Vet State Benefits - FL 2018
Vet State Benefits - FL 2018
Vet State Benefits - FL 2018
As of November 2018
Watching over and advocating for our state’s veterans and their families are the more than 1,100 men and
women of the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Florida has earned a reputation as the most veteran-
friendly state in the nation. Our state’s veterans bring more than $18.4 billion federal dollars annually into
Florida’s economy. Florida has the third largest population of veterans in the nation after California and
Texas with more than 1.5 million veterans – 12 percent of the Sunshine State’s population 18 and over. If
you are a veteran, thank you for your service. If you are the spouse or family member of a veteran, a special
thank you for your dedicated support. For more information, call (850) 487-1533.
Fiscal 2017 demographic information from the VA’s Veteran Population Projection Model 2016. The VA
reports there are 20.0 million veterans living in the United States.
There are 1,525,400 veterans in the State of Florida. There are 1,381,170 male veterans and
144,229 female veterans. Note: Florida has the third largest veteran population in the nation,
behind California with 1,681,730 veterans and Texas with 1,584,844 veterans.
There are 1,172,800 wartime veterans in the State of Florida.
There are 352,600 peacetime veterans in the State of Florida.
There are 61,646 World War II veterans in the State of Florida.
There are 139,129 Korean War veterans in the State of Florida.
There are 519,843 Vietnam-era veterans in the State of Florida.
There are 188,024 Gulf War veterans in the State of Florida. (1990 to 9/11/01)
There are 177,494 Post-9/11 veterans in the State of Florida (9/12/01 to present)
There are 789,717 veterans in Florida 65 years of age and over. (There are 761,682 male veterans
65 years of age and older and 28,033 female veterans 65 years of age and older.)
The state of Florida provides several veteran benefits/Programs. This section offers a brief description of
each of the following:
Housing
Financial Assistance
Employment
Education
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Other
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Clyde E. Lassen State Veterans’ Nursing Home in St. Augustine (St. Johns County) opened to
residents in 2010. The 120-bed facility offers skilled nursing care and can accommodate 60
residents with dementia/Alzheimer’s disease. Call (904) 940-2193 for more information. Address:
4650 State Road 16, St. Augustine, FL 32092.
Ardie R. Copas State Veterans’ Nursing Home in Port St. Lucie. This facility had its
groundbreaking ceremony on March 20, 2018. The veterans’ home is now in a 20-24 month
construction window. When completed, the 120-bed facility will offer skilled nursing care and can
accommodate 60 residents with dementia/Alzheimer’s disease. For more information, call (727)
518-3202, Ext. 5562.
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Resident Admission: Basic admission requirements for all state veterans’ homes include an honorable
discharge, state residency prior to admission, and certification of need of assisted living or skilled nursing
care as determined by a VA physician. A resident application package for each facility is available for view
and downloading below. For specific questions regarding admissions, please contact the Admissions
Coordinator at the numbers listed at http://floridavets.org/locations/state-veterans-nursing-homes.
For employment opportunities at the homes, call the FDVA Human Resources Office at (727) 518-3202,
Ext. 5615 or visit the People First Website at https://peoplefirst.myflorida.com
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Eligible veterans with service-connected disabilities of 10% or more shall be entitled to a $5000 property
tax exemption. To qualify for homestead exemption a veteran must be a bonafide resident of the state. Every
person who is entitled to homestead exemption in this state and who is serving in any branch of the Armed
Forces of the United States may file a claim for homestead exemption. Servicemen unable to file in person
may file through next of kin or duly authorized representatives. For further info on Florida property tax
exemption for veterans refer to http://floridavets.org/benefits-services/housing
Home Loans
G.I. Home Loan Guarantee – The VA may guarantee part of your loan for the purchase of a home,
manufactured home, or condominium. In addition, veterans with conventional home loans now have
options for refinancing to a VA guaranteed home loan as a result of the Veterans’ Benefits Improvement
Act of 2008. For information, call the VA Home Loans Guaranty Services at (888) 244-6711 or
visit http://www.homeloans.va.gov.
Visit the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs website http://floridavets.org for contact information and
benefits assistance.
Financial Assistance
Homestead Exemption
Florida resident veterans with an honorable discharge and are 100 percent permanently and totally disabled
as well as quadriplegic veterans are exempt from paying property tax on their residence. Unremarried
surviving spouses may also be eligible. Florida resident veterans who are paraplegic, hemiplegic, or
permanently and totally disabled who must use a wheelchair for mobility, or are legally blind, may be
exempt from real estate taxation depending on income.
Employment Benefits
For additional information concerning veterans' preference, visit the Florida VA's online Vet Preference
Overview or contact the Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs: By phone at: (727) 319-7462, Facsimile
(727) 319-7780 By email: [email protected].
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Florida Military Family Employment Advocacy Program
The Military Family Employment Advocacy Program provides advocates located in Florida's One-Stop
Career Centers for regions where military bases and communities are located. Persons eligible for assistance
through this program include spouses and dependents of active-duty military personnel, activated Florida
National Guard members, and activated military reservists. Approximately 37,000 military spouses, not
including military spouses of mobilized National Guard Members/Reservists, currently live in Florida. An
increase is projected in the military spouse population due to returning and reassigned military members
and their families.
Education Benefits
Tuition Deferment
Available to any veteran or other eligible student covered under Title 38, U.S.C. Allows one tuition
deferment each academic year and an additional deferment when a delay in benefits occurs.
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Visit http://floridavets.org/benefits-services/education for contact information and benefits assistance.
Visit the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs website for more information on any of these programs.
Other
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$25.00 annual fee (plus registration fees)
The Florida DMC also offers the below military specialty plates. These car plates plus some motorcycle
plates can be viewed at https://www.flhsmv.gov/specialtytags/miltags.html.
Air Force Cross
America Pearl Harbor Survivor
Combat Action Badge
Combat Infantry Badge
Disabled Veteran
Distinguished Service Cross
Ex-Prisoner of War
Gold Star Family
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Korean Conflict Veterans
Medal of Honor (Air Force)
Medal of Honor (Army)
Medal of Honor (Navy)
National Guard
Navy Cross
Operation Desert Shield Veterans
Operation Desert Storm Veterans
Operation Enduring Freedom
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Paralyzed Veterans of America
Purple Heart
Silver Star
U.S. Reserve
Vietnam War Veterans
Check with your county tax collector to purchase your specialty plate. These tags are among the most
affordable and patriotic specialty tags available. $15 of the purchase price goes to the Veterans' Homes
Trust Fund for maintenance and operation of Florida's six state veterans' nursing homes and one state
veterans' domiciliary home.
Handicapped Toll Permit - Any handicapped person who has a valid driver's license, who operates a vehicle
specially equipped for use by the handicapped, and who is certified by a licensed physician or by the VA
Adjudication Officer as being physically disabled and having permanent impairments which impair the
person's ability to deposit coins in toll baskets shall be allowed to pass free through all tollgates. A vehicle
window sticker will be issued.
Exemption Parking Permit: Persons With Permanent Mobility Problems - A disabled veteran who is a
resident of this state and honorably discharged, and has been determined by the VA or the Federal
Government to have a service-connected disability rating for compensation of 50% or greater and has a
signed physician's statement of qualification is eligible for the permit. The fees are $1.50 for the initial
parking permit, and $1.50 for renewal parking permit and for each additional renewal parking permit. The
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fee must be paid to the tax collector of the county in which the fee was generated. The department shall not
issue to any one eligible applicant more than two exemption parking permits upon request of the applicant.
Right now, the number of homeless male and female Vietnam era veterans is greater than the number of
service persons who died during that war -- and a small number of Desert Storm veterans are also appearing
in the homeless population. At this time, scientific studies indicate that there is no known, direct connection
between military service, service in Vietnam, or exposure to combat and any increased risk of becoming
homeless. Family background, access to support from family and friends, and various personal
characteristics (rather than military service) seem to be the stronger indicators of risk of homelessness.
Almost all homeless veterans are male (about three percent are women), the vast majority are single, and
most come from poor, disadvantaged backgrounds. Homeless veterans tend to be older and more educated
than homeless non-veterans. But similar to the general population of homeless adult males, about 45% of
homeless veterans suffer from mental illness and (with considerable overlap) slightly more than 70% suffer
from alcohol or other drug abuse problems. Roughly 56% are African American or Hispanic.
Benefits Counseling
The FDVA has state Veterans' Claims Counselors co-located with the VA in the Bay Pines
Regional Office, and in each VA Medical Center and VA Outpatient Clinic in Florida. Assistance
with claims is free (membership is not required) and covers all state and federal veterans' programs.
Information on current federal, state and local veterans’ programs, entitlements and referral
services is also available in Florida through a network of County Veteran Service Offices. The
counselors are trained and accredited annually by the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs. All
services are provided free of charge. For a full list of offices plus email addees refer to
http://floridavets.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/CVSO_Directory_Oct-31-2018.pdf
Burial
The VA provides honorably discharged veterans, spouses and dependents with burial in a National
Cemetery at no cost. Cremated remains are also accepted. Eligible spouses and dependents may be buried
if they predecease the veteran. The VA provides a headstone, marker or medallion for placement on a
private headstone at a private cemetery. The VA does not make funeral arrangements. Call toll free (800)
697-6947 or visit http://www.cem.va.gov for more information.
Florida currently has seven National Cemeteries which are listed below:
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Barrancas National 1 Cemetery Road Phone: 850-453- Open
Cemetery Pensacola, FL 32508 4108
FAX: 850-453-
4635
Bay Pines National 10000 Bay Pines Boulevard North Phone: 727-319- Cremation Only
Cemetery St. Petersburg, FL 33708 6479 **
FAX: 727-319-
6490
Florida National Cemetery 6502 S.W. 102nd Avenue Phone: 352-793- Open
Bushnell, FL 33513 7740
FAX: 352-793-
9560
Jacksonville National 4083 Lannie Road Phone: 904-766- Open
Cemetery Jacksonville, FL 32218 5222
FAX: 904-766-
5980
Sarasota National 9810 State Road 72 Phone: 877-861- Open
Cemetery Sarasota, FL 34241 9840
FAX: 941-922-
3457
South Florida National 6501 S. State Road 7 Phone: 561-649- Open
Cemetery Lake Worth, FL 33449 6489
FAX: 561-649-
3948
St. Augustine National 104 Marine Street Phone: 904-766- Closed *
Cemetery St. Augustine, FL 32084 5222
FAX: 904-766-
5980
* This cemetery is closed to new interments. The only interments that are being accepted are subsequent
interments for veterans or eligible family members in an existing gravesite. Periodically however, burial
space may become available due to a canceled reservation or when a disinterment has been completed.
When either of these two scenarios occurs the cemetery will assign such gravesites or columbarium niches
to other eligible Veterans or family members at the time of the request. Since there is no way to know in
advance when a gravesite may become available, please contact the cemetery at the time of need to inquire
whether space is available.
** This cemetery has space available for cremated remains. They may be able to accommodate casketed
remains in the same gravesite of previously interred family members.
In February 2014, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced the names of two new VA national
cemeteries planned in Florida – the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery in Scottsmoor and the Tallahassee
National Cemetery in Tallahassee. The Cape Canaveral National Cemetery is planned for a 318-acre parcel
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located in close proximity to U.S. Route 1 in northern Brevard County in Scottsmoor, approximately two
miles from Interstate 95 and 12 miles north of Titusville. The cemetery will serve more than 163,000
Veterans, spouses and their eligible dependents living in the central eastern Florida area. The Tallahassee
National Cemetery is planned for a 250-acre parcel in Leon County, with frontage along U.S. Highway 27
(Apalachee Parkway) and Old St. Augustine Road near March Road east of Tallahassee. The cemetery will
serve 83,000 Veterans and their eligible dependents in the Tallahassee area, as well as southwestern Georgie
and southeastern Alabama. For more information on each of the two upcoming cemeteries, refer to:
Tallahassee: http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/docs/factsheets/Tallahassee.pdf
Cape Canaveral: http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/docs/factsheets/Cape_Canaveral.pdf
Visit the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs website http://floridavets.org for contact information and
benefits assistance.
[Source: https://www.military.com/benefits/veteran-state-benefits/florida-state-veterans-benefits.html |
Nov 2018 ++]
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