MISSISSIPPI STATE VETERAN BENEFITS
We endeavor to keep this information current, but it is subject to change without notice.
MISSISSIPPI EDUCATION BENEFITS
In-State Tuition Benefits
Veterans and their qualifying dependents under Title 38 qualify to pay in-state tuition fees even if they are not residents of the Magnolia State.
Education Benefits for Children of POWs and MIAs
Children of those officially reported as missing in action or prisoners of war may be eligible for free tuition for eight semesters at a state-funded school. The scholarship will not pay for books, food, school supplies or dues and fees for activities.
Wartime Veterans High School Diploma Program
By law, local school boards may offer honorary high school diplomas to veterans of World War II, the Korean Conflict, and Vietnam if those wartime veterans did not complete high school before enlisting. Family members may apply to have a diploma awarded posthumously.
This program aims at those who are Mississippi residents who would have graduated between 1941 and 1955, OR between 1963 and 1973 and were awarded the Vietnam Service Ribbon.
MISSISSIPPI EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS
Qualified veterans receive hiring preference when applying for state jobs. Disabled veterans receive 10 points; non-disabled, qualifying veterans receive 5 extra points added to their application scores.
MISSISSIPPI VETERAN FINANCIAL BENEFITS
Income Tax
The Magnolia State does not tax military retirement pay.
Ad Valorem Tax
Honorably-discharged veterans who are 100% disabled with a service-connected disability are exempt from Ad Valorem taxes on the assessed value of their home. Surviving spouses who remain unmarried are also eligible for this benefit.
Mississippi Veterans’ Home Purchase Board
The Veterans Home Purchase Board exists to help eligible veterans or their surviving spouses who have not remarried to build or purchase a single-family home. They offer low interest mortgage loans but there are eligibility criteria that must be met, such as:
- Being a Mississippi resident when the veteran entered the service OR
- Be a resident for 2 consecutive years at time of loan application
- Veteran must have a VA Certificate of Eligibility, AND
- Be honorably discharged from military duties
If a military service member passes due to military service or service-connected disabilities, his or her unmarried surviving spouse may qualify for a low-interest loan. Same is true for a spouse of any eligible veteran, as long as he or she remains unmarried and has not purchased a home since the veteran passed.
MISSISSIPPI VETERAN RECREATION BENEFITS
Hunting and Fishing Licenses
Resident veterans who received a 100% permanent and total rating from the VA for their service-connected disabilities do not need to purchase a license from Mississippi in order to hunt or fish. However, they are required to carry proof of age, residency and disability status when they exercise their hunting and fishing rights in Mississippi.
Concealed Weapon Permit Fee Exemption
Resident veterans who have a service-connected disability are exempt from paying state concealed weapon permit fees, including renewal fees, but some eligibility criteria apply. In general, a veteran must be a Mississippi resident for at least 12 months before making application. However, Mississippi will honor applicants and waive the residency requirement if:
- Veteran establishing residency holds a valid permit from another state
- Applicant is on active duty, stationed in Mississippi
- Applicant is a retired law enforcement officer who is establishing residency
MISSISSIPPI STATE VETERANS HOMES
Mississippi operates four state veterans’ homes in Collins, Jackson, Kosciusko, and Oxford. Mississippi veterans with ‘other-than-dishonorable’ discharges, and their spouses, may apply. The state will also consider admitting qualified veterans who are not residents, if a bed is available.
They offer housing to certain veterans without charge. For example, veterans with a disability rating of 70% or more, and those deemed by the VA to be 100% unemployable may qualify for free housing and care. Some indigent veterans may be able to receive financial assistance for admittance and care as well.
VETERANS CEMETERIES
Mississippi operates two veterans’ cemeteries, located in Newton and in Kilmichael. Standard eligibility rules for national burial apply. Eligible veterans may be interred for free. Qualifying spouses and eligible dependent children pay a small fee.
You can find more information regarding these benefits and other programs at the Mississippi VA website.
