes, cemeteries, and a local officer. FortSource is not VA.gov and not legal advice. Each button is the live apply or how-to page; the official form wins. If VA Solid Start calls in the first year, pick up — they can start health care and claims with you.
One Login.gov or ID.me account for health, claims, letters, and payment history. Do this before the forms below so you are not creating an account in the middle of a claim.
VA tries to reach you three times in the first year (0–90, 91–180, and 181–365 days). Keep your VA.gov contact information current. You can also call them or schedule a call. Do not give financial information to anyone who says they are VA.
Enroll even if you have other insurance. Priority group depends on service-connection, income, and combat era. Mental health and Vet Centers are separate doors if you need them sooner.
An intent to file can hold the start date for back pay for up to a year while you gather records. Then file VA Form 21-526EZ. Free accredited help (VSO, attorney, or claims agent) cannot charge for VA claims work.
Post-9/11 tuition, housing allowance, and books. A Purple Heart on or after 9/11/2001 is 100% of the Post-9/11 rate. Compare schools on VA’s tool before you apply.
Photo ID many businesses accept for Veteran discounts. It is not a VA health card, not a DoD ID, and not for base or airport ID. Honorable or general discharge. New cards are digital.
Request the COE from VA, then use a private lender. This is not a VA-issued mortgage. No down payment for many buyers; no monthly PMI.
Converts SGLI after you leave. File within 1 year and 120 days of separation. The first 240 days do not require a health review. After that, health evidence is required. Eligible VGLI coverage active on Nov. 1, 2026 has a premium holiday Nov. 1, 2026 through Jan. 31, 2027 — automatic, no signup.
After a qualifying separation, TRICARE can continue 180 days if the service records it in DEERS. Check milConnect. This is not TRICARE Reserve Select and not CHCBP.
Premium plan that mirrors TRICARE Select for 18–36 months after TRICARE, TAMP, TRS, or TRR ends. Enroll within 60 days of losing TRICARE or TAMP. After TRICARE Reserve Select, TRICARE lists 30 days.
Unemployment insurance based on military wages. File with your state workforce agency soon after separation. Delay can reduce payable weeks.
Extra disability pay at a combined 30% or more for a spouse, child, or dependent parent uses VA Form 21-686c. File within a year of the marriage or birth for the earliest effective date. VA also asks you to confirm dependents (Form 21-0538); missing that can drop extra pay.
Official military personnel file, including the DD-214, from the National Personnel Records Center. VGLI, unemployment, and burial honors ask for it. The request is free.
Still serving? TAP is required briefing; SkillBridge is command-approved internships in the last 180 days — that is DoD, not VA. DoD TAP. Character of discharge blocking a benefit: discharge upgrade path.
This second layer is whatever your place of residence actually offers. Names differ, but the jobs are the same: tax relief, school aid, plates, hunting and parks, state jobs, Veterans homes, cemeteries, hardship help, and a local Veterans officer. Agency titles are for orientation; each link goes to the program or form, not a generic homepage.
On this device you saved . This page opened that section. Change the state on the catalog if this is not your place.
Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs
Also in the catalog: Alabama G.I. Dependent Scholarship; Disabled veteran homestead exemption (H-3); Alabama State Veterans Homes admission (ADVA-33).
Alaska Office of Veterans Affairs
Also in the catalog: Alaska veterans land discount; Pioneers’ Home admissions (veteran preference); Alaska Veterans’ Dependent Tuition Waiver.
Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services
Also in the catalog: Disabled veteran property-tax exemption (Form 82514V); Arizona Military Family Relief Fund.
Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs
Also in the catalog: Arkansas Heroes Scholarship; Disabled Veteran property-tax exemption. The old ADVA website is down — cemetery and local VSO pages are not listed until a live official page is back.
CalVet
Also in the catalog: CalVet Home Loans; California military retirement / SBP subtraction; College Fee Waiver for Veteran Dependents.
Colorado Division of Veterans Affairs
Also in the catalog: Disabled veteran / Gold Star property-tax exemption; Colorado Veterans Community Living Centers.
Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs
Also in the catalog: Connecticut additional veterans tax relief; Wartime service bonus (confirm if still open); 100% P&T disabled-veteran dwelling exemption (Form D-2).
Delaware Office of Veterans Services
Also in the catalog: Disabled Veterans School Property Tax Credit; Delaware Veterans Home; Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery.
DC Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs
Also in the catalog: Disabled Veterans Homestead Deduction; MOVA veteran claims assistance.
Open District of Columbia in the catalog · District of Columbia program doors
Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs
Also in the catalog: Military / veteran property-tax exemptions; Scholarships for Children and Spouses of Deceased or Disabled Veterans; Veterans Preference in Florida public jobs.
Georgia Department of Veterans Service
Also in the catalog: Georgia homestead exemptions for veterans; Georgia VECTR Center; Georgia HERO Scholarship.
Hawai‘i Office of Veterans’ Services
Also in the catalog: Hawai‘i veterans property-tax exemptions (county); Hawai‘i State Veterans Cemetery (Kaneohe).
Idaho Division of Veterans Services
Also in the catalog: Idaho property-tax benefit for 100% disabled veterans; Idaho State Veterans Homes; Armed Forces and Public Safety Officer Dependent Scholarship.
Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs
Also in the catalog: Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG); Illinois Veterans’ Homes; Hunting and fishing veteran fee reduction.
Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs
Also in the catalog: Indiana military / veteran income-tax deductions; Disabled Veteran Property Tax Deduction; Tuition and fee exemption for children of disabled veterans.
Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs
Also in the catalog: Iowa Veterans Home; Disabled veteran homestead property-tax credit; Iowa Injured Veterans Grant.
Kansas Office of Veterans Services
Also in the catalog: Kansas veterans homes (eligibility and admissions); Kansas veterans cemeteries; Kansas veterans property-tax refund (K-40SVR).
Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs
Also in the catalog: Kentucky State Veterans Homes admission; Kentucky homestead / disability property-tax exemption; Kentucky Tuition Waiver.
Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs
Also in the catalog: Louisiana disabled-veteran homestead add-on; Louisiana veterans homes; Louisiana Military Family Assistance Fund.
Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services
Also in the catalog: Maine veteran’s property-tax exemption application; Maine Veterans’ Homes apply; Maine Veterans Dependents Educational Benefits.
Maryland Department of Veterans and Military Families
Also in the catalog: Maryland 100% disabled-veteran property-tax exemption; Edward T. Conroy / Jean B. Cryor memorial scholarships; Maryland Veterans Trust Fund hardship grants.
Massachusetts Executive Office of Veterans Services
Also in the catalog: Massachusetts Chapter 115 veterans benefits; Massachusetts veteran annuity (100% SC); Massachusetts GWOT Welcome Home bonus.
Open Massachusetts in the catalog · Massachusetts program doors
Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency
Also in the catalog: Michigan disabled veteran homestead exemption; Michigan Veterans Trust Fund emergency grants; Michigan Children of Veterans Tuition Grant.
Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs
Also in the catalog: Minnesota GI Bill; Minnesota veterans homes admissions; Minnesota Veteran’s Relief Grant.
Mississippi Veterans Affairs
Also in the catalog: Mississippi veterans homes; Mississippi homestead exemption (includes 100% SC); Mississippi state veterans cemeteries.
Missouri Veterans Commission
Also in the catalog: Missouri veterans homes; Missouri Property Tax Credit (circuit breaker).
Montana Veterans Affairs Division
Also in the catalog: Montana disabled-veteran property-tax relief (Form MDV); Montana State Veterans Cemetery; Montana Veterans’ Home admissions.
Nebraska Department of Veterans’ Affairs
Also in the catalog: Nebraska Veterans Homes; Nebraska homestead exemption (includes 100% DV); Nebraska Veterans Aid Fund (NVA).
Nevada Department of Veterans Services
Also in the catalog: Nevada veterans property-tax exemptions; Southern Nevada State Veterans Home (Boulder City); Northern Nevada State Veterans Home (Sparks).
New Hampshire State Veterans Services
Also in the catalog: New Hampshire veterans tax credit (Form PA-29); New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery.
Open New Hampshire in the catalog · New Hampshire program doors
New Jersey Department of Veterans Affairs
Also in the catalog: New Jersey veterans property-tax deduction (Form V.S.S.); New Jersey 100% disabled-veteran property-tax exemption (Form D.V.S.S.E.); New Jersey veterans memorial homes.
New Mexico Department of Veterans Services
Also in the catalog: New Mexico veteran / disabled-veteran property-tax exemption (DVS Form 1); New Mexico Vietnam / Wartime Veterans Scholarship; New Mexico State Veterans’ Home (Truth or Consequences).
New York State Division of Veterans’ Services
Also in the catalog: Veterans alternative property-tax exemption; NYS Veterans Tuition Award; New York State Blind Annuity.
NC Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
Also in the catalog: NC disabled veteran property-tax exclusion (NCDVA-9); North Carolina National Guard age-60 pension; North Carolina Scholarship for Children of Wartime Veterans.
Open North Carolina in the catalog · North Carolina program doors
North Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs
Also in the catalog: North Dakota Veterans Home admissions (Lisbon); North Dakota disabled-veteran property-tax credit; North Dakota Veterans Aid Loan.
Open North Dakota in the catalog · North Dakota program doors
Ohio Department of Veterans Services
Also in the catalog: Ohio 100% disabled-veteran homestead (DTE 105I); Ohio Veterans Homes apply; Ohio War Orphans & Severely Disabled Veterans’ Children Scholarship (WOS).
Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs
Also in the catalog: Oklahoma 100% disabled veteran property-tax exemption (Form 998); Oklahoma veterans homes.
Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs
Also in the catalog: Oregon Veterans’ Home Loan; Oregon disabled veteran property-tax exemption (Form 150-303-086); Oregon Veterans’ Emergency Financial Assistance Grant.
Pennsylvania DMVA — Veterans Affairs
Also in the catalog: Disabled veterans real-estate tax exemption (RETX); Pennsylvania Educational Gratuity; Pennsylvania Veterans Homes residency.
Open Pennsylvania in the catalog · Pennsylvania program doors
Rhode Island Office of Veterans Services
Also in the catalog: Rhode Island veterans property-tax exemptions; Rhode Island Veterans Home (Bristol); Rhode Island Disabled Veterans Tuition Waiver.
Open Rhode Island in the catalog · Rhode Island program doors
South Carolina Department of Veterans’ Affairs
Also in the catalog: South Carolina exempt property (100% disabled veteran dwelling); South Carolina State Veterans Homes; South Carolina tuition assistance for certain war veterans’ children.
Open South Carolina in the catalog · South Carolina program doors
South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs
Also in the catalog: South Dakota disabled-veteran property-tax exemption (PT-46C); South Dakota Veteran / Active Duty Bonus; Michael J. Fitzmaurice State Veterans Home (Hot Springs).
Open South Dakota in the catalog · South Dakota program doors
Tennessee Department of Veterans Services
Also in the catalog: Tennessee property-tax relief for disabled veterans; Tennessee State Veterans Homes; Tennessee Helping Heroes Grant.
Texas Veterans Commission
Also in the catalog: Hazlewood Act tuition exemption; Texas Veterans Land Board loans; Texas disabled-veteran property-tax exemptions.
Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs
Also in the catalog: Utah veteran with a disability property-tax exemption (PT-25); Utah State Veterans Homes; Utah Veteran First-Time Homebuyer Grant.
Vermont Office of Veterans Affairs
Also in the catalog: Vermont disabled-veteran property-tax exemption; Vermont Veterans’ Home admissions (Bennington); Vermont Veteran Assistance Fund.
Virginia Department of Veterans Services
Also in the catalog: Virginia disabled-veteran real-estate tax exemption; Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program.
Washington Department of Veterans Affairs
Also in the catalog: Washington property-tax exemption for seniors, disabled, and veterans; Washington veterans homes.
West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance
Also in the catalog: West Virginia disabled-veteran real property tax credit; West Virginia Veterans Home (Barboursville).
Open West Virginia in the catalog · West Virginia program doors
Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs
Also in the catalog: Wisconsin GI Bill; Wisconsin veterans and surviving spouses property-tax credit; Wisconsin Health Care Aid and Subsistence Aid Grants.
Wyoming Veterans Commission
Also in the catalog: Wyoming veteran’s property-tax exemption; Wyoming Veterans’ Home admissions (Buffalo); Wyoming combat veteran tuition benefit (W.S. 19-14-106).
Puerto Rico Office of Veteran’s Advocate
Also in the catalog: Puerto Rico veteran homestead / property-tax form; Puerto Rico veteran special plate (DTOP-DIS-058); Casa del Veterano admission (Juan Díaz).
Guam Office of Veterans Affairs
Also in the catalog: Guam Veterans Cemetery burial process; Guam 100% disabled-veteran real-property exemption; Guam Veterans Registry (PL 32-101).
USVI Office of Veterans Affairs
Also in the catalog: USVI homestead / veteran property-tax credit; UVI tuition waiver for veterans (Jan 2025 form); UVI CELL tuition waiver for veterans.
Open U.S. Virgin Islands in the catalog · U.S. Virgin Islands program doors
American Samoa Office of Veterans and Military Affairs
Also in the catalog: American Samoa OVMA veterans registration.
Open American Samoa in the catalog · American Samoa program doors
CNMI Military and Veterans Affairs Office
Open Northern Mariana Islands in the catalog · Northern Mariana Islands program doors
Independent of VA and DoD. Catalog rows can be wrong or outdated until the next FortSource update. The official page controls.
