Veteran Housing Benefits

Minnesota Veterans’ Homes

Minnesota Veterans’ Homes provides resident veterans with high-quality health services and a caring community. Minnesota Veterans’ Homes, with five locations in the state, offers a wide range of services and care options:

• Domiciliary care
• Skilled nursing care
• Dementia care
• Social services
• Recreational activities
• Mental health care
• Rehabilitation services
• Spiritual care
• Pharmaceutical services
• Nutritional services
• Transportation
• Barber and beauty services
• Adult day care
• Work therap

To be eligible for admission to a Minnesota Veterans’ Home, you must:

• Be a veteran with an honorable discharge
• Be a resident of Minnesota or have joined the military in Minnesota
• Have served on active duty for at least 181 days in a row OR have been injured on duty
• Show that you have a clinical or medical need for admission

An eligible veteran's spouse may also qualify for admission if he or she:

• Is 55 or older
• Is a Minnesota resident

To apply, you can click on the link for one of the Minnesota Veterans' Homes below (you'll see further information about that home, and you can find the application form under the "Apply" link):

• Hastings
• Minneapolis
• Silver Bay
• Fergus Falls
• Luverne

Homelessness and Prevention

Minnesota can give attention to each veteran experiencing homelessness and his or her family. Minnesota has several ways of helping, including:

• SOAR: This program gives Minnesota veterans who are experiencing homelessness (or are at risk of experiencing homelessness) more access to Social Security Disability Insurance and Social Security Income benefits. It is specifically geared toward veterans who also face a mental illness, substance use disorder, and/or medical impairment.
• Minnesota Homeless Veteran Registry: Veterans experiencing homelessness can join this program for assistance finding local housing and services.

 

Veteran Education & Employment Benefits

Education Benefits

Minnesota recognizes that its veterans should have access to a rich education. There are multiple benefits that allow this to be possible for veterans and their families.

Minnesota GI Bill

The Minnesota GI Bill is not the same as the Federal GI Bill. It gives financial education assistance to:

• Minnesota veterans
• Current servicemembers
• Guard and Reserve members with post-9/11 service
• Eligible children and spouses of veterans

Minnesota's GI Bill helps eligible individuals to pay for:

• Higher education
• Professional licensure or certification
• Apprenticeships or on-the-job training

To qualify for the Minnesota GI Bill, you must be a resident of Minnesota and ONE of the following:

• A veteran who is currently serving or has served honorably in the US Armed Forces
• A non-veteran and a member of the Guard or Reserves with at least five total years of service, with part of the service being on or after September 11, 2001
• The child or spouse of a veteran who either died or has a 100% complete and permanent service-related disability and is qualified for federal education benefits

You can visit the GI Bill Application web page to create an account and apply for benefits.

Higher Education Veterans Programs

If you've ever received assistance from veteran-focused staff members on a campus of a Minnesota college or university, you can thank Minnesota's Higher Education Veterans Programs. The programs encourage and help these institutions to put veteran-friendly policies and procedures in place—along with dedicated staff. Staff members can help you:

• Get a payment extension while you're waiting for educational benefits
• Transfer your military credit
• Secure your status as a Minnesota resident veteran
• Withdraw from classes properly when you are deployed
• Meet other student veterans at the Veterans Resource Center

To see more information about a specific campus's Veterans Resource Center, follow these steps:

1. Access this map of Minnesota
2. Click on the region that contains your school
3. Click on your school name in the menu that pops up

You can also learn more from a regional coordinator associated with this program. Call 1-800-456-8519 to speak with military support services for more information.

State Approving Agency

Minnesota's State Approving Agency (SAA) is responsible for ensuring and monitoring the quality of educational programs using GI Bill benefits in Minnesota. These GI Bill benefits and the SAA’s quality and approval apply to:

• Public and private universities and colleges
• Adult education centers
• High schools
• On-the-job trainings and apprenticeships
• Testing for certifications and licenses
• Vocational training centers

To see a list of Minnesota institutions that offer SAA-approved programs, you can use the VA's Web Enabled Approval Management System (WEAMS). Follow these steps:

1. Visit the WEAMS site to see a map of the US
2. Click on "MN" on the map or below the map
3. On the list of educational providers that comes up, click on the one you're interested in
4. Use the contact information to talk to someone at the institution and inquire about programs and enrollment

Surviving Spouse and Dependent Education Benefit

The Surviving Spouse and Dependent Education Benefit offers free tuition to attend institutions of higher learning for surviving spouses and dependents of certain deceased veterans. They can attend until they earn a bachelor's degree. This benefit also pays a certain amount per year toward books, fees, supplies, and/or room and board. The veteran must:

• Have died during active duty military service OR because of a service-related condition
• Have been a Minnesota resident when he or she joined the service OR have been a Minnesota resident for six months or longer before dying of a service-related disability

Students can be eligible at any age. Benefits are for:

• Unremarried surviving spouses of veterans
• Surviving children, including step-children and adopted children
• Residents of Minnesota

To apply for this benefit for the first time, use the initial application form. Or, if you've previously applied for and received benefits, use the renewal form. To submit your form, you can work with your local Veterans Service Officer or submit to Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA).

Veteran Education Assistance

This Minnesota Veteran Education Benefit is a one-time grant for veterans who have used up all their federal education benefits while pursuing a bachelor's degree. To be eligible, you must:

• Be a veteran
• Have been a Minnesota resident both when you entered the military and for at least six months leading up to your time of entry into the military
• Be a current Minnesota resident and US citizen
• Have used all your federal education benefits during the period that they were available

You can apply for this benefit using the Application for Minnesota Veteran Education Benefit. Apply by working with your local County Veteran Officer or submitting the form to the MDVA.

Employment Benefits

When veterans finish their service, they have unique and valuable skills to contribute to society as employees. However, these skills can be difficult to translate to the civilian world, making for a transition period that can be challenging for many veterans. That’s why Minnesota offers employment assistance to military veterans.

Job-Search Resources for Minnesota Veterans

The MDVA has put together several resources to help you find a job after your discharge. They recommend you follow these three steps:

• Create a career goal using the GPS LifePlan website
• Find a veteran employment representative at a Minnesota Workforce Center and tell him or her you're a veteran. He or she can:
• Help you search for work
• Help you update or write your cover letter and resume
• Give you information on certification, licensure, and apprenticeships
• Refer you to job opportunities
• Explain your employment rights and benefits
• Refer you to services at other agencies
• Register on MinnesotaWorks.net and post your resume there

Veterans Preference for Minnesota Public Employment Positions

Have you thought about working in a government job in Minnesota? As a veteran, you can get certain preferences during the hiring process for a public position. You'll also enjoy benefits after being hired. These benefits may also extend to your spouse.

How do these preferences work? When anyone applies for a competitive job with a city, county, school district, or another political subdivision in Minnesota, they're required to take an examination. If you pass that exam and are eligible for these benefits, one of the following may apply to you:

• If you're a veteran, you can choose to have 10 points added to your score
• If you're a veteran with a service-related disability that qualifies you for payments, you can choose to get 15 points added to your score
• If you were applying for a promotion and have a service-related disability rated 50% or higher, you can choose to have five points added to your score
• If you're the spouse of a veteran who either has died or is unqualified for the position because of a disability, you can also use the preference, as long as you received a passing score.

Disabled veterans and non-disabled veterans are also ranked ahead of similarly-qualified non-veterans in hiring considerations, with disabled veterans receiving the most assistance and non-disabled veterans receiving some assistance. For example, if you were recently discharged and served on or after September 11, 2001, the agency is required to consider you for the job. Also, if you're in the top five veterans who were recently discharged, you must be interviewed.

Additionally, if you get a position and finish your probationary period, you can't be easily removed from that position. You'd have to first go through a hearing that proves incompetence or misconduct.

If you believe you haven't been given preference when you should have, you can send a petition for relief to the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (the address is included on the petition form).

Support for Veteran Business Owners

If you're a veteran or servicemember starting or running a business in Minnesota, there are several resources available to help you. The Minnesota District Office of the US Small Business Association can help you start, run, and build a business. The office has information about a few types of financing as well as business information that can help you get started.

Minnesota also has Small Business Development Centers across the state that can guide you in building a thriving business. Similarly, you can get business advice and education from Service Core of Retired Executives (SCORE) counselors; just let them know you're a veteran.

You can also get an advantage in bidding for contracts to sell your products or services to Minnesota. You'll need to get the status of Certified Veteran Owned Small Business. Apply using the Veteran Status Verification Request form. The Minnesota Procurement Technical Assistance Center can also help you get government contracts.

 

Other Veteran Benefits

Minnesota Service CORE

The Minnesota Service Counseling and Case Management, Outreach, Referral, and Education (CORE) program provides free services to Minnesota veterans and their families. Services offered through CORE include:

• Addiction counseling
• Debt management assistance
• Financial education
• Family counseling
• In-home counseling
• Disability services

Case workers are located in field offices across Minnesota. You can get connected with services through your County Veterans Service Officer (CVSO), who can be found in the CVSO directory. You can also call 1-888-546-5838 (LinkVet).

Short-Term Financial Assistance (Subsistence Benefits)

If you need help with paying rent or other short-term payments, there is assistance available to you. Minnesota veteran Subsistence benefits can be used to pay:

• Rent or mortgage bills
• Health insurance premiums
• Utility bills

Veterans and their dependents may be eligible to receive this assistance. If you're a veteran, you can use it for up to six months while you:

• Can't work because of a short-term disability OR
• Are waiting for long-term benefits because you've become permanently disabled

If you're applying because of a temporary disability, you'll need to prove that disability through a medical report from a physical examination. You also must have worked sometime within a year of the medical report's date.

If you're a surviving spouse and are not disabled, you can qualify for Subsistence benefits if you apply within one year of your veteran spouse’s death. If you apply after one year, you'll need to show a medical report proving that you have a temporary disability.

Your County Veterans Service Officer (CVSO) can help you apply for Subsistence benefits. You can find your CVSO by using the CVSO directory.

Special Needs Grant

Minnesota's Special Needs Assistance assistance gives financial grants to veterans and their dependents during times of hardship. Each recipient can receive a grant only once.

When you apply for this grant, you'll pick vendors who'll be paid by the grant, if approved. You won't be paid directly. You're also required to show how you’ll support yourself after the grant ends.

To apply for Special Needs assistance, you can contact a CVSO from the CVSO directory. You can also call 1-888-546-5838 (LinkVet).

Dental Assistance

As a veteran, you and your dependents can get routine dental care. If approved by the MDVA, payments will be sent to your dental providers. If your dentist decides you need dentures, the MDVA can also pay for those—and for any extractions necessary to prepare for the dentures. (Payment for dentures and extractions is a once-in-a-lifetime benefit.)

If you're approved for dental benefits, you may also qualify for other Minnesota benefits, including the Special Needs grant, optical care, and disaster relief.

For more information or apply for dental benefits, you can get in touch with your CVSO at 1-888-546-5838 (LinkVet). You can also look up your nearest CVSO on the CVSO directory.

State Veterans Cemeteries

Deceased veterans can be buried for free at Minnesota State Veterans Cemeteries. To be approved, active duty veterans must have a discharge that was not dishonorable. Veterans' spouses, minor children, and certain unmarried adult children may also be interred for a fee, if eligible.

A member of the Guard, Reserves, or Reserve Officer Training Corps may also be eligible if he or she dies:

• During active duty training or service OR
• With 20 or more years in Armed Forces reserve components creditable for retirement

For eligible persons, a State Veterans Cemetery provides:

• A gravesite or columbarium niche
• Grave liner
• Headstone or niche cover
• Perpetual care of the site

You can pre-register for a State Veterans Cemetery site. Pre-registration ensures that you're eligible ahead of time, avoiding unnecessary delays or complications around the sensitive time of burial. You can find applications at the websites for the Little Falls, Preston, and Duluth cemeteries, the cemetery office, or your local County Veterans Service Office.

 

Veteran Benefits Assistance

The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) is the agency that can help you and your family get the state and federal benefits you're entitled to. Staff members will work to help you:

• Put in claims for benefits
• Further your education
• Get preference benefits for state job positions
• Get burial benefits

You can call the MDVA at 1-888-546-5838 (LinkVet). You can also look up a County Veterans Service Officer (CVSO) in your area at the CVSO directory. CVSOs are the key staff members who can help you secure services and benefits.

You can also find contact information for a Tribal Veteran Service Officer (TVSO) through this TVSO link.

Women Veterans

If you're a female veteran in Minnesota, you can connect to the Minnesota Women Veterans Program, which strives to help women who have served in the military become aware of and utilize their benefits and services.

Some of the resources highlighted by the Minnesota Women Veterans Program include:

• A sexual assault prevention and response program
• Employment resources for female veterans
• Medical centers equipped to suit the needs of women veterans

Visit the program's web page for a detailed listing of resources and events for female veterans.

 

About Low VA Rates

Are you interested in Minnesota veteran loans? We at Low VA Rates have years of experience helping veterans and servicemembers get VA mortgage benefits. Contact us for more information or to learn about veteran loan rates in Minnesota.

Give us a call at 866-569-8272 or finish a simple online application to get help with VA loans in Minnesota. You'll talk to a professional loan officer who'll understand your needs and be especially trained in knowing how to help you meet them.