New York State Veterans Benefits Guide (2026): Housing, Taxes, Education, and More
CCK Law: Our Vital Role in Veterans Law
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), there are over 600,000 veterans living in the state of New York. To help support these veterans, New York’s Department of Veterans’ Services offers a variety of substantial veterans benefits, including tax reductions, scholarships, and more.
If you are a New York veteran looking to better understand the benefits offered by your state, this article will provide a starting point for your research into those benefits. Please note that this article is updated as of 2026, but state programs are subject to frequent change.
Key points of this article include:
- New York state offers both income tax exemptions and property tax exemptions to qualifying veterans. One exemption taking effect in 2026 even provides veterans with a 100 percent property tax reduction, should they have received a 100 percent disability rating from VA.
- Eligible veterans and dependents of New York may also qualify for various educational benefits, including scholarships that help pay for university tuition and fees.
- Former service members looking to begin careers in New York may also take advantage of several employment benefits offered by the state, including career counseling and hiring preferences for certain jobs.
What New York State Veterans Benefits Are Available for Housing?
New York offers several housing-related benefits for eligible veterans, including long-term care facilities, property tax exemptions, and housing assistance programs.
New York State Veterans Homes
New York operates or authorizes five state veterans homes, which provide services like skilled nursing care, assistance with daily living, and social and wellness programs to aging or sick veterans. These homes are located in:
Eligibility requirements and application processes may vary by facility. Veterans should reach out to the Admissions Department of the home they are interested in to learn more about whether they qualify.
Notably, the Long Island State Veterans Home is partially affiliated with Stony Brook University, and therefore does not appear on the New York State Veterans Homes webpage.
New York State Property Tax Exemptions for Veterans
New York offers several property tax exemption programs that may reduce the taxable value of a veteran’s primary residence:
- Alternative Veterans’ Exemption – This exemption provides a 15 percent reduction in assessed value of a property for veterans who served during a period of war, with an additional 10 percent reduction for veterans who served in a combat zone. Disabled veterans can also get reductions equal to one half of their disability rating percentage.
- Cold War Veterans’ Exemption – This exemption provides either a 10 or 15 percent reduction in the assessed value of a property for veterans who served between September 2, 1945, and December 26, 1991. Disabled veterans can receive additional reductions.
- Eligible Funds Exemption – This exemption reduces the assessed value of a property that a veteran purchased with eligible funds, which include pension funds, bonus funds, POW compensation, and more. Typically, the reduction is capped at $7,500.
In addition, New York enacted legislation establishing a 100 percent property tax exemption for veterans who are rated 100 percent disabled by VA. This new exemption is likely to take effect in 2026 but must first be adopted by municipalities in the state before it can apply to veterans’ property taxes.
Veterans should also note that these exemptions are not applied automatically. Instead, veterans must fill out applications to take advantage of these exemptions. In most communities, the deadline to submit such an application is March 1, though veterans should confirm this with their local tax assessor to make sure.
Homes for Veterans Program
Run through the State of New York Mortgage Agency (SONYMA), the Homes for Veterans Program offers several benefits to eligible veterans looking to purchase homes in the state. These include:
- Down payment assistance up to the greater of $3,000 or 3 percent of the price of the home (though not to exceed $15,000).
- For loans with down payment assistance, interest rates are 0.375 percent lower than standard SONYMA interest rates.
- The veteran as well as their spouse or co-borrower need not be first-time home buyers.
What Financial Benefits Are Available to New York State Veterans?
New York provides several state-level financial benefits, primarily through income tax exemptions and targeted assistance programs.
New York State Income Tax Exemptions for Veterans
Under New York law, the following forms of income are generally exempt from New York State income tax:
- VA disability compensation
- Military retirement pay
- Military disability retirement pay
- Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)
Additionally:
- Combat zone pay is exempt from New York State, New York City, and Yonkers income taxes to the extent it is excluded from federal income.
- Members of the New York National Guard who are called to state or federal active duty, excluding training, may subtract their military pay from their New York adjusted gross income.
Besides the above, it is important to note that active-duty military pay is generally taxable per New York law. Exceptions to this rule can apply if the service member meets certain qualifications that mark them as a nonresident of the state, however.
Gold Star Families Annuity Program
The Gold Star Families Annuity Program provides financial support to the families of New York veterans who lost their lives as a result of their military service. This support takes the form of a pair of semi-annual payments paid in March and September, which increase every year based on the federal cost-of-living adjustment (COLA).
Altogether, this program is intended to recognize the sacrifice of service members and assist their surviving family members. Eligibility for the annuity depends on the circumstances of the service member’s death and the applicant’s relationship to them.
Transportation-Related Financial Benefits
New York also offers transportation-related financial benefits for certain veterans, including:
- Vehicle registration fee exemptions for eligible disabled veterans.
- Free E-ZPass travel for certain disabled veterans traveling on the New York State Thruway.
What New York State Veterans Benefits Are Available for Education?
New York provides a robust set of education benefits for veterans, National Guard members, and eligible dependents.
New York State Veterans Scholarships and Tuition Awards
New York offers several major state scholarships for either veterans, their dependents, or both. These include:
- MERIT Scholarship – This scholarship is intended for veterans and the dependents of veterans who were killed or disabled over the course of their military service. It pays for the cost of attendance at universities in the SUNY or CUNY systems.
- Regents Awards for Children of Deceased and Disabled Veterans – This scholarship is designed for the children of military service members who served during times of war or national emergency and were killed, disabled, captured, or declared MIA as a result. It provides a $450/year scholarship for qualifying students.
- Veterans Tuition Award – This scholarship is granted to veterans with four years of active-duty service or who served during particular periods of conflict. It pays up to four years of tuition for veterans attending a university for a graduate or undergraduate degree, or two years of training in a vocational program.
- Recruitment Incentive and Retention Program (RIRP) – The RIRP is a tuition assistance program provided to eligible members of the NY National Guard or Naval Militia. It covers tuition payments for certain courses of study at approved state universities so that eligible service members can earn degrees while serving.
Operation Recognition – High School Diplomas for Veterans
Operation Recognition is a program run by the New York Department of Education that provides high school diplomas to qualifying veterans who left high school before graduation.
This program is designed to recognize veterans for their service, as well as the skills and training they might have received over the course of their time in the military. To qualify, veterans must be New York state residents who earned a satisfactory discharge for their service.
Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3)
New York participates in the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3), which helps address educational challenges faced by children of military families when they move between states.
Some of the benefits provided by MIC3 to children of military families include:
- Facilitating the transfer of course records between schools
- Helping ensure correct course placement for a student, as well as waiving unnecessary graduation requirements so they can graduate on time
- Working with school districts to grant students access to extracurricular activities
- And more
What New York State Veterans Benefits Are Available for Employment?
New York offers several employment-related benefits designed to support resident veterans in entering or reentering the civilian workforce.
New York Department of Labor Veterans’ Services
The New York Department of Labor operates specialized programs to offer career counseling and other employment services to veterans who are residents of the state. Some of the benefits veterans can take advantage of include:
- Priority service when it comes to jobs or job training for which the veteran is qualified.
- Access to Local Veterans’ Employment Representatives (LVERs), who advocate for veterans among local businesses and organizations to help them obtain employment or training opportunities.
- Access to Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program Specialists (DVOPS), who focus on providing career guidance and aid to veterans who are disabled or face some other major barrier to employment.
- And more.
Experience Counts Program
The Experience Counts program allows veterans to apply military training and experience toward college credits and civilian occupational licenses and certifications, helping reduce barriers to professional employment.
Some of the certifications veterans may qualify for through their military training include:
- Advanced Emergency Medical
- Armed Security Guard
- Home Nurse Aide
- Licensed Radiological Technologist
- Crane Operator
- And more
New York State Civil Service Hiring Preferences
For certain positions in the New York civil services, the state provides hiring preferences in the form of additional points being added to a veteran’s competitive exam for employment:
- Disabled veterans may receive 10 additional points on open-competitive exams and 5 points on promotion exams.
- Non-disabled veterans may receive 5 additional points on open-competitive exams and 2.5 points on promotion exams.
Paid Family Leave for Military Families
New York state also offers Military Family Support Leave, which is available to certain family members of deployed service members. Under this law, military families can receive up to 12 weeks of paid family leave, paid at 67 percent of their wages, to address qualifying family needs, including:
- Short-notice military deployment;
- Military member’s rest, recuperation, or counseling;
- Post-deployment activities, which may include arrival ceremonies and reintegration events;
- And more.
Veterans with Disabilities Employment Program (55-c)
The 55-c Program authorizes the New York State Civil Service Commission to designate up to 500 non-competitive positions in the state government to be filled by veterans with disabilities.
In other words, this program allows eligible veterans with disabilities to obtain certain entry-level civil service positions without taking competitive exams, provided they meet minimum job qualifications. This makes it much easier for disabled veterans to earn employment in the New York civil services.
What New York State Veterans Benefits Are Available for Recreation?
New York offers several recreational benefits to veterans, including ones related to hunting, fishing, and access to state parks.
Hunting and Fishing Benefits for Veterans
Eligible veterans and service members living in New York may qualify for free or discounted hunting and fishing licenses. These include:
- Free hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses – Active members of the NYS Organized Militia or U.S. Reserve Forces who are residents of New York state can qualify for free hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses. This also applies to resident active military members of the Armed Forces home on leave for 30 days or less.
- Resident pricing for hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses – Nonresident military members who are stationed in New York for 30 days or more may also qualify for resident pricing for hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses.
- Reduced-fee licenses for disabled veterans – Resident veterans of New York with a VA disability rating of 40 percent or more may also qualify for reduced fees on hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses.
New York State Park Passes for Veterans
New York also offers park access benefits to qualifying veterans and service members, including:
- Free Empire Passes – Eligible service members of the New York National Guard, Militia, or U.S. Armed Forces Reserves may qualify for a free Empire Pass, which waives the vehicle use fee at participating New York parks and other sites.
- Lifetime Liberty Pass – Qualifying New York service members and Gold Star Families may also be eligible to obtain a Lifetime Liberty Pass. This pass provides discounted access to state parks, as well as free vehicle entry to most state-operated parks in New York.
What New York State Veterans Benefits Are Available for Burial?
New York also provides burial-related benefits to honor deceased veterans and help support their families during the veteran’s time of passing.
New York State Supplemental Burial Allowance
New York offers a supplemental burial allowance of up to $6,000 for the families of veterans who died while serving in an active combat zone or while receiving hazardous duty pay.
This payment is intended to help the veteran’s family manage the cost of their funeral and honors and thereby lessen the financial burden placed upon them by their loved one’s passing.
New York State Veterans Cemeteries
New York has several prominent veterans’ cemeteries for families looking to lay their loved ones to rest. Some of these include:
- The New York State Veterans Cemetery – Finger Lakes – This cemetery is run by the state and provides qualifying veterans, spouses, and children with a suitable burial site. The cemetery also offers a 30-minute Final Committal service for families to inter their veteran, as well as a marble headstone to mark the veteran’s grave.
- National Veterans’ Cemeteries – New York also hosts several national veterans’ cemeteries run by VA. These include Bath National Cemetery, St. Albans National Cemetery, Woodlawn National Cemetery, and others.
- U.S. Military Academy West Point Post Cemetery – Another historic veterans’ cemetery in New York is the USMA Cemetery located at West Point. However, this cemetery has more eligibility restrictions than other options in the state, as they only accept qualifying graduates of the United States Military Academy.
Need Help Earning VA Benefits? Contact CCK Law
If you are a New York veteran who was denied disability compensation by VA, then the attorneys at Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick may be able to assist. Our dedicated team of VA-accredited representatives have secured favorable outcomes for 99 percent of clients with cases before VA.
Call CCK Law at 800-544-9144 or contact us online for a free case evaluation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do veterans get a property tax break in New York?
Yes, veterans have access to several different property tax breaks in the state of New York. These include:
- Alternative Veterans Tax Exemption – provides a 15-25 percent tax break, with disabled veterans potentially getting a higher exemption.
- Cold War Veterans’ Tax Exemption – provides a 10-15 percent tax break, with disabled veterans potentially getting a higher exemption.
- Eligible Funds Tax Exemption – provides a tax exemption capped at $7,500, so long as the veteran used eligible funds to purchase the property (e.g., pension funds, POW compensation, etc.)
- Disabled Veterans’ Tax Exemption – As of 2026, veterans who are rated 100 percent disabled by VA may also receive a 100 percent tax exemption on an eligible property.
Do veterans get a discount at New York state parks?
Yes, veterans can get discounts or waived fees to attend state parks in New York. These include:
- Free Empire Pass – Qualifying veterans may earn a free Empire Pass in the state of New York. This pass allows vehicle fees to be waived at participating state parks.
- Lifetime Liberty Pass – Eligible veterans and Gold Star Families in New York may also apply for a Lifetime Liberty Pass. This pass allows for discounted access and waived vehicle fees at many state-operated parks.
Do veterans pay tolls in New York?
Some veterans can become exempt from paying E-ZPass tolls on the New York Thruway.
To qualify for this exemption, a veteran must have acquired a fee-exempt vehicle registration from the New York DMV. Typically, this fee-exempt registration is only available to veterans who have a disability.
