Illinois Veteran Benefits

If you're stationed in the Prairie State or are a veteran living there, you may be eligible for many of the benefits below. The governments of Illinois and the United States can help you get a place to live, find work, get a degree, and much more.

Veteran Home Loans

If you're stationed in Illinois with the Navy, Army, or Air Force, you may want to consider owning your own home, especially if you're going to live in the Prairie State for a few years. You could even buy your house conveniently close to one of Illinois's military bases.



The federal VA loan program makes it much easier for a veteran or servicemember to buy real estate. The VA gives guidelines and protections to private lenders, and those lenders are the ones who actually issue loans to current and retired military personnel.

What makes VA loans so useful are features like these:

  • No requirement to put money down on a house
  • Lower interest rates than most mortgage types can offer
  • No minimum credit score requirement
  • No PMI (private mortgage insurance) payments

The amount you might get from a VA loan in Illinois depends on your lender's guidelines. To find Illinois veteran loans that meet your needs, we recommend getting quotes from multiple lenders.

By comparing different offers, you'll have a better chance of finding the best veteran loan rates in Illinois. And the better your rate, the more money you're likely to save over the life of your loan.

Illinois Residents Save

$160/mth

Savings based on 2015 active loan data

19Lunches

*Based on an average lunch price of $8.08

Pre-Qualify Now

Veteran Housing Benefits

Illinois Veterans' Homes

Each of the four veterans' homes in Illinois provide essential services to veterans. These services include long-term care, planned activities, and more.

In order to become a resident, you must have an honorable discharge and meet ONE of the following conditions:

  • Served for a day or more during wartime OR were awarded a campaign or expeditionary medal from serving in a hostile fire environment
  • Separated from the military because of an injury or disability sustained in the service
  • Served for at least 24 continuous months after enlisting on September 7, 1980, or later
  • Served as a member of the Guard or Reserves and completed a term of federal active duty or completed 20 years of service and are eligible for retirement benefits
  • Was discharged before being able to complete one of these full amounts of time due to a reduction in force or a hardship

Veterans of peacetime service may also qualify, as can Gold Star parents and current or surviving spouses if they meet the following two requirements:

  1. You've been a resident of Illinois for at least the year right before you applied for the veterans' home OR you joined the military when you were a resident of Illinois
  2. You're disabled and not able to work

The cost of living in one of the home varies, depending on your disability status and income level. Though having an income is not an eligibility requirement, you will be expected to contribute towards a monthly fee, if you can. Veterans with a 70% or greater disability rating do not have to contribute, regardless of their income.

Prince Home Residential Program

A residential program in Manteno, Illinois, is available for homeless and disabled veterans. It helps veterans with PTSD, addictions, and other problems through supportive services and housing.

Returning Veterans' Homestead Exemption

This benefit allows you to lower the assessed value of your house by $5,000, which can lower your tax burden. If you have returned from wartime service, you can apply for this benefit with your county assessor.

Disabled Veterans' Standard Homestead Exemption

If you're a disabled veteran, the disabled veterans' standard homestead exemption can lower the assessed value of your house. And, if you have a service-related disability of 70% or more, you won't need to pay any property taxes.

For disabled veterans with ratings below 70%, how much your home value is lowered for property tax purposes will depend on what your actual disability rating is. If your service-related disability is:

  • Between 30% and 50%, you can lower the assessed value of your home by $2,500
  • Between 50% and 70%, you can lower the assessed value of your home by $5,000
  • 70% or higher, you receive a 100% exemption of your property taxes

This benefit may also extend to surviving spouses. In the first scenario, the spouse can continue the same level of exemption after the veteran dies, if they were receiving it before their death. In the second scenario, they may qualify to not have to pay any property taxes if the veteran died while in the service, and they haven't remarried.

To get this benefit, you will need to contact your county assessor each year.

Tax Exemption for Specially Adapted Housing

Have you gotten federal funds to build, remodel, or buy a house that's adapted for your service-related disability? If you did, you can get an Illinois tax exemption to lower the assessed value of that home.

You can only continue getting the exemption as long as you live in the home. If the veteran passes away, their surviving spouse can also continue getting the benefit, as long as they don't remarry.

For more information about the specially adapted housing benefit, please contact a Veteran Service Officer.

Tax Exemption for Mobile Homes

If you're a veteran, you may not need to pay the full amount of tax for your mobile home. To receive this benefit, you must:

  • Have received a Specially Adapted Housing Grant from the VA for a different house before you bought your mobile home
  • Have been an Illinois resident since January 1 of the tax year
  • Use the mobile home as your primary residence
  • Be a disabled veteran or the spouse or unremarried surviving spouse of a disabled veteran

You can work with your county assessor or your Veteran Service Officer to get this benefit.

Veteran Education & Employment Benefits

Education Benefits

In order to help its heroes be able to improve their life by furthering their education, the state of Illinois provides a variety of education benefits. These benefits are not just available to veterans; some can be used by their dependents and family members.

State Approving Agency

Do you have military education benefits that you want to use in Illinois? Illinois's State Approving Agency determines which institutions and programs meet the necessary standards of quality. Some of the approved institutions include:

  • High schools
  • Universities and colleges
  • Business schools
  • Professional schools
  • Vocational & flight schools
  • Apprenticeships
  • On-the-job training programs
  • Certification and licensing tests

The full list of all approved programs in Illinois can be found on the VA's Web Enabled Approval Management System (WEAMS). Once you visit the WEAMS portal, you can access the different programs by selecting "IL" on the map or the link below it and the full list should pop up.

You can then learn more about each program, including contact information, simply by clicking on the program or institution name. To enroll in a specific program, you will need to contact the institution for instructions.

Making Military Training Count

The Making Military Training Count initiative gives veterans and servicemembers course credits from the moment they start college. These credits are for any training and education you've received as a servicemember.

To use this benefit, you must enroll in one of the participating colleges and provide documentation of your military training. If approved, you will be given course credits that count towards your degree.

Some of the colleges that offer this benefit include City Colleges of Chicago, DePaul University, Kaskaskia College, College of DuPage, College of Lake County, and Southwestern Illinois College.

Educational Opportunities for Children Ages 10 to 18

The state of Illinois offers children between the ages of 10–18 financial aid for state education programs, including elementary school, vocational training schools, and high school. from Illinois.

To qualify, a child must have a veteran parent who either has a service-related total disability or died during wartime service. The application is available online.

Children of Veterans Scholarship

Every county in Illinois have an annual scholarship for students to attend the University of Illinois. The scholarship offers free tuition for four consecutive years of education.

Students must be the children of wartime veterans, with children of disabled and deceased veterans are given priority. To learn more, you can contact the Financial Aid office of the specific campus you're interested in.

MIA/POW Scholarship

The MIA/POW Scholarship helps students who are the dependents of MIA and POW veterans. A student can also be eligible if his or her veteran parent died during active duty, died because of a service-related disability, or is 100% disabled because of his or her service.

You can apply for this scholarship by printing and submitting the online application form.

Illinois Veterans' Grant

The Illinois Veterans' Grant is a program that covers the tuition and other fees at state colleges, universities, and community colleges in Illinois. To qualify, you must be a veteran who:

  • Was a resident of Illinois for six months before joining the military
  • Served for at least a full year on active duty OR any length of active duty during hostilities on foreign soil
  • Has returned to Illinois within the six months after your discharge

Learn more from the financial aid office of the institution you want to attend, a Veteran Service Officer, or the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.

Illinois National Guard Grant

You can get this educational grant if you're a member of the Illinois National Guard and have finished a full year of service. You need to be enrolled at a public college in Illinois in a program to earn a two- or four-year degree.

To receive and keep this grant, you'll need to re-file your application on time every year and earn a certain GPA as determined by the school you attend. You can learn more from the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.

Employment Benefits

The state of Illinois wants veterans to succeed after they leave the service. Because transitioning into the civilian world has unique difficulties for members of the military, Illinois provides different opportunities to ease the burden of this transition.

Military Training Equivalencies for Professional Licensure

The Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs (IDVA) allows your military training to be used toward the requirements for a professional license. This benefit can help you to get a:

  • Certified nursing assistant (CNA) license if you were already a medical service specialist or hospital corpsman with the Navy, Army, or Air Force
  • Certification as an emergency medical responder (EMR)
  • License to be an emergency medical technician (EMT-B)
  • Commercial driver's license (CDL) without taking a skills test, if you have commercial driving experience from the military and can complete the application
  • State firefighter certification if you're employed by the Illinois Fire Department, have certain equivalent military experience, and meet some other requirements

You can also get a waiver for the educational requirements to join:

  • The Illinois State Police
  • The Illinois Conservation Police
  • A municipal fire or police department

Each of these employers has specific requirements to receive the education waiver. However, these are all covered on the IDVA's page about state licenses & military training.

Police Academy Intern Program at Southwestern Illinois College

If you want a career in law enforcement, the Police Academy Intern Program at Southwestern Illinois College could help. More than 90% of interns have later gotten part-time or full-time work as peace officers, and as a veteran, you will preference points towards hiring.

You must be a resident of Illinois with an Illinois driver's license and an Illinois Firearm Owners Identification Card. You must pay for classes yourself, but you can use your veteran education benefits to help.

When you complete the program, if you pass the state examination you can get certification from the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB). In addition, the program also offers college credit toward an AAS degree in administration of justice at Southwestern Illinois College.

Veteran Entrepreneurship

Illinois's Veteran Entrepreneurship program can help you start your own business or grow your business if you already have one. The program offers entrepreneurship training, education, and events that help veteran entrepreneurs.

State Procurement Benefits for Veteran-Owned Businesses

If you have a veteran-owned business, you can get state contracts to sell products and services, including:

  • Office supplies
  • Construction and repairs
  • Building maintenance
  • Parks upkeep
  • Many other products and services

Your business must be at least 51% owned by veterans who are Illinois residents, and you must have less than $75 million in annual sales. You can become registered on the Veterans Business Program web page.

Other Veteran Benefits

Other benefits that Illinois offers to veterans and servicemembers include bonus payments, hunting and fishing privileges, free admission to parks, burial benefits, and more.

Illinois Joining Forces Foundation

The Illinois Joining Forces Foundation helps connect veterans to over 200 community organizations that can help veterans with:

  • Education and employment
  • Healthcare and behavioral health
  • Financial assistance
  • Housing and homelessness
  • Support for survivors
  • Support for women veterans

To get help, you can enter any type of request into their online assistance form or call them, toll-free, at 877-236-7702. Your request is confidential, and a staff member will help you find the services you need.

Illinois Warrior Assistance Program (IWAP)

The IWAP program supports Illinois veterans, their spouses, and their children by offer services related to:

  • PTSD
  • Mild brain injuries
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Addiction
  • Coping with daily emotions
  • Financial and legal problems

To be eligible for IWAP, you must:

  • Be younger than 65
  • Have served at least 180 days of active duty with the US military (including the National Guard or Reserves)
  • Be a resident of Illinois
  • Not be a nursing home resident
  • Not be an inmate of a public institution

If you need help or more information, you can contact IWAP. They'll keep your information confidential.

Bonus Payments

Illinois offers a variety of bonus payments for veterans. Most bonuses are related to a specific time period of service, including:

  • World War II
  • The Korean War
  • Vietnam
  • The Persian Gulf
  • The War on Terrorism

There is also a bonus for servicemembers who were prisoners of war (POW). Surviving spouses may also receive a bonus if their veteran spouse's death was related to their service.

Eligibility requirements, including those for surviving spouses, can be found on the IDVA's Compensation page. However, some information for surviving spouses is also available on the Survivor & Burial page.

Camping and Admission Fees Exemption

If you are a disabled veteran or former POW, you could enjoy free admission and camping in Illinois state parks. To qualify, you must also be a resident of Illinois and show documentation of your disability or status as a former POW.

To apply, you will need to contact your nearest Veteran Service Office.

Hunting and Fishing Privileges

You may be eligible to hunt and fish in Illinois for free. You don't need licenses for those activities if you're getting VA compensation for a service-related disability of at least 10% or if you're receiving disability pension benefits.

A Veteran Service Officer at the nearest office location can help you apply.

Illinois State Fair Admission

You and your family can get into the Illinois State Fair for free on the fair's designated "Veterans' Day." However, you will need an official way to identity yourself as a veteran. The dates for the Illinois State Fair can be found online.

Burial Assistance for Indigent Veterans

Any Illinois county Veterans Assistance Commission (VAC) can give financial assistance to help with the funeral and burial expenses of an honorably discharged indigent veteran. The VAC can also help with the burial expenses of a veteran's immediate family members.

The assistance is in the form of a reimbursement for funeral expenses and, in some cases, can also help with food, transportation, and other needs. Your local Veterans Service Office can help you receive this reimbursement.

Cartage and Eretion Fees

The Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs (IDVA) can help you pay for the setting of a burial headstone or marker that the federal government supplied. You can apply for this assistance through your nearest Veteran Service Office.

Veteran Benefits Assistance

If you need help getting your benefits, there are many Veteran Service Offices throughout Illinois. These offices employ Veteran Service Officers (VSOs) who are VA-trained experts on veterans' local, state, and federal resources, as well as fellow veterans.

Getting help from VSOs is free for veterans and veterans' dependents and survivors, and they can help you with:

  • Healthcare
  • Compensation and pension benefits
  • Education, training, and employment
  • Housing
  • Burial
  • Permits
  • Transportation
  • Records

And more! You can sign up for help online, and after you enter your basic information, a nearby VSO will contact you quickly. You can also find a VSO using this online map.

Women Veterans

Women veterans in Illinois are highly valued. The Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs (IDVA) serves them through special programs, connections, opportunities, and community collaborations designed to help them grow individually and become stronger as a community.

If you want to talk to a female VSO, this map provides a list of offices that employ female VSOs.

Military Records

If you need a copy of your DD-214 form or other records in order to receive benefits, the IDVA will give you a free certified copy, as long as they have it on file. If they don't have your records, they'll help you get them from the National Personnel Records Center.

The IDVA can also use your records to help you in your dealings with other state agencies.

If you want to store your records for safekeeping, you can request this service from your Veteran Service Officer. Then, if you need these records in the future, it will be easy to find and access them.

About Low VA Rates

You can get a quote for VA loans in Illinois from Low VA Rates whenever you need. Some of our loan officers are veterans, and all of us are committed to helping veterans and servicemembers.

When you work with us, we'll do our best to help you find competitive veteran loan rates in Illinois. Simply call us toll-free at 866-569-8272 or start an online quote for Illinois veteran loans. A friendly, expert loan officer will get back to you quickly.