State veteran benefits

Veteran Benefits in Michigan

Michigan exempts qualifying disabled veterans’ homesteads and military retirement income from state taxation. Major programs also include tuition assistance for children and Guard families, state veterans homes, recreation benefits, civil service preference, and emergency grants.

Checked against official state sources on October 3, 2026.

Free help in Michigan

Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency

Coordinates support, care, advocacy, and services for veterans and their families.

Agency website (opens in a new tab) · Phone: 1-800-642-4838

Free help with VA claims

Use MVAA’s county directory to choose a Veteran Service Officer or VA Benefits Counselor, regardless of organizational affiliation. VA-recognized VSOs and their accredited representatives provide VA claims services free of charge.

Find a local office (opens in a new tab)

Not sure what applies to you?

Answer seven questions and the Benefits Finder builds a checklist of federal and state benefits, deadlines and free help.

Open the Benefits Finder

Property tax relief

Disabled veterans homestead exemption

Who qualifies
Michigan-resident veterans discharged under honorable conditions who own and use the property as their homestead and meet one VA criterion: permanent and total service-connected disability with benefits at the 100% rate, assistance for specially adapted housing, or individual unemployability. An unremarried surviving spouse qualifies if the veteran was eligible immediately before death. A veteran must hold title alone or jointly with the veteran’s spouse. A surviving spouse must hold title alone.
What you get
Exempts qualifying homestead property from property taxes. Partial-year ownership or use is prorated. Exemptions for taxes levied on or after January 1, 2025 continue without annual reapplication until rescinded or denied by the assessor.
How to apply
Apply to the local assessing officer after January 1 and before December 31 of the year claimed. Provide the required facts and property description. If newly purchased, provide closing or other purchase documents to establish proration.

Official page (opens in a new tab) MCL 211.7b and 211.7c

Sources (1)

State income tax

Military retirement pay: Exempt

Military retirement income subtraction

Who qualifies
Recipients of retirement or pension benefits for service in the U.S. Armed Forces or Michigan National Guard.
What you get
Qualifying military and Michigan National Guard retirement benefits are fully deductible from Michigan taxable income to the extent included in federal adjusted gross income.
How to apply
Deduct qualifying benefits included in adjusted gross income. Report military retirement benefits on Schedule W even if no Michigan tax was withheld.

Official page (opens in a new tab) MCL 206.30(1)(e)

Sources (2)

Education and tuition

Children of Veterans Tuition Grant

Who qualifies
Natural or adopted children of qualifying Michigan veterans, age 17 through 25 at the start of the enrollment period. Qualifying parents died in wartime service, died or became totally and permanently disabled from service-connected causes, died after such a VA disability determination, or are officially missing in action abroad. The parent must have been a Michigan resident before service without later living elsewhere for more than two years, or established Michigan residency after entering service. Students must have lived continuously in Michigan for 12 months before applying, meet citizenship or eligible-status rules, enroll at least half time as undergraduates at a participating Michigan public or nonprofit private college, maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.25 and satisfactory academic progress, file FAFSA, satisfy federal loan and grant-refund rules, and have no disqualifying assault, injury, or death felony conviction. The administrative rules also bar current incarceration.
What you get
For 2026 to 2027, full-time grants are up to $2,800 per academic year, limited to eligible tuition and available funding. Part-time awards vary with enrollment. Benefits end after four academic years, a total of $11,200, or reaching age 26, whichever applies first.
How to apply
Apply through the MiSSG Student Portal. The published 2026 to 2027 application deadline is June 30, 2027.

Official page (opens in a new tab) MCL 390.1341 to 390.1346; R 390.1901 to R 390.1908

Sources (5)

Michigan National Guard State Tuition Assistance Program

Who qualifies
Eligible active Michigan National Guard members who are not AWOL or facing applicable military-justice charges and meet the Adjutant General’s additional requirements. Approved family use can include a lawfully married spouse and a dependent child, stepchild, or adopted child who has completed high school or its equivalent or reached age 18, and uses the assistance before age 26. Eligible study is at a Michigan public or private college or approved training institution.
What you get
Current posted limits for 2026 are up to $14,400 for an associate or bachelor’s degree and $6,000 for certificate or master’s study in an academic year. Tuition includes course-related fees, but not books or study materials. Funding and first-degree rules apply.
How to apply
Use the current MINGSTAP application link. State law allows application before enrollment or a request for tuition already paid in the current academic year. Provide evidence of course completion. The currently linked FAQ requires a 2.0 grade for undergraduate work or 3.0 for graduate work on a 4.0 scale.

Official page (opens in a new tab) MCL 32.431 to 32.434

Sources (4)

State jobs and hiring preference

State classified-service veterans’ preference

Who qualifies
Applicants must meet job qualifications. Veterans generally need at least 90 days of active duty and an honorable discharge. Certain service members within six months of separation can prequalify with proof of a likely honorable discharge. Disabled veterans, qualifying spouses, and surviving spouses receive the categories of preference specified in rule 3-8.
What you get
Written exams add five points for a veteran or surviving spouse. Ten points apply to a disabled veteran, a spouse of a veteran with greater than 50% service-connected disability, or a surviving spouse with a child under 18 or continuing care of a disabled child. Numerical preliminary screening adds five or ten percent of the highest attained screening score for the corresponding categories. Qualified preference applicants must be kept in the candidate pool during mechanical or random screening.
How to apply
Register with the Michigan Civil Service Commission in the state’s job portal before applying for an open position.

Official page (opens in a new tab) Michigan Civil Service Commission rule 3-8

Sources (2)

Licenses, plates and parks

Free hunting and fishing licenses for disabled veterans

Who qualifies
Michigan residents whom VA has found permanently and totally disabled from military service and entitled to benefits at the 100% rate for a disability other than blindness, or whom VA has rated individually unemployable.
What you get
Provides resident hunting and fishing licenses that do not require a lottery without charge.
How to apply
Present proof of eligibility when required, and carry it while hunting or taking aquatic species.

Official page (opens in a new tab) MCL 324.43537

Sources (1)

Recreation Passport exemption

Who qualifies
Vehicles registered with Michigan Disabled Veteran, Ex-POW, or Medal of Honor plates.
What you get
A Recreation Passport is not required for the qualifying vehicle.
How to apply
Use the vehicle registered with the qualifying Michigan specialty plate.

Official page (opens in a new tab)

Sources (1)

Veteran designation on a license or state ID

Who qualifies
U.S. Armed Forces veterans with an honorable or general discharge under honorable conditions.
What you get
Prints a veteran designation on a Michigan driver’s license or state ID.
How to apply
Complete and mail the designation application with veteran documentation, such as your DD-214.

Official page (opens in a new tab)

Sources (3)

Emergency financial help

Michigan Veterans Trust Fund emergency grants

Who qualifies
Qualifying Michigan veterans and eligible dependents facing a temporary financial emergency that a grant can resolve, with ability to meet future expenses. The main statutory pathway requires honorable discharge and at least 180 days of wartime active service, with an exception for line-of-duty disability separation. A separate program includes peacetime veterans age 65 and older and their surviving spouses, with at least 180 days of service and discharge under honorable conditions.
What you get
Discretionary emergency grants to address an unforeseen, short-term financial hardship.
How to apply
Request an application through the Michigan Veteran Resource Service Center or the county contacts in the linked grant directory.

Official page (opens in a new tab) MCL 35.602 to 35.610; MVTF board policies

Sources (6)

State veterans homes

Before you apply

This page summarizes state law and agency guidance as checked on October 3, 2026. It is general information, not legal or tax advice. Eligibility depends on your records, and laws change, so confirm the details on the official page linked with each benefit, or ask a free accredited representative. This page covers the main state programs. Your county veterans service officer can tell you about smaller or local benefits.

Federal VA benefits apply in every state. See the Veteran Resource Directory and the Benefits Finder.