Maine State Veterans Benefits
CCK Law: Our Vital Role in Veterans Law
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Maine has a veteran population of around 105,000, which is almost 8 percent of the total population of the state. To support this population of veterans, the Bureau of Maine Veterans’ Services and other Maine organizations provide several substantial benefits, including tax exemptions, educational tuition waivers, employment support, and more.
If you are a Maine veteran looking to learn about the benefits available in your state, this article will provide you with a general overview of these benefits, as well as where you can go to learn more about them.
Key points of this article include:
- There are several housing and financial benefits available to Maine veterans, including tax exemptions on military pay as well as property tax reductions and even discounts on home mortgages.
- Maine offers college tuition waivers for the spouses and dependents of disabled veterans, allowing their families to attend state schools at much less cost. Notably, Maine also offers in-state college tuition rates to qualifying nonresident veterans.
- There are several employment benefits Maine provides to eligible veterans, including a guaranteed interview for any state job for which a veteran applies to and is qualified for. Additionally, Maine provides expansive programs to offer veterans career guidance and accelerated state licensing.
What Maine Veterans Benefits Are Available for Housing?
The state of Maine offers several significant housing benefits to resident veterans, including property tax reductions, discounts on mortgages, and homes dedicated to caring for elderly or disabled veterans.
Maine Veterans’ Homes
There are six veterans homes within Maine, each offering a variety of services ranging from long-term care, residential care, and memory care to rehabilitation and therapy services. These homes are located in:
Property Tax Reduction
Maine offers property tax exemptions for qualifying veterans who reside in the state. To qualify, veterans need to meet one of the following two criteria:
- They must have served during wartime, received an other-than-dishonorable discharge, and be 62 years old or older; OR
- They must be receiving 100 percent disability compensation from VA, or have become 100 percent disabled while serving.
If a Maine veteran meets either one of the above criteria, then they or their unremarried surviving spouse can receive a $6,000 reduction in the assessed value of their home, which can be a valuable benefit when it comes to tax purposes.
On the other hand, if a Maine resident veteran is paraplegic, then they and their spouse may be eligible to receive a $50,000 reduction in their home’s assessed value for tax purposes.
Discount on Veteran Mortgages
For active-duty service members, veterans, and military retirees, the Maine State Housing Authority also offers a 0.5 percent discount on home mortgages through the Salute Home Again program.
This program offers discounted mortgages for most types of homes, including single-family homes, condominiums, mobile homes, and certain types of apartment buildings, with little to no down payment. However, there may be limitations depending on household income, the location of the home, and more.
Homeless Veterans Coordination Team
The Homeless Veterans Coordination Team is a program created by Maine’s Bureau of Veterans’ Services to reduce the rate of homelessness among the population of veterans in the state. The team accomplishes this by working alongside partnering agencies to:
- Offer direct support and guidance to veterans facing homelessness
- Provide transitional housing for homeless veterans
- Help veterans coordinate financial aid through programs like the Veterans’ Emergency Financial Assistance Program (VEFAP)
To contact Maine’s Homeless Veterans Coordination Team, call 207-287-7019 or email them at [email protected]
What State Financial Benefits Are Available to Maine Veterans?
Maine offers several substantial financial benefits to resident veterans, including tax exemptions and dedicated financial assistance programs.
Income Tax Exemptions for Maine Veterans
Many forms of military pay are exempt from state income tax in Maine. Some of the types of pay exempt from Maine taxes include:
- Military pay received by a Maine resident service member serving active duty while stationed outside of Maine.
- Military retired pay received by state residents.
- Military disability retirement pay received as a pension, annuity, or similar form for personal injury or sickness a veteran incurred while in active service.
- Disability and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for survivors of veterans who died in the line of duty or as a result of a service-connected disability.
- Military pay received while serving in a combat zone.
- Pay earned by eligible nonresident military spouses working in Maine.
Veterans’ Emergency Financial Assistance Program (VEFAP)
The Veterans’ Emergency Financial Assistance Program, or VEFAP, is a governmental program offered by the state of Maine to provide monetary aid for resident veterans facing unexpected financial hardships. Some of the situations that qualify a veteran to apply for VEFAP include:
- Damage to the home due to fire, flood, or hurricane that is not fully compensable by insurance;
- Illness or the illness of an immediate family member;
- Hardship that would result in the veteran becoming homeless;
- Experiencing hardship and has filed a valid VA pension and is awaiting a decision.
Maine Veterans’ Dental Network (MVDN)
The Maine Veterans’ Dental Network (MVDN) is a program intended to provide dental care for resident veterans who would not otherwise be able to afford it. Created through a partnership between the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services and Northeast Delta Dental, this program is offered on a first-come, first-served basis, and provides procedures like:
- Preventative procedures
- Diagnostic procedures
- Restorative and major restorative procedures
- Oral surgery
Veterans can apply for MVDN through this form on the Maine state government website.
What Maine Veterans Benefits Are Available for Education?
Maine provides several prominent educational benefits to resident veterans and their dependents, including tuition assistance for postsecondary education and programs to convert military training into college credits.
Maine Veterans Dependents Educational Benefits Program (VDEB)
Maine’s Veterans Dependents Educational Benefits Program (VDEB) provides a complete waiver on all tuition and fees so that the spouses and dependents of qualifying veterans can afford postsecondary education. Through this program, eligible dependents can attend any school in the University of Maine System, Maine Community Colleges, or Maine Maritime Academy free of charge.
To qualify for VDEB, a veteran must meet one of the following criteria:
- Possess a 100 percent disability rating from a service-connected disability
- Have died from a service-connected disability
- Have been killed in action
- At the time of death, the veteran was totally and permanently disabled due to a service-connected disability, but whose death was not related to that disability
- Is an active duty service member listed for more than 90 days as missing in action or captured, forcibly detained, or interned in the line of duty by a foreign government or power
Maine National Guard Tuition Waiver
Another educational benefit offered by Maine is a 100 percent tuition waiver for qualifying members of the National Guard to attend state-run postsecondary educational institutions.
Under this law passed by the Maine state government, service members in the National Guard are entitled to a total waiver of tuition costs to attend schools in the University of Maine System, the Maine Maritime Academy, the Maine Community College System, or any other university system established as “a public instrumentality of the state”.
Eligibility requirements for service members of the National Guard include:
- Be enrolled full-time or part-time at a state postsecondary education institution, or must apply for and receive admission to a state postsecondary education institution;
- Be a satisfactory participant in the Maine National Guard and be a member in good standing of the Maine National Guard at the beginning of and throughout the entire semester for which the member receives benefits;
- Enter into a written contractual commitment with the Maine National Guard to serve in the Maine National Guard for at least one year beyond the end of the term for which a tuition benefit is granted;
- Have first used any tuition benefits and other federally funded military tuition assistance, or any employer tuition reimbursement available after September 11, 2001. Benefits available after September 11, 2001, for education housing, allowance, and other nontuition benefits must be excluded from consideration when determining eligibility for a tuition waiver under this subchapter.
This tuition waiver may be claimed for five separate academic years or 130 semester hours.
In-State Tuition Rates for Nonresident Veterans and Dependents
Regardless of their state of residence, the University of Maine System offers in-state tuition rates to all current or former military service members, as well as dependents eligible for GI Bill benefits.
Essentially, this policy allows for veterans, active-duty service members, and their dependents to obtain postsecondary education at any University of Maine school at tuition rates equivalent to those of Maine residents, potentially saving them tens of thousands of dollars.
To qualify for this benefit, veterans must be a current member of the U.S. Armed forces or have received an honorable discharge for their service.
College Credit for Military Training
Credit for Prior Learning is a program offered through the University of Maine System and Maine’s Community Colleges to help veterans earn credits toward degree requirements. Also called the Prior Learning Assessment or PLA, this program allows veterans to earn college credits for the education and training they received as part of their service in the military.
To apply for PLA, veterans of the Air Force must submit official transcripts from the Community College of the Air Force. Veterans of all other branches need only submit copies of their Joint Services Transcripts.
Veterans Upward Bound of Maine
Veterans Upward Bound (VUB) of Maine is a federally funded program designed to offer academic assistance to veterans looking to pursue higher education or training. Through this program, veterans can gain individualized guidance and benefits to help them apply to the Maine school or certificate program of their choice.
The guidance offered by this program provides veterans with information on:
- Exploring their career interests and options
- Applying to their favored school or training program
- Understanding their options when it comes to paying for school
In addition, VUB also provides free academic refresher courses intended to prepare veterans for their first day of class and help them feel confident in re-entering the educational system.
What Maine Veterans Benefits Are Available for Employment?
In addition to educational benefits, Maine also offers employment benefits to help resident veterans and their families earn substantially gainful employment in the state.
Veteran Hiring Preference for State Jobs
Per Maine law, qualified veterans who apply for positions within the Maine state government will automatically be offered job interviews for those positions. This hiring preference is meant to encourage veterans seeking employment with the state of Maine after exiting military service.
Notably, this benefit extends to Gold Star spouses of veterans, as well, who are offered the same automatic job interview for state positions they apply to and meet the minimum qualifications for.
Even if a veteran is not hired for a state job, it is the obligation of Maine’s Bureau of Human Resources to offer guidance on other open positions that the veteran may be interested in or qualified for.
Career Guidance for Maine Veterans
Besides hiring preferences, there are several organizations within Maine’s state government dedicated to providing crucial career counseling to veterans and qualifying spouses. These include:
- Maine CareerCenters Veterans Services – Maine CareerCenters offers eligible veterans and spouses access to a Veterans Representative, a professional who can help them find a job, obtain new skills, and receive training on resume writing, conducting job interviews, and more.
- Veterans’ Services Offices – The Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services also offers veterans access to Veterans’ Services Offices, or VSOs. These offices can help veterans and their families navigate the state employment resources they are entitled to, including available job opportunities and benefits under the GI Bill.
Accelerated State Licensing for Veterans
Maine’s Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation (OPOR) provides several potential avenues by which active and retired military service members can earn a professional license in the state of Maine. Some of these avenues include:
- Application processing priority – For veterans and Gold Star spouses seeking a permanent or temporary professional license in Maine, OPOR provides priority processing to their license applications, so they can potentially gain their license much faster than non-veteran applicants.
- Converting military training to license eligibility – Veterans with specialized military training may submit evidence of their experience and skill level, which could be taken into account when being judged for licensure.
- Temporary Maine Licenses – Active or recently separated service members—along with their spouses—may qualify for Temporary Maine Licenses to tide them over while they apply for permanent professional licenses in the state.
In addition, Maine veterans seeking a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) may be able to apply for the federal Military Skills Test Waiver. This waiver allows eligible veterans to skip the skills test necessary to earn a CDL. However, they will likely still need to complete the knowledge test portion of the licensing process.
What Maine Veterans Benefits Are Available for Recreation?
Maine offers various recreational benefits to veterans looking to take advantage of the state’s parks and natural beauty.
Maine Park and Recreation Passes for Veterans
A few of the recreational benefits available to Maine veterans involve free or discounted admission to parks, camping grounds, and other sites. These Maine veterans benefits include:
- Free Lifetime Veteran State Park and Museum Pass – Maine veterans who received an honorable discharge from service can apply for a lifetime park pass from the state. This pass is valid for the lifetime of the holder and permits free admission into state parks, historic sites, and museums.
- Day Use Park Pass for Active Military Personnel – Active duty military personnel whose home of residence is in Maine may qualify for a day use park pass from the state. This pass is valid for a full calendar year and provides the service member and accompanying spouse and children free access to state parks and historic sites.
- Free Family Camping for Disabled Veterans – Veterans rated as 100 percent disabled by VA are exempt from reservation and camping fees at Maine State Parks and Public Lands. This rule extends to a qualifying veteran’s spouse and unmarried children, as well. However, the disabled veteran must be present for the duration of the trip, and state rules dictate that no more than six campers can be present on a family site at once for the exemption to apply.
Hunting and Fishing Licenses and Permits for Maine Veterans
In addition to free park and camping access, Maine also offers several elevated hunting and fishing privileges to resident veterans rated as 50 percent or more disabled by VA. These licenses and permits include:
- Complimentary Licenses for Disabled Veterans – Eligible veterans may qualify for complimentary Maine fishing, hunting, and trapping licenses provided by the state. This is available to Maine residents as well as residents of states with reciprocal license agreements.
- Noncommercial Lobster, Crab, & Scallop Licenses – Disabled veterans who were honorably discharged for their service may qualify for two separate fishing licenses. The first is a Noncommercial Lobster & Crab license, while the second is a Noncommercial Scallop license.
- Maine Disabled Veterans’ Controlled Moose Hunt – This five-week-long annual hunt provides moose hunting permits, guides, lodging, and meals to qualifying Maine veterans, free of charge. Additionally, if a permit holder cannot attend the annual hunt, they can donate their permit to a qualifying disabled veteran.
What Maine Veterans Benefits Are Available for Burial and Honors?
For Maine veterans who have passed on, the state offers several programs to help honor their service and provide them and their family members with a place to rest. These Maine veterans benefits for burial include:
- Interment at State Veterans’ Cemeteries – Qualifying Maine veterans are allowed interment at one of Maine’s several veterans’ cemeteries. These cemeteries provide and set government headstones or markers for veterans, their spouses, and dependent children at no cost. There are four such cemeteries throughout the state: two in Augusta, one in Caribou, and one in Springvale.
- State Burial Honors – Veterans who received an honorable discharge from service are entitled to military burial honors provided by the Maine Military Funerals Honors Team. To request such honors, families of deceased veterans should contact their funeral director and have them contact the corresponding Casualty Assistance Center (CAC) for the veteran’s branch of service.
- Admission to Gold Star Honor Roll – For resident veterans who were killed in action or died while on active duty, the state of Maine will add their names to the Gold Star Honor Roll. This is intended to enshrine their sacrifice in state records and honor them perpetually.
In addition to these honors, Maine also has a dedicated Veterans’ Recognition Program. This program hosts ceremonies dedicated to recognizing the sacrifices that Maine veterans have made, even providing medals, coins, certificates, and other awards to honor the veterans of particular wars.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Maine veterans get property tax exemptions?
Yes, they do. Qualifying Maine veterans can receive a $6,000 reduction in the assessed value of their home, a property tax exemption that can be quite substantial.
Paraplegic veterans, on the other hand, receive an even higher exemption, with Maine offering them a $50,000 reduction in their home’s assessed value for tax purposes.
Which Maine veterans qualify for dental assistance?
To qualify for dental assistance via the Maine Veterans’ Dental Network (MVDN), veterans need to meet the following criteria:
- Be a Maine resident.
- Not 100% service-connected to the VA (meaning they do not already receive dental care through Togus or the Bangor or Portland Community-Based Outpatient Clinics).
- Cannot afford and/or does not have dental insurance of any kind.
- Cannot afford to pay for dental care out of pocket.
- For National Guard Only – Served on Active Duty (other than for training).
- Submit a DD-214 that shows an Honorable or General Under Honorable conditions discharge.
- Maine Veterans’ Dental Network application
Do disabled veterans get free hunting licenses in Maine?
Yes, they can. Veterans rated as 50 percent disabled or more by VA can qualify for complimentary hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses from the state of Maine.
Notably, these licenses are available both to Maine veterans and to veterans of other states that have reciprocal agreements with Maine, including Vermont, New Hampshire, and Texas.
Need Assistance Earning Your Benefits? Contact CCK Law
If you are a Maine veteran who was denied disability compensation by VA, then the team of representatives at Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick may be able to help. Our VA-accredited attorneys have secured favorable outcomes for 99 percent of our previous clients before VA and 91 percent of our clients who have gone before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC). While we cannot legally promise specific results, our experience and resources can improve your chances of getting the benefits you have earned by law.
Call CCK Law today at (800) 544-9144 or contact us online to discuss your case.
