This Veterans Day, our focus is how to ensure that the veterans in our local community have the support they need. What many do not realize, though, is just how many VA grants are available right now. For example, did you know that military veterans can get financial aid from the Department of Veterans Affairs to buy a new or used car or truck? It is just one example of the many grant opportunities offered to former military members that most people are not aware of, including veterans themselves.
VA grants are particularly geared toward helping disabled vets, which is defined as any former service member who sustained a lasting disability from an injury or disease acquired or worsened during their service. This includes mental health disabilities, like post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
In the case of the automobile grant, eligibility includes the permanent loss, or loss of use, of one or both feet, one or both hands, significant vision impairment or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as ALS. The grant would be directly payable to the vehicle seller for purchases up to $20,577 or the total cost of the vehicle, whichever is less. Funding for special needs vehicle modifications is also available.
The VA takes its grant-making responsibilities very seriously. Its stated mission is to fulfill President Abraham Lincoln’s promise, “To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan.”
If you are a military veteran or helping a military veteran this Veterans Day, consider exploring the wide variety VA-funded grant opportunities and apply today. VA grants are often awarded to intermediary agencies and organizations that are tasked with delivering grant benefits to individual veterans. Navigating the maze of opportunities is usually what holds people up, not the lack of opportunity. For reference, here are a few grant programs you might not know about:
Adaptive Sports Program
This is a grant opportunity that provides funding for sports programs for disabled veterans.
Grant and Per Diem Program
This is designed to help homeless vets obtain housing and support services, such as counseling and crisis intervention.
Rural Veterans Coordination Pilot
This program is intended to support veterans and their families who live in underserved rural areas of the country. Grant funds are awarded for the purpose of providing financial assistance to those who are returning to civilian life.
Headstones and Grave Marker Grants
This helps honor the service of veterans by helping pay for memorials at their graves and those of their eligible family members.
We encourage you to learn more about all the ways you can help veterans this Veterans Day, and every day of the year. The more we can do to give back as a community, the better. If you have a question or need an attorney right here in our local community to support you, do not wait to contact us 24 hours a day.