Oklahoma Veterans Benefits & Disabled Veterans Benefits
Oklahoma Veterans Benefits Programs
The following are the Oklahoma veterans’ benefits programs for education, healthcare, housing and employment.
Education Benefits for Veterans in Oklahoma
In addition to federal programs such as the GI Bill, veterans benefits programs are provided by the state of Oklahoma. The following are the Oklahoma veterans’ benefits programs for education.
Oklahoma National Guard Scholarship
The National Guard State Tuition Waiver Program (STW) offers waived 18 credit hours of tuition for eligible Oklahoma Army and Air National Guard members. This is offered for those who attend state-supported schools, are state residents, and who are in good standing with a National Guard unit in the state.
RELATED: Choice Act: In-State Tuition Benefits For Veterans
> Find VA-approved colleges and universities in Oklahoma with our School Finder.
Nursing Home Care for Veterans in Oklahoma
The State of Oklahoma operates Veterans Centers in locations including:
- Talihina
- Norman
- Lawton
- Clinton
- Claremore
- Ardmore
- Salisaw
To qualify for admission, you must be an Oklahoma veteran “certified by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs for receipt of per diem payment.” Vets must have served one day of active duty and must have served for at least 90 days.
There must be a medical justification for admission, such as a need for skilled nursing care. Spouses and surviving spouses can be admitted but are prioritized below veterans. Care options may vary by facility.
Burial Benefits For Veterans In Oklahoma
Unlike many states, the State of Oklahoma did not have a state veteran cemetery until 2022 when the Seaman First Class Billy Turner Veterans Cemetery was dedicated in Ardmore. No information about admissions policies or other requirements is available at press time.
Contact the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs to learn more about the requirements to be buried or interred here. There are two VA National Cemeteries in the state, one in Fort Gibson, and the other in Elgin.
Employment Benefits for Veterans in Oklahoma
The State of Oklahoma offers hiring preference to veterans. This preference is for competitive and noncompetitive opportunities. According to the official site, five points “shall be added to the final grade for those who have passed the examination” for those who qualify as veterans, spouses, and surviving spouses.
Furthermore, “Ten points shall be added to the final grade for any war veteran who has passed the examination” and has a service-connected disability. Those who are VA-rated as 30% disabled or more may be eligible as “Absolute Preference Veterans” who are put at the top of the hiring list and “ranked in the order of their examination scores.”
Other Oklahoma Benefits For Veterans
Oklahoma Income Tax
The first $1,500 from qualifying military pay may be exempt as taxable income. The Oklahoma Tax Commission also provides an extension “to any member of the US Armed Forces when filing taxes is impractical.”
Oklahoma Sales Tax Exemption
Oklahoma state law provides a sales tax on property or services to qualifying disabled veterans. Oklahoma state residency is required, as is proof of a VA disability rating of 100%.
Oklahoma Military Retirement Pay Tax Exemption
Those who receive retirement benefits “from any component of the US Armed Forces” will be exempt from taxable income” not to exceed the greater of 75% of such benefits or $10,000.”
Oklahoma Veteran Property Tax Exemption
Qualifying disabled and injured veterans may qualify for a full exemption of the cash value of a primary residence for property tax purposes. To qualify you must be honorably discharged from the US Armed Forces, be an Oklahoma resident, and have a 100% service-connected permanent disability certified by the US Department of Veterans Affairs.
Oklahoma Cross of Valor
Residents of Oklahoma with military service during World War II, Korea, Vietnam, or any period “in which the United States participated in a war, campaign or battle”, who were listed as POWs may qualify to receive the Oklahoma Cross of Valor.
For more information regarding Oklahoma veterans’ benefits, please visit the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs
RELATED:
- State Veterans’ Benefits – By State
- Oklahoma BAH Rates
- Yellow Ribbon Schools
- Choice Act: In-State Tuition Benefits For Veterans
About the author
Lori Waddell serves as Co-director of an emergency response COAD in Montana, a freelance writer, and an Air Force Key Spouse. She is passionate about empowering communities and individuals through knowledge and resources. She currently lives in Montana with her husband and two children.