Michigan state benefits
Disabled Veterans Property Tax Exemption (100% P&T, IU or SAH)
100% + P&T- Michigan resident, honorably discharged, who is VA-rated permanently and totally disabled from service and paid at the 100% rate
- Or rated individually unemployable, or has received VA specially adapted housing assistance
- Your homestead is exempt from property taxes (you own it and live in it)
- An unremarried surviving spouse keeps it, including on a home bought later
Veterans' Homestead Property Tax Credit (MI-1040CR-2)
10%+- Veteran with a service-connected disability (or the surviving spouse) who owns or rents a Michigan homestead
- Michigan resident at least six months of the year
- Credit up to $1,900, based on your property taxes, taxable value and filing category; none if total household resources are over $71,500
- Even if you owe no income tax, the credit can come as a refund (MVAA)
Disabled Veteran License Plate
50%+- Permanent DV plate: honorable discharge plus a 100% combined rating, or under 100% but rated 100% unemployable. No registration fees and no yearly renewal (a non-expiring registration)
- Standard DV plate: a 50% to 90% rating; regular registration fees apply and it expires on your birthday
- One DV plate per applicant; passenger vehicle, pickup or van, not motorcycles or motor homes. A surviving spouse can transfer the plate
- A DV plate isn't a disability parking plate: you need a placard (or Form MV-110) for that
Free State Park Entry (Recreation Passport)
50%+- Vehicles with a Michigan Disabled Veteran (permanent or standard), Ex-POW or Medal of Honor plate
- Free entry to facilities that require a Recreation Passport
- Your vehicle must have the matching specialty license plate (item 3)
Free Hunting & Fishing Licenses (100% P&T or IU)
100% + P&T- Michigan resident veteran rated by VA permanently and totally disabled from service and paid at the 100% rate (for disabilities other than blindness)
- Or rated individually unemployable by VA
- Free for any license that doesn't need a separate application (licenses that need a lottery aren't free)
Military Retired Pay Not Taxed
Other rules- Military retirement benefits from the U.S. Armed Forces are exempt from Michigan income tax
- Only the retiree, or a surviving spouse after death or disability, can claim the subtraction
Children of Veterans Tuition Grant (T&P)
100% + P&T- Natural or adopted child (older than 16 and under 26) of a Michigan veteran VA-rated totally and permanently disabled from service (or who died or is MIA)
- Up to $2,800 a year toward undergraduate tuition, at least half-time, with a 2.25 GPA
- The student has to meet Michigan residency rules and file a FAFSA every year
Michigan Veterans Trust Fund Emergency Grants
Other rules- Veteran with an honorable (or general under honorable) discharge and 180 days of active duty during wartime, or 180 days of active duty with an Armed Forces/Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal
- Or at least one day of wartime service and separated for a disability incurred in the line of duty. Peacetime veterans with at least 180 days of service and an honorable discharge can apply during the year they turn 65
- For an unforeseen, temporary financial emergency a grant will resolve; a key factor is whether you can manage the bill after the grant
Federal benefits to look into
CHAMPVA: health coverage for your spouse and kids
P&TIt's for family members, not the veteran: the spouse or dependent child of a veteran rated P&T from a service-connected disability. It's a cost-sharing program: VA shares the cost of covered care with the family. Not free. Family members eligible for TRICARE can't get CHAMPVA.
DEA (Chapter 35): school money for your spouse and kids
P&TChapter 35 / DEA education benefits are available to the spouse and children of a veteran who is P&T due to a service-connected disability. For school or training that started on or after Aug 1, 2018, DEA pays up to 36 months of benefits.
Social Security: faster disability decisions
100% + P&TSSA expedites disability claims from veterans rated 100% P&T. Say "veteran rated 100% P&T" (or enter "Veteran 100% P&T" in the online Remarks). It doesn't guarantee approval; SSA's own rules still apply.
Dental insurance for CHAMPVA families (VADIP)
P&TCHAMPVA covers dental only in limited medical cases; enrollees can buy dental insurance at reduced cost through VADIP.
Your Benefit Summary Letter (proof of your rating)
All veteransYou can download your Benefit Summary Letter (sometimes called an award letter) on VA.gov.
VA dental care (Class IV)
100% (or paid at 100% for TDIU)Per VA, you qualify for any needed dental care if you have a service-connected disability rated 100% disabling, or you're paid at the 100% rate because of TDIU. A temporary 100% rating does not qualify.
DoD ID card and base privileges (100%)
100% (or paid at 100% for TDIU)A 100% disabled veteran (DAV) and eligible family members can get a DoD Uniformed Services ID card. It gives commissary, exchange and MWR privileges and base access. It is not TRICARE.
Base retail access for all service-connected veterans
Any ratingAll service-connected veterans can use commissaries, exchanges and MWR retail facilities, in person and online, per VA's matrix.
Federal student loan discharge (TPD)
100% (or paid at 100% for TDIU)Veterans whom VA has determined have a service-connected disability rated 100% or are rated totally disabled based on individual unemployability (TDIU) can have eligible federal student loans discharged.
No VA home loan funding fee
10%+Veterans receiving VA compensation for a service-connected disability are exempt from the VA home loan funding fee, at any compensable rating, not just 100%.
America the Beautiful Access Pass
Other rulesA free, lifetime pass for U.S. citizens or permanent residents with a permanent disability. It doesn't have to be 100% or service-connected.
Military Lifetime Pass (federal lands)
All veteransVeterans (and Gold Star families) can get a free lifetime pass to federal recreation lands. No disability is needed.