New Mexico

New Mexico Veteran Benefits

If you're a veteran living in the Land of Enchantment or a servicemember stationed there, you could be eligible for New Mexico state benefits, on top of your federal benefits. The New Mexico Department of Veterans Services (NMDVS) can help you apply for these benefits, which are available in the areas of housing, education, taxation, employment, recreation, and more.

New Mexico Residents Save

$170/mth

Savings based on 2015 active loan data

21Lunches

*Based on an average lunch price of $8.08

Veteran Home Loans

Are you in the Air Force or Army and stationed in New Mexico? If you expect to be there for a while, you may want to think about buying your own home in the area. New Mexico bases are shown in the graphic below, and if you can find a home near yours, it could be beneficial to be able to sell it to another servicemember later.



VA loans in New Mexico are available to eligible veterans and servicemembers and are one of the most exciting benefits for New Mexico veterans. This type of mortgage can help you buy real estate faster than you might expect, offering features such as:

  • No down payment required on home purchases
  • An easy, quick qualification process with no required minimum credit score
  • Low interest rates, which can mean low monthly payments
  • No need to pay for private mortgage insurance (PMI)

Even though the federal Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) sets the guidelines for VA loans, you'll get loans and quotes through private lenders. Since each lender is different, it's best to shop around for a few quotes to try to find the best deal. We also suggest looking for lenders who understand veterans and military personnel and have experience with New Mexico veteran loans.

At Low VA Rates, you can call us at 866-569-8272 to get a quote from a friendly and knowledgeable loan officer (who might also be a veteran). Our easy online application is another good option to help you get started.

 

Veteran Housing Benefits

New Mexico State Veterans' Home (NMSVH)

New Mexico offers skilled nursing care in a veterans' home in the Rio Grande Valley. Staff there aim to help residents live as independently as possible while providing them with quality medical care. To be eligible for admission to the veterans' home, you must be one of the following:

  • An honorably discharged veteran with at least 90 days of service
  • The spouse of an eligible veteran
  • A Gold Star Parent
  • A member of the Guard or Reserves who is a legal resident

It is still possible to get admission if you're not a New Mexico resident. However, if there's ever a waiting list, New Mexico residents are at the top of the list.

Some people who may be ineligible for admission include:

  • Those with mental or medical problems that the nursing home isn't equipped to care for
  • Those who have a history of sexual offenses, substance abuse, or violent crime or current charges in any of those categories
  • Those guilty of being subversive against the US after September 1, 1959 (unless pardoned)

To apply to the New Mexico State Veterans' Home, you can fill out the application form and send it to the address on the form. If you're admitted, the Home will determine your fee based on your ability to pay. If you are a Medicaid recipient, your expenses may be equal to the Medical Care Credit.

Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exemption

If you've been rated by the VA with a 100% complete and permanent disability, you may qualify for a waiver of the property tax on your primary residence. You must be a legal New Mexico resident.

To apply for this benefit, you can fill out the application form and submit it to the address at the bottom of the form, along with:

  • Proof of your New Mexico residency
  • Your military discharge document showing the character of your discharge

If you're the surviving spouse of a deceased veteran and haven't remarried, you may be eligible for this tax break. Some documents you'll need include:

  • Your proof of New Mexico residency
  • A copy of the veteran's death certificate
  • The veteran's discharge document

You'll need to fill out the same application form that veterans use, and then send it and the above documents to the address at the bottom of the form.

 

Veteran Education & Employment Benefits

Education Benefits

To ensure that veterans and their families have access to further education and training, New Mexico offers multiple benefits.

Vietnam Veteran Scholarship

You may be eligible for the Vietnam Veteran Scholarship, a full-tuition scholarship at New Mexico state-funded institutions of higher education. The scholarship will also pay for your books. To be eligible, you must:

  • Have been a resident of New Mexico for at least 10 years
  • Be a veteran of the Vietnam War
  • Be the recipient of a Vietnam Service or Campaign Medal

To apply for this scholarship, send an application to the address on the form or contact your intended institution's financial aid office or the NMDVS.

Wartime Veteran Scholarship Fund

Are you close to running out of your GI Bill benefits? If you're a combat veteran with service experience from 1990 or later, you may qualify to use the Wartime Veteran Scholarship Fund. The Fund can give you educational assistance if you've used up your GI Bill benefits.

To be eligible, you must:

  • Have been a New Mexico resident for at least 10 years
  • Be the recipient of a medal for any US Armed Forces service that was after August 1, 1990
  • Have an honorable discharge

When you apply for this benefit, you'll need to turn in an application as well as a certified copy of your DD 214 form that shows your Combat Service or Campaign Medal and your honorable discharge. You can contact the staff at the NMDVS for help applying for the Scholarship Fund.

Veteran In-State Tuition

New Mexico is ahead of the curve when it comes to veteran and servicemember tuition benefits. In 2009, New Mexico started giving in-state tuition to servicemembers stationed there. Then, in 2015, the nation followed suit.

So, if you are a veteran eligible for GI Bill education benefits, you may qualify for the lower tuition charged to New Mexico residents without waiting to get New Mexico resident status. Your children and your spouse can also qualify, as long as they're using GI Bill benefits.

You can use this benefit at New Mexico state-funded universities, colleges, and vocational schools or training programs. The University of New Mexico and New Mexico State University are just two examples of in-state colleges where you can receive this benefit.

For more information about applying for education benefits, visit your regional benefit office or read the VA's online instructions.  

World War II and Korean Veterans' High School Diploma

Did you have to leave your New Mexico high school before graduation to serve in World War II or Korea? You can now get a high school diploma from the high school you attended back then. To qualify, you must:

  • Have been originally scheduled to graduate sometime between 1941 and 1954
  • Have an honorable discharge

You can apply for the diploma by completing the Operation Recognition application and sending it to the address at the bottom of the application form, along with a copy of your military discharge document.

For more detailed information, visit the law for WWII veterans or the law for Korean conflict veterans.

Children of Deceased Veterans

The children of deceased veterans can qualify for free tuition at New Mexico state-funded post-secondary schools. This education benefit will also give them assistance every semester to buy books and pay for other fees. The student must:

  • Be between 16 and 26 years old
  • Have a veteran parent who was killed in action or because of injuries suffered in battle

You can apply by filling out and sending the Scholarship Application form to the address listed on the form, along with the veteran's discharge document and death certificate.

Military Children School Enrollment Priority

When you are transferred to New Mexico and enroll your children in a local school, they should be given priority enrollment. This benefit applies if:

  • You've been transferred to a New Mexico military base
  • You're on active duty with the US Armed Forces or are a Guard or Reserve member

Contact the school you're enrolling your children in with any questions.

Apprenticeship Training and On-the-Job Training (OJT)

If you have GI Bill benefits to use in New Mexico, you may qualify for a New Mexico on-the-job training or apprenticeship program. You can be paid for working full-time and learning a trade. You must commit to a certain length of time and use an approved program.

On-the-job training (OJT) programs are available for training in:

  • Law enforcement
  • Shipping and receiving
  • Welding
  • Landscaping
  • Auto repair
  • Commercial painting
  • Beverage and food
  • Security and corrections
  • Warehouse operations
  • HVAC repair
  • And more

If you go into an OJT program, you can sign up for between six months and two years. You'll work under other skilled workers and can earn a certificate of completion. You can apply for an OJT program using this application.

Apprenticeships are usually more intensive than OJT programs, lasting from two to five years and including at least 2,000 hours of on-the-job training. You'll also receive at least 144 hours of classroom or online instruction per year.

Apprenticeships are available in trades such as:

  • Architectural design
  • Construction
  • Sheet metal work
  • Plumbing
  • Carpentry
  • Ironwork

Contact the New Mexico Department of Veterans Services for more information about both OJT and apprenticeship programs.

Veterans Education (Vet-Ed) Program

The New Mexico Department of Veterans Services strives to make sure, through the Vet-Ed Program, that every veteran or servicemember in New Mexico has fair access to:

  • Post-secondary educational institutions
  • Professional training, certification, and licensure
  • Entrepreneurial education
  • New Mexico universities and colleges

You can use the Web Enabled Approval Management System (WEAMS) search engine to find New Mexico institutions that offer GI Bill-approved programs.

You can use the WEAMS search engine through these steps:

  1. Visit the WEAMS search engine, which will show a map of the US
  2. Click on New Mexico (NM) on the US map, or click on "NM" below the map
  3. Scroll through the list of institutions and click on any one to learn more about their programs

If you don't find a program you need, you can contact the New Mexico Department of Veterans Services for assistance.

You can also use the WEAMS Licenses/Certifications Search to find information about professional examinations in New Mexico. As with the instructions for the institution search above, you'll click on New Mexico on the US map to learn more.

Employment Benefits

New Mexico works to help veterans succeed in their civilian employment search. To provide a pathway toward this goal, the state provides assistance to veterans who are looking for a job or starting their own business.

Veterans Hiring Preference

If you apply for a New Mexico state job and are an eligible servicemember or veteran, you can receive a veteran hiring preference, or a boost to your job application. This means that if you take a screening examination and pass, you can have five points added to your score.

You may be eligible if you are:

  • An honorably discharged veteran OR
  • A current member of the National Guard

If you're a veteran with an honorable discharge and a service-related disability, you can get additional assistance in your state job search. If you pass your screening examination, you can get ten points added to your passing score rather than five.

To receive hiring preference, you should mark the application question about your veteran status appropriately and submit, along with your application, the required paperwork, which includes:

  • Your DD 214 long-form document (veterans)
  • Your Disability Determination letter (veterans with a service-related disability)
  • An official statement proving you are a member of the National Guard or NGB 22 (National Guard members)

5% Procurement Advantage for Veteran-Owned Businesses or Contractors

Do you have a veteran-owned business? Are you a veteran contract worker? In either case, you can get a 5% hiring preference when you bid for contracts and jobs with the state of New Mexico. This benefit is in addition to the 5% hiring preference that is granted to locally-owned businesses.

 

Other Veteran Benefits

Exemption from Excise Taxes on Vehicle Purchases

When you buy a motor vehicle in New Mexico, you may qualify for an exemption of your excise taxes. This benefit is extended to veterans who have lost or lost the use of one or more limbs because of their military service. You must be a New Mexico resident and meet the other requirements on the application form.

If you're the unremarried surviving spouse of a veteran who was eligible for this benefit, you can also apply for the exemption.

Military License Plates

If you're a veteran with an honorable discharge, you may be eligible for specialty military license plates in New Mexico. You may need to show a copy of your military discharge document.

Available plates include (but are not limited to):

  • Armed Forces Veteran
  • Medal of Honor
  • Purple Heart
  • National Guard
  • Ex-Prisoner of War
  • 50% + Disabled Veteran
  • Woman Veteran

The Armed Forces Veteran plate includes decal options based on your military experience, such as:

  • Vietnam Veteran
  • Pearl Harbor Survivor
  • Iraqi Freedom Veteran
  • Many more

With many of these plates, you'll pay a fee when you first register. You can find more information and application forms on the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division website.

Free or Reduced-Fee Recreation Passes for Veterans

On Veterans' Day every year, veterans and current servicemembers can get free passes for various destinations in New Mexico. You can get admission or fee waivers for:

This benefit is for you and your spouse and children if you are:

  • An honorably discharged veteran or current active-duty servicemember
  • A resident of New Mexico

You'll need to provide proof of your DD 214, your driver's license, and proof of your award letter.  For details on how to apply, contact the NMDVS, visit an NMDVS field office, or contact the park, museum, or campsite you plan on visiting.

State Parks Pass and Free Camping Nights for Veterans with Disabilities

Annually, eligible veterans can get a free pass to New Mexico's state parks, along with three free nights of camping. And if you go camping more than three times per year, you simply need to call the NMDVS and they will send more camping passes. To be approved, you must be a veteran with a service-related disability rating of at least 50%.

You can apply for these benefits through an NMDVS field office or by using the application form. You'll need to show your New Mexico driver's license and a letter from the VA that shows your disability rating. Contact the NMDVS before sending in any documents or visiting a field office to apply.

Free State Museums and Historic Sites Pass for Veterans with Disabilities

If you're a New Mexico veteran with a service-related disability rating of at least 50%, you may qualify for free unlimited admission to New Mexico state museums and historic sites (for personal use).

To apply, you'll need to show your driver's license or ID and proof of disability. Apply with an NMDVS field office.

Hunting and Fishing Licenses for Veterans with Disabilities

For Veterans with a 100% VA Disability Rating

If you've been rated by the VA with a service-related disability of 100%, you can get a lifetime New Mexico small-game hunting and fishing license. You can apply for it using this application. When you apply, you'll need to show:

  • Your disability letter from the VA
  • A copy of your discharge document

Contact your local NMDVS field office for further directions on how to apply.

For Veterans with Less than a 100% VA Disability Rating

If you're a veteran with a service-related disability that is less than 100%, you may qualify for a reduced fee on a small-game hunting and fishing license. You may also need a Habitat Management and Access Validation Stamp and/or a Habitat Stamp.

For more information, visit the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) US Military and Veteran Opportunities sheet and reference the section called "Resident Disabled Veteran Game Hunting and Fishing."

Contact the NMDGF to purchase this license.

Hunting Fee Discount for Non-Resident Disabled Veterans Undergoing Rehabilitation

You can buy a New Mexico hunting license at the resident rate even if you're not a resident of New Mexico. To be eligible, you must be:

  • A disabled servicemember or veteran
  • In a rehabilitation program that uses hunting as part of its process

The rehabilitation program can be either federally sponsored or done through a nonprofit organization that is authorized by the federal government and directed by a VA or military rehabilitation center.

For more information, visit the NMDGF US Military and Veteran Opportunities document and reference the "Non-Resident Disabled Active Duty and Veteran Licenses for Rehabilitation Enrollees" section.

You can apply for this benefit or receive more information through the Santa Fe office of the NMDGF.

Temporary Hunting and Fishing License for Active-Duty Servicemembers

Whether or not you're not a long-term New Mexico resident, you can get a temporary active duty fishing or hunting license. This benefit is for you if you are:

  • On active duty with the US Armed Forces or are a member of the Guard or Reserves
  • Legally living in New Mexico
  • Not claiming residency in another state

You can also apply for this type of license if you're on active duty somewhere outside of New Mexico and are on leave in New Mexico.

Find out more by visiting the NMDGF Age, Disability, and Military page, clicking "Military," and scrolling to the section entitled "Resident Veteran Game-hunting & Fishing License (one-time benefit)." You can also contact an NMDGF office for more information or to apply.

Oryx Hunts for Veterans who Served in Iraq-Afghanistan

If you served in Iraq or Afghanistan, you may qualify to apply for a Once-in-a-Lifetime Oryx Hunt.

A drawing decides those who will receive permits each year, and those awarded the permit will be required to pay the resident fees. To apply, you must submit proof of service to NMDGF Special Hunts before the application deadline for that year (listed on p.6 of NMDGF Hunting Rules & Info). You can send a copy to one of the following addresses:

Visit the NMDGF Draws and Applications Information page or contact the department directly for more information.

Benefits for Servicemembers Stationed at Fort Bliss

If you're an active-duty servicemember stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, you may be eligible for resident hunting licenses on the New Mexico military reservation. You simply need to submit proof of assignment before the due date for that year (listed on p.6 of NMDGF Hunting Rules & Info).

You can send a copy to one of the addresses for Special Hunts listed in the previous section. You can also contact the department for more information.

Veteran Benefits Assistance

The NMDVS helps veterans and their families to:

  • Apply for and get federal and state benefits
  • Find and use services that are designed for them

Over a dozen New Mexico field offices are staffed by certified veterans' services officers. These officers (who are themselves veterans) can help you for free with:


  • Health benefits
  • State benefits
  • Disability compensation
  • Survivor benefits
  • VA pensions
  • Education benefits
  • Home loan guarantees
The NMDVS helps a variety of eligible people, including:
  • Veterans of the US Armed Forces

  • Those who served on active duty in defense of the US as commissioned officers of:
    • The US Public Health Service,
    • The Environmental Science Services Administration, OR
    • The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
  • The dependents of any of the above
  • Certain current or former members of the Reserves and Guard (eligible for certain services)

To learn more about your benefits, make an appointment with your nearest officer.

Women Veterans

The statewide Women Veterans Program works to ensure that women veterans know about and can access the benefits available to them. They provide services to and advocacy for New Mexico's women veterans and their family members, striving to make sure these veterans receive the respect they have earned.

The Women Veterans Program page has newsletters, programs, a network, and events for women veterans. Some of the services and links on their page include:

  • Resources for women veterans, such as organizations geared specifically toward your experience and needs
  • Mentorship links
  • Links to childcare resources
  • A network to keep women veterans up-to-date on events and programs

For more information, sign up for the New Mexico Women Veterans Network or contact the program manager at (505) 383-2431.

Military Records

If you file your military discharge documents with a county clerk in New Mexico, the information in those documents will be protected. The only people who can access your documents are you, your next of kin, or someone who has your general power of attorney.

If you need assistance receiving your records or replacement medals, contact the National Personnel Records Center or an office of New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich near you, which can help you through the process.


About Low VA Rates

If you'd like a quote for VA loans in New Mexico, you can call Low VA Rates toll-free at 866-569-8272, and one of our professional loan officers will work with you. We're experts in helping veterans and servicemembers with VA loans because we've chosen to specialize in serving those who've served our country.

You can also start a simple online application with Low VA Rates. Let us put our experience to work helping you with New Mexico veteran loans.

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