|
VETERANS BENEFITS
|
|
More Education is Always
an Option
|
More
job skills lead to more job
opportunities, and Workforce
Solutions can help you find
financial aid for education. One
example is the Pell Grant, a
federal grant awarded only to
undergraduate students who have
not earned a bachelor’s or
professional degree. A number of
other education benefits are
also available to veterans who
qualify, such as those provided
through the Montgomery GI Bill
and the Hazelwood Act for Texas
veterans.
www.gibill.va.gov
www.tvc.state.tx.us (PDF)
|
|
|
Home Financing
|
|
The
Texas Veterans Land Board offers
veterans low interest loans for
land, homes and home
improvements. For more
information, go to
www.tvc.state.tx.us/vlb.htm.
Also, the Texas State Veterans
Cemetery (TSVC) can help with
burial cost for veterans.
Contact TSVC at
www.texasveterans.org for
more information.
|
|
|
Tax Exemption
|
|
Disabled veterans who meet
certain requirements, their
surviving spouses and the
spouses and minor children of a
person who dies on active duty
in the U.S. Armed Forces are
eligible for property tax
exemptions on the appraised
value of their property. For
more information, contact
www.tvc.state.tx.us/morebens.htm.
|
|
|
Counseling and Advocacy
|
|
The
Texas Veterans Commission
provides free, professional
benefits counseling and advocacy
through state and county
veterans service officers. They
can assist you in applying for
numerous VA benefit programs and
health care services. Call the
Texas Veterans Hotline at
1-800-252-VETS (8387) for more
information.
|
|
|
Priority Health Care for
Disabled Veterans
|
|
All
veterans with service-connected
medical problems will receive
priority access to health care
from the U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) under a
new directive.
The
new directive provides that all
veterans requiring care for a
service-connected disability,
regardless of the extent of
their injury, must be scheduled
for a primary care evaluation
within 30 days of their request
for care. If a VA facility is
unable to schedule an
appointment within 30 days, it
must arrange for care at another
VA facility, at a contract
facility or through a sharing
agreement.
The
directive covers hospitalization
and outpatient care. It does not
apply to care for medical
problems not related to a
service-connected disability.
However, veterans needing
emergency care will be treated
immediately.
The
new provision is an extension of
rules that took effect in
October 2002 for severely
disabled veterans. Under the
earlier rule, priority access to
health care went to veterans
with disabilities rated at 50
percent or more. For the
severely disabled, the priority
includes care for
non-service-connected medical
problems.
|
|
|
E-laws
|
|
The
U.S. Department of Labor has
developed several laws and
online guides to help employees
and employers understand their
rights and responsibilities
under numerous federal
employment laws. E-laws are
detailed online at
www.dol.gov/elaws.
|
|
|
The Veterans’ Preference
Advisor
|
|
The
advisor allows veterans to
examine the preferences for
which they might be entitled
with regard to federal jobs. It
was developed by the Veterans’
Employment and Training Service.
|
|
|
The Uniformed Services
Employment and Reemployment
Rights Act (USERRA)
|
|
USERRA provides reemployment
protection and other benefits
for veterans. In addition,
USERRA helps veterans understand
employee eligibility and job
entitlements, employer
obligations, and benefits
available to veterans through
the act. If you have any
additional questions about
veterans benefits, Workforce
Solution's veterans counselor
will be happy to assist you.
|
|
