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Kansas Veteran Benefits

If you've been stationed in the Sunflower State, or you're a veteran living in Kansas, you could take advantage of various state benefits that can help you get housing, find employment, go back to school, get discounts, and much more.

Kansas Residents Save

$152/mo

Savings based on 2015 active loan data

18Lunches

*Based on an average lunch price of $8.08

Veteran Home Loans

Have you thought about buying a home in Kansas? If you're stationed in Kansas with the Army or Air Force, or you're living here after leaving the service, you could always looks for homes near one of Kansas's military bases.





If you find a home you love, Kansas veteran loans can help purchase it. The process is much easier than you'd think, regardless of whether you're a current servicemember or a veteran. Some of the VA loan benefits that can accelerate you to homeownership include:

  • Being able to buy a home with no money down
  • Low interest rates compared to many other mortgage types
  • Easy loan qualification requirements, even with a bad credit score
  • No private mortgage insurance (PMI) payments

The VA gives guidelines and guarantees to private lenders to allow them to offer these features, as well as others. However, VA loan lenders are allowed to set their own policies and terms, so if you want to find the best veteran loan rates in Kansas, you should get quotes from several of them.

Veteran Housing Benefits

Homestead Act

If you're a disabled veteran, you can get a refund on your homestead property tax through Kansas's Homestead Act. To be eligible, you need to:

  • Be a Kansas resident
  • Be an honorably discharged veteran
  • Have a VA-certified permanent disability of at least 50% that is service-related
  • Have a Veterans Disability Determination Letter letter from the VA, which states that your disability began before 2009

If you're the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran who has passed away, you can also be eligible for this refund until you remarry.


Kansas Veterans' Homes

As of 2018, Kansas has two veterans' homes. One is located in Winfield and the other is in Fort Dodge. Both homes have high-quality facility features available, such as fitness rooms and a library. Services they provide include:

  • Physical and occupational therapy
  • Nursing care
  • Dietary services
  • Social services
  • Activities
  • Psychological care
  • Laundry
  • Alzheimer's care

And much more! If you're interested in the services these homes can provide, you must be eligible for admission by:

  • Being a US veteran with active duty service experience
  • Having a discharge that was not dishonorable
  • Having service-related disabilities, being a former POW, not being able to pay for necessary care, OR another listed condition

If there is available space, spouses and surviving spouses can also qualify. However, first priority goes to needy veterans, especially those who have the most severe medical problems.


Education & Employment Benefits


Education Benefits

The education benefits offered to veterans and servicemembers in Kansas can help you and your family pursue opportunities for higher learning. By making education more affordable, you'll be able to secure your future.

Educational Programs Approved by Kansas's State Approving Agency

Kansas's State Approving Agency (SAA) reviews, approves (or rejects), and monitors educational programs in Kansas. You can use your military educational benefits at these programs to pursue a professional, educational, or vocational goal. They approve programs in:

  • Universities and colleges
  • Technical and vocational schools
  • Apprenticeships
  • On-the-job training programs
  • Flight schools

And more! In fact, there are over 140 approved programs in Kansas! But how do you find the right one for you?

All of the institutions with SAA-approved programs are available online. Simply use the VA's Web Enabled Approval Management System (WEAMS) to find the full list, then click "KS" on or below the map. Doing so will pull up a full list of institutions and programs.

When you see a program you might be interested in, click on it for more information. If you have more questions about the program, you can use their provided contact information.


Kansas's Public Educational Institutions

All of Kansas's public universities, community colleges, and technical colleges have programs for veterans. You can get more information about these programs by clicking the "Veterans Information" link below each school listed to the right of the map on Kansas's Public Institutions page.

Once you click on the link for the school (or schools) you're interested in, you will be taken to their specific veterans resource page, which will tell you about all of their veterans benefits.


Credit for Military Experience

Do you have skills and training from your time in the military? You may be able to get academic credit for your military experience under a process called "military alignment.

Check out this list of military occupational specialties (MOS) that can satisfy the requirements of certain academic programs in Kansas. Once you're viewing the list, you can click on the PDF links to learn more about which specific courses at each institution you could get credit for.


In-State Tuition

If you're a veteran or a current servicemember in Kansas, you can attend Kansas's public universities and colleges for the in-state tuition rate, even if you haven't lived in Kansas very long. This benefit also applies to your dependent children and spouse.

Additionally, you can also get a reimbursement if you were charged a higher tuition during the 2015–2016 academic year when this law was first put into place.

To learn more, get in touch with your school's registrar or office of undergraduate admissions.


Operation Recognition: High School Diplomas for Veterans

Kansas participates in Operation Recognition, a program that provides high school diplomas to veterans who didn't get theirs because of military service. You might be eligible if you joined the US military to serve in World War II or Korea and were honorably discharged.

If you did receive a diploma but weren't able to participate in your graduation, you also can apply. You may be able to take part in a special ceremony.

The family of a veteran who was eligible but died can apply on his or her behalf. Whether you're a veteran applying for yourself or a family member of a deceased veteran applying on their behalf, you can print and fill out the Operation Recognition form available online.


Employment Benefits

If you're looking for work in the civilian world, the state of Kansas has a variety of resources to help you throughout the process. From helping you recognize how your military experience matches civilian job requirements to helping you put together a resume, and everything in between, finding work doesn't have to be a burden.


KansasWorks

KansasWorks.com is the top Kansas website for finding job postings and applying for positions. If you visit an associated Kansas Workforce Center and are a veteran, you'll get priority access to services such as:

  • Career counseling
  • Training opportunities
  • Interview workshops
  • Resume writing workshops

You can find and make an appointment with your nearest Workforce Center.


KanServe

The Kansas Labor Information Center (KLIC) offers a specialized employment tool to help veterans looking to enter the civilian workforce. This search tool, called KanServe, allows you to search for civilian jobs related to your MOS.

To use access the KanServe page, you will need to find the KanServe button on the KLIC home page using the link above. Once there, there are a variety of ways to perform your search. If you happen to know the code for your MOC, you can type it in the box. Or, you you click on the "Military Occupational Classification" link and fill out the form.

Regardless of how you go about it, at least one possible civilian occupation should appear once you submit your search. You can click on an occupation link to see more information about it, including major employers who could use your skills.


State Employment Benefits

If you are a veteran and apply for employment with Kansas's state government, you and your spouse may be eligible to receive certain preferences and privileges. These include preference during interviews, promotions, and retention during layoffs.

If, for example, you apply for a state job, you're guaranteed (with a few exceptions) a job interview, as well as consideration for the position. However, you aren't guaranteed to receive the job. You still have to earn the position, but this benefit will give you a chance to prove your qualifications.

To be eligible, you need to have had an honorable separation from the military. If you served before October 15, 1976, your service must have been during one of the following:

  • World War I
  • World War II
  • Korean War
  • An authorized expedition or campaign
  • A period of 180 days between January 31, 1955 and October 15, 1976 (not including Reserve or Guard training)

If you joined the military on or after October 15, 1976, you must have served in an expedition or campaign that resulted in a service medal or campaign badge, such as El Salvador, Panama, Grenada, and others.

You can also qualify under one of the following conditions:

  • You were honorably discharged and have either a service-related disability certified by the VA or a Purple Heart
  • You chose to retire from the military with a 03 pay grade or lower or you retired because of combat injuries
  • You are the spouse of a veteran who is unemployable, according to the VA, or has a service-related disability of 100%
  • You are the unremarried surviving spouse of a servicemember who died during his or her service or because of that service
  • You are the spouse of a POW

If you want to claim this employment preference for the first time, you'll need a copy of your DD-214. Current instructions on how to apply for this benefit are available online under the Header "How to Apply for Veteran's Preference."


Other Veteran Benefits

Other benefits you can receive in Kansas as a veteran or servicemember include tax breaks, recreational licenses, special automobile license plates, burial benefits, and more.


State Income Tax Exemption

If you have military retirement pay, you are entitled to receive a state income tax exemption on that pay.


Vietnam War Medallion

If you served a period of active duty in the US Armed Forces (whether in the US or on foreign soil) between February 28, 1961 and May 7, 1975, you could be eligible for the Vietnam Era Veterans Medallion Program. To qualify, you must also:

  • Be a resident of Kansas or have been a resident of Kansas when you entered the military or when you were discharged
  • Have an honorable discharge or be an active servicemember with an honorable status

This benefit provides a medal, medallion, and certificate from the State of Kansas to each eligible Vietnam veteran. Veterans can also be a part of a medallion ceremony.

Surviving family members of Vietnam veterans can also receive these honors if the veteran died while he or she was a Kansas resident, as long as they had an honorable status at the time of their death.

Whether applying for yourself or as a family member of a deceased veteran, you will need to fill out and submit the Vietnam Medallion Application Form.


Military License Plates

Kansas offers military distinctive license plates you can use to showcase your military background. Several of these plates also let you get your annual registration free of charge. The available license plates include:

Follow one of the above links to learn more about the eligibility requirements and the application process for that type of license plate.


Hunting & Fishing Licenses Plus State Park Permits

If you're an active member of the National Guard, you can get free Kansas fishing and hunting licenses. You can also get a permit to enter state parks for free.

You can apply on the website of the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism. Look for the forms called "Application KS Disabled Veterans Hunting & Fishing License Application" or "Application KS National Guard Hunting, Fishing, and Park Vehicle Permit."


Kansas State Veterans' Cemeteries

Veterans can be eligible to be interred at Kansas's state veterans' cemeteries, even if they weren't Kansas residents. In order to be eligible, a veteran must have met ONE of the following conditions:

  • Received a discharge from active duty that was not dishonorable
  • Died during active duty
  • Been a member of the Guard or Reserves with qualifying service of at least 20 years and would have been entitled to retirement pay if 60 or older

The spouse, surviving spouse, and dependent children of a veteran can also be eligible to be interred at a Kansas State Veterans' Cemetery. However, they must meet additional eligibility requirements, which are outlined online.

You can pre-register at a Kansas State Veterans' Cemetery to establish your eligibility in advance. This is recommended for veterans, their spouses, and their dependent children.

Pre-registration doesn't obligate you to be interred at a Kansas State Veterans' Cemetery, and it's free. It simply helps simplify the process after death.


Veteran Benefits Assistance

Do you need help with any of the benefits you've read about? The Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs (KCVAO) helps veterans and their families for free. They primarily help veterans through filing claims for:

  • Disability compensation related to military service
  • Pension benefits (military and non-military)
  • Education benefits
  • Benefits for spouses and dependents of veterans
  • State VA benefits
  • Earned awards and medals

And more!


Veteran Service Representatives (VSRs)

When you need help with your benefits, you'll work with a Veteran Service Representative (VSR). You can find your nearest one by accessing this map of VSR locations. Below the map, you can click on the location nearest you to learn how to set up an appointment.


About Low VA Rates

If you're gathering quotes for VA loans in Kansas, you can get an online quote from Low VA Rates, or you can call us 866-569-8272. Since our founding, we've focused on helping veterans and servicemembers get, so you can trust us to understand Kansas veteran loans.

When you contact us, a friendly and knowledgeable loan officer will work with you as soon as possible. Some of our loan officers are even veterans themselves. At Low VA Rates, you can count on us to always get you a great veteran loan rate in Kansas.

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