Nevada Veteran Benefits

If you're stationed in Nevada or are a veteran living in the Silver State, you may qualify for Nevada veteran loans, education benefits, employment assistance, and much more. The Nevada Department of Veterans Services can help you apply for the benefits we'll be covering below.

Veteran Home Loans

Did you relocate to Nevada for service in the Air Force or Army, or are you living here now after leaving the service?

If you'll be living here for a few years or more, buying your own home can be a great investment. You might even find one by one of Nevada's military bases.



Whether you're a veteran or a current servicemember, you can qualify for VA loans in Nevada. Thanks to the features of VA loans, homeownership is possible, even if you've thought it might be out of your reach. Some of these features include:

  • Zero down payment financing
  • An easy qualification process that doesn't require a high credit score
  • Lower interest rates than the national average
  • No required private mortgage insurance (PMI) payments

Interested? To get started, you'll need to contact a private lender—they're the ones that issue VA loans. Make sure you contact more than one so you can compare the terms, rates, closing costs, and your overall experience. That way you can make sure you're getting the best deal.

In addition, look for lenders, like Low VA Rates, that have lots of experience working with VA loans. They're more likely to understand the needs of veterans and servicemembers, as well as the ins and outs unique to VA loans.

Your loan amount you receive will depend on a variety of factors, including your financial situation, credit score, debt-to-income ratio (DTI), and more.

To get a better idea of what amount you could recieve for you loan, you can contact our team at Low VA Rates. We've been helping veterans and servicemembers with VA loans since the beginning.

Nevada Residents Save

$171/mth

Savings based on 2015 active loan data

21Lunches

*Based on an average lunch price of $8.08

Pre-Qualify Now

Nevada Housing Division

The Nevada Housing Division has a state mortgage program called Home Is Possible For Heroes™. This program offers benefits that include:

  • Low interest rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages
  • No requirement to be a first-time homebuyer
  • Can be used in conjunction with Nevada's Mortgage Credit Certificate program
  • Available for homes anywhere in Nevada

To participate in the program, you need be either an active duty servicemember, honorably discharged veteran, national guard member, or the surviving spouse a veteran. You'll also need to meet a few other conditions, which include:

  • Having a personal income below a certain level
  • Buying a home that costs less than a certain amount
  • Buying a home as a primary residence
  • Having a credit score above a certain minimum
  • Completing a homebuyer education course
  • Passing the underwriting requirements
  • Paying a one-time fee

If you want to apply, you can pick out an approved lender, contact them, and tell them you're interested in the Home Is Possible For Heroes™ program.

Veteran Housing Benefits

Housing Choice Voucher Program

The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program can help you afford safe, clean housing. If you're eligible for the voucher, you can choose your own place to live from available houses, apartments, and townhouses, as long as they meet the program requirements.

One of the best benefits of this program is, after you've been in it for a year, you can transfer the voucher to another state, if you need to.

To apply, simply fill out either the application for the southern area of Nevada or the northern area. You may be placed on a waiting list, and the Program will perform a criminal background check.

Nevada State Veterans Home

The Nevada State Veterans Home in Boulder City provides skilled nursing care for Nevada veterans 24 hours per day, with access to:

  • Doctors
  • Physical, speech, and occupational therapies
  • Laboratory and pharmacy services
  • Dietary services
  • Alzheimer's and dementia programs
  • Social activities and outings

To be eligible for admission, you must:

  • Be a veteran
  • Have active duty experience of 90 days during peacetime or wartime
  • Have a discharge that was not dishonorable

Spouses of eligible veterans can also qualify, as can Gold Star parents.

Staff members at the Nevada State Veterans Home understand military veterans and their spouses. Plus, you can live around other veterans who have had military experiences similar to yours. Finally, the price is lower than at non-veteran nursing homes, and you can pay for it from VA compensation, Medicare/Medicaid, and other sources.

To apply for the Veterans Home, you can print out and complete the admission packet. Once complete, you can either mail, email, or fax it in using the contact information on the second page of the packet.

Veteran Education & Employment Benefits

Education Benefits

There are multiple opportunities in Nevada that help veterans pursue their educational dreams. Whether you're looking to pursue a degree at one of Nevada's public universities or you'd like to get the high school diploma you missed out on during military service, Nevada's education benefits can help you achieve your goals.

Campus Veterans Centers

Many of the major colleges and universities in Nevada have veterans centers on their campuses. These centers can help you take advantage of your benefits, and they can also serve as a way to meet other students with military backgrounds.

Nevada Educational Institutions with GI Bill-Approved Programs

In addition to schools with campus veterans centers, many schools in Nevada also allow you to use your GI Bill to help cover the cost of your tuition and other related expenses.

To see a list of all the schools with approved programs, simply follow the steps below for accessing the VA's Web Enabled Approval Management System (WEAMS) search engine:

  1. Visit the WEAMS website
  2. Click "NV" on the map of the US
  3. You can click on any institution name to see more information

If the institution you want to attend is on the list, it has GI Bill-approved programs. But, if your target institution isn't on the list, don't despair. It may still have approved programs. To find out, you can contact the Nevada Department of Veterans Services.

High School Diplomas for World II & Vietnam Veterans

If you didn't get a high school diploma because you were serving our country, the Operation Recognition program could give you one. To qualify for a diploma, you must:

  • Have served in the US Armed Forces during World War II, Korea, or Vietnam
  • Have been unable to get a high school diploma from your Nevada school because of your service
  • Have an honorable discharge with the discharge document proving it

Those who can apply for the diploma include the veteran, a disabled veteran's guardian, or a family member of a deceased veteran. Apply using the Operation Recognition application packet.

Employment Benefits

Transitioning from the military to the civilian world can be tricky, especially when it comes to finding work. Nevada provides a variety of employment benefits and services to help veterans make the switch successfully.

Veterans Coordinator for State Employment

The Nevada Veterans Coordinator personally works to help match Nevada veterans with appropriate state jobs. In this position, they can help you apply for state government positions and can answer your questions about what it's like to work for the state of Nevada.

The Veterans coordinator also posts the latest job openings on their own Facebook page. If you have questions, you can even send them a Facebook message, and they'll typically respond within 24 hours.

If you don't have a Facebook account, or if you prefer to contact the current coordinator, Doug Williams, using other methods, he can be reached at (702) 486-8838 or by emailing him at dougwilliams@admin.nv.gov.

State Job Listings

If you'd rather search for state jobs on your own without contacting the coordinator, you can view the full list of all available state jobs online. You can search the list for the type of job(s) you're interested in my using the search engine at the top of the page.

If you're especially interested in education jobs, the Nevada System of Higher Education also lists their current job openings on their website.

Work for Warriors Program

The Work for Warriors program helps veterans, Gold Star families, and members of the Guard and Reserves and their families. The program helps veterans with a variety of services, including:

  • Interview preparation
  • Resume writing
  • Job placement
  • Assistance applying for jobs

And more! If you're interested in the Work for Warriors program, you can register online.

Veterans Hiring Preference

If you apply for a state job in Nevada, you can tell the hiring agency that you want to use your veterans preference. The veterans preference adds points to your score when you pass an examination for a state position.

To qualify for veterans preference, you must:

  • Have a discharge that was not dishonorable
  • Turn in proof of your eligibility when you apply for a position

If you're a National Guard member, you can qualify for veterans preference with the addition of a letter of recommendation from your commanding officer.

Other Veteran Benefits

Nevada provides other military benefits that include food assistance, specialty license plates, dental benefits, hunting and fishing licenses, state park permits, and more.

Food Assistance

Several programs in Nevada can help you get food. Not all of the programs are exclusive to veterans and servicemembers. However, veterans may still benefit from these services.

In addition, some programs offer specialized services exclusively for veterans and their families. These include:

  • The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) – In addition to meals served at TEFAP locations, veterans may specifically qualify for home delivery of food from TEFAP
  • Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) – If you live on an Indian reservation and are a veteran, this program can help provide food.
  • Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) – Veterans can qualify for CSFP if it's available in your region.

You can learn more about these and other programs on the website linked at the beginning of this section. Or you can contact the Nevada Department of Veterans Services if you have questions or need more information.

Specialty Veteran License Plates

You can choose from among many specialty military license plates through Nevada's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). These distinctive plates include:

  • Veteran
  • Disabled Veteran
  • Purple Heart
  • Ex-Prisoner of War
  • Pearl Harbor Survivor
  • Medal of Honor
  • And many others

You can see the list of all available plates on Nevada's DMV website. Some plates have additional requirements, and you'll need to prove your eligibility. You can apply for a license plate at your nearest DMV office.

Veteran Designation on Driver's License or ID Card

It can be useful to have a "Veteran" designation on your Nevada driver's license or ID card. To get the designation, you must have an honorable discharge and show documentation of it at your DMV office. If you're renewing a driver's license or getting a new one, there's no charge to get the designation added to it.

Adopt a Vet Dental Program

Tooth decay is a serious problem among low-income veterans. If you've discovered that you don't qualify for dental care benefits, the Adopt a Vet Dental Program can help.

The program will first decide if you qualify and then find free dental care for you if you do. The dental care and the lab expenses are provided by dental professionals who donate their time and expertise. The general qualification requirements include:

  • Being a veteran with at least one year of military service
  • Having an income at or below 150% of the poverty level and providing proof of income
  • Being a full-time Nevada resident
  • Being enrolled for VA benefits
  • Seeing a primary care physician at the VA and following his or her healthcare requirements
  • Being drug- and alcohol-free for one year

To apply, you can contact staff members using the information at the bottom of the Adopt a Vet program page.

The Nevada Attorney General's Office of Military Legal Assistance

You can get free legal help and representation for civil law issues from the Nevada Attorney General's Office of Military Legal Assistance. They can also help veterans prepare wills and grant powers of attorney.

To qualify, you have to be an active duty servicemember, a veteran, or a member of the Reserves or Guard. How you apply for the legal help will depend on your current status.

Hunting and Fishing Licenses

You may be able to get licensed to hunt or fish for free. To qualify for a free license with Nevada's Wildlife Division, you'll have to meet these conditions:

  • Be a veteran with an honorable discharge
  • Have a service-related disability of at least 50%

You can contact the Wildlife Division to find out how to apply for a license.

State Park Disabled Veterans Permit

You can get a permit for unlimited entrances to Nevada state parks, which includes the use of campsites and boat launch facilities in the parks. Each permit is good for one year.

To qualify for a state parks permit, you'll have to show proof that you:

  • Are a resident of Nevada
  • Are a veteran with a permanent service-related disability of at least 10%, as rated by the VA
  • Received an honorable discharge

You can print out and complete an application and mail it to the address on the form. Please be aware that the state does require an administrative fee.

Transportation Services

Transportation services are available through the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System. If you qualify, you can use these free services to get to and from VA medical centers and other authorized healthcare providers. To request services, simply call or email using the contact information provided online.

State Veterans Cemeteries

Nevada's has two state veterans cemeteries: the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery and the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery. Both locations provide free interment for qualified veterans. Spouses and eligible dependents can also be interred for a small fee.

In order to qualify, you will need to meet similar eligibility requirements to those used by the VA's National Cemetery Administration. However, since eligibility is determined by the state cemeteries, you will need to contact them directly using the phone numbers provided on their individual pages.

In addition to the VA's requirements, members of the Guard or Reserves can also qualify if he or she meets one of these conditions:

  • Died honorably while on active duty
  • Died during training duty
  • Was qualified to receive retirement pay at the time of death

Though you can't pick out a specific plot in advance, you can pre-register for interment to make the process easier once the need arises. This gives the cemetery time to be sure you're eligible. You'll need to turn in a pre-registration form and copies of any required documents. These forms are available on each cemetery's website.

Veteran Benefits Assistance

The Nevada Department of Veterans Services can help you get the benefits and services you're entitled to. Staff members assist Nevada resident veterans, servicemembers, and their families with just about any issue they're facing. They'll file claims for benefits for you and answer your questions about benefits.

You can fill out an online form and wait for a Veterans Service Officer to get back to you with an answer. Or, if you prefer not to wait, you can also contact a specific office to talk to a Veterans Service Officer.

About Low VA Rates

Low VA Rates has been dedicated for many years to serving those who've served us by providing high qualify Nevada veteran loans. We know the ins and out of every VA loan type and have the necessary experience to help veterans and current military personnel achieve their dreams of homeownership.

You can talk to one of our loan officers today by calling 866-569-8272 to get a quote on VA loans in Nevada. Or, you can also use our simple online application to get started. Either way, you'll work with a professional loan officer who understands the issues you face.