North Dakota Veterans Benefits
The following are the North Dakota veterans’ benefits programs for education, healthcare, housing and employment.
North Dakota Veterans’ Benefits Programs
Education Benefits for North Dakota Veterans
In addition to federal programs such as the GI Bill, there are veterans benefits programs provided by the states. The following are the North Dakota veterans’ benefits programs for education in 2019.
Veterans Educational Training (VET)
Available to honorably discharged North Dakota veterans, VET is a free program of study funded by the state of North Dakota to prepare you for a certification program, two-year or four-year college degree. The program provides refresher training, as well as training in English, computers, math, and study skills.
Dependent Tuition Waiver
Available to dependents of resident veterans who were killed in action or died from wounds or other service-connected causes, or were totally disabled as a result of service-connected causes. The dependent can attend any North Dakota state school and not pay any tuition or fees. The dependent must earn a degree or certificate within 45 months or 10 semesters.
National Guard State Tuition Assistance
The day you join the Army National Guard you become eligible for tuition assistance, even if you’re still in high school. Tuition assistance may be used in addition to the Montgomery G.I. Bill, Army National Guard G.I. Bill Kicker, Active Duty Montgomery G.I. Bill and Pell Grants. A 100% Tuition free education is the goal of the State Tuition Program. Fees can be substantial, up to $1,709.28, but continuing to pays fees cannot be guaranteed.
RELATED: National Guard Tuition Assistance
> Find VA-approved colleges and universities in North Dakota with our School Finder.
Housing Benefits for North Dakota’s Veterans
Property Tax Exemption
This property tax exemption is for paraplegic disabled veterans or veterans who has been awarded specially adapted housing by the department of veterans’ affairs or the unmarried surviving spouse if the veteran is deceased. The tax exemption is for the first $120,000 of true and full valuation of the fixtures, buildings, and improvements. The property will need to be owned and occupied as a homestead. Those who are permanently and totally disabled or if they are deceased, their unremarried surviving spouse or if the spouse of a permanently or disabled veteran owns or jointly owns the homestead, can also qualify.
Disabled Veterans With A VA Rating Of 50% Or More
Those who are disabled veterans with a service-connected disability with a rating of 50% or more, a disabled veteran who has an extra-schedular rating to include individual unemployability that brings the veteran’s total disability rating to 100%, or the unmarried surviving spouse if the disabled veteran is deceased, will be eligible for a credit applied against the first $6750 of taxable valuation with a $150,000 true value.
Health Care Benefits for North Dakota Veterans
PWTF Hardship Assistance Grant
This grant is to provide money to give aid and comfort to veterans and their spouses as well as unremarried widows and widowers of eligible veterans. They must have an unmet need of dental or denture work (not to include routine and maintenance procedures,) optical, hearing, transportation for medical treatment, special needs for medical reasons, housing deposit, or other emergency needs approved by the Commissioner of Veterans Affairs. Veterans will need to show their income level, be a North Dakota resident for one year prior to their application date, and show medical bills for all work completed.
Grant For North Dakota Veterans With PTSD
There is a grant for North Dakota veterans who are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD.) This grant may provide them with a specially trained service dog. The service dogs are trained in North Dakota to assist veterans who suffer from PTSD. They can provide for special needs of the veteran such as calming anxiety attacks, providing comfort and assurance in public settings, or waking a veteran up from a nightmare. In order to qualify the veteran will need to be a North Dakota resident, have a diagnosis of PTSD, be engaged in counseling or therapy, and have a doctor’s recommendation for a PTSD service dog. The grant is made possible by the 63rd North Dakota Legislative Assembly and private donors and the service dogs will be from Service Dogs for America.
North Dakota Veterans’ Home
North Dakota has one veterans’ home, which is located in Lisbon, North Dakota. They have 111 basic care, and 38 skilled nursing beds. To be eligible for the home a veteran will need to be a resident of North Dakota for 30 days, or must have served in a North Dakota regiment, or entered the Armed Services as a North Dakota resident. Those who are a spouse or surviving spouse of above veterans can also qualify.
Employment Benefits for North Dakota’s Veterans
Veterans Preference in North Dakota For Public Employment
Veterans can receive preference over all other applicants, in the recruitment and selection processes by governmental agencies, as long as the veteran is a United States citizen at the time of their application.
For non-competitive hiring, if the veteran has the qualifications and abilities for the job, the hiring authority should hire the veteran. Disabled veterans would have priority over non-disabled veterans.
For competitive hiring, if the veteran is qualified and has the abilities for the job, the hiring authority must apply 5 points for non-disabled veterans and 10 points for disabled veterans on a 100-point scale. If the scale is not 100-point, they will receive 5% of the score if they are non-disabled, and 10% of the score if they are disabled.
Surviving un-remarried spouses are also eligible for veterans preference.
Other Veterans’ Benefits Programs
Veterans Aid Fund
This is a permanent fund to be used for the purpose of making loans to veterans or their widow or widowers.
To qualify, the veteran will need to be a peacetime or wartime veteran, a national guard member with active duty, or an unremarried widow or widower of a qualified veteran. They will also need to be a resident of North Dakota for at least a year, and have the financial ability to make payments.
The maximum loan amount is $5,000 and the interest rate is 8% per annum. The time limit can be from six to 48 months. One half of the interest that is paid will be refunded provided the loan is repaid under the agreed upon terms. The department has a right to take legal action to collect on delinquent loans
ND Cares
ND Cares established a coalition charged with improving collaboration and coordination in behavioral health services for service members, veterans, and their families and survivors. They hope to resolve barriers or gaps in service so that those who have served, their families, and survivors will receive the care and assistance that they need.
For more information regarding North Dakota’s veterans’ benefits, please go here.
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About the author
Julie Provost is a freelance writer, blogger, and owner of Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life, a support blog for military spouses. She lives in Tennessee with her National Guard husband and three boys.