North Carolina Veteran Benefits

As a North Carolina military servicemember or veteran, you've earned an array of military benefits from your state. These include property tax relief, North Carolina veteran loans, employment and education assistance, and much more.

You won't want to miss out on these North Carolina military benefits. Read below for information on some of the benefits available to you and how you can take advantage of them.

Veteran Home Loans

A large number of current military servicemembers are stationed in North Carolina. North Carolina hosts the military bases shown in this graphic:



If you're a veteran or current servicemember and are considering getting a loan for a property—whether near one of these bases or elsewhere—VA loans in North Carolina are an option that every veteran should know about.

Since they are created as a benefit exclusively available for those who have served our nation, VA loans in North Carolina offer many money- and stress-saving advantages, including:

  • The option to buy a home with nothing down
  • Low average interest rates, which often lead to low payments
  • Easy qualifications, such as no minimum credit score
  • No need for private mortgage insurance (PMI) payments

Veterans and current military personnel can qualify for VA loans. However, a variety of factors can influence your potential mortgage amount. While the VA guarantees an a portion of each VA loan, the loans themselves are offered through private, VA-approved lenders that have their own qualifications and processes.

Things like income, credit score, and other details may be considered when a lender is setting your rates, terms, loan amount, etc. Since the details of a loan can vary between lenders, it's smart to get multiple quotes from VA-approved lenders and compare the offers.

If you'd like to get started with a quote for a North Carolina home loan, we at Low VA Rates are happy to help. Give us a call at 866-569-8272 or get started with our simple online application.

North Carolina Residents Save

$172/mth

Savings based on 2015 active loan data

21Lunches

*Based on an average lunch price of $8.08

Pre-Qualify Now

Veteran Housing Benefits

North Carolina Housing Finance Agency Loan Options for Veterans

When it comes to North Carolina loans for veterans, North Carolina has several unique benefits. Some of these include:

  • NC Home Advantage Mortgage – This loan is a fixed-rate, stable mortgage that allows eligible residents to receive help with 5% of the down payment amount. Eligible military veterans have the added option to save more by combining a Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) with the loan or qualifying for the additional savings offered by the NC 1st Home Advantage Down Payment (see below).
  • NC 1st Home Advantage Down Payment – This option offers down payment assistance for up to $8,000 for eligible first-time homebuyers and veterans.
  • NC Home Advantage Tax Credit – This credit helps first-time homebuyers and military veterans save on annual property taxes, allowing you more money to put toward your mortgage payment. Using an MCC, you can save up to $2,000 annually.
  • NC Foreclosure Prevention Fund – If you're in a financial bind, this fund can assist you with up to $36,000 (about 18 months) of payments while you search or prepare for employment. Even if you do have a job but you are making less than you were and cannot afford your home, you may be eligible for assistance. If you're a returning veteran moving into a civilian career, the fund provides assistance and counseling.

You can also find information for rent assistance and other resources at the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency website. Get quotes on these loans through participating lenders.

Housing Assistance in North Carolina

If you live in North Carolina and are facing homelessness or are at risk of doing so, here are some services that can help:

Visit the DMVA Homeless Veteran Housing Assistance page to see more services and organizations that are available to help with other needs, such as substance abuse recovery, homes for veteran women and their children, and temporary shelter.

Disabled Veteran Homestead Exemption

North Carolina offers eligible veterans with disabilities a real estate property tax exemption of the first $45,000 of your assessed real property value. You may be eligible if you are:

  • An honorably-discharged veteran with a service-related complete 100% disability or are VA-rated as Permanently Individually Unemployable OR
  • An unremarried, surviving spouse of a veteran who was disabled and is receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)

To apply for this benefit, fill out the NCDVA-9 form, submit it to the address on the form, then submit the returned and certified form to your county tax office before the deadline listed on the form.

North Carolina Veterans Home

North Carolina's Department of Military & Veterans Affairs (DMVA) offers four veterans homes in North Carolina, which provide skilled nursing care, therapy services, social activities for residents, and more. Homes exist in the following four areas:

You can use Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance to pay.

Visit the NC State Veterans Homes page for contact information and details for each of the Homes, as well as links to virtual tours of each Home.

Veteran Education & Employment Benefits

Education Benefits

North Carolina understands how important education is to the families of those who have served our country. The state's main educational scholarship can help your children to finish their education.

Scholarship for Children of Wartime Veterans

The Scholarship for Children of Wartime Veterans is available for students who are natural or adopted children of certain wartime veterans. The scholarship may only be applied to North Carolina schools and has certain qualifications that must be met.

Qualifications include:

  • The veteran parent of the child must either have died, been disabled or had the status of POW or MIA during wartime
  • When applying for the scholarship, the student must be younger than 25 years old and be a resident and domiciliary of North Carolina
  • Either the veteran parent must have been a North Carolina resident when entering the military OR the student must have been born in North Carolina and been a continuous resident since birth
  • Adopted children must have been adopted before the age of 15 to qualify for the scholarship
  • Applications must be submitted before the deadline, which is, at the time of this writing, February 14 (check the Scholarship page for up-to-date deadlines)

Visit the North Carolina Scholarship for Children of Wartime Veterans page or contact the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs for more information.

Employment Benefits

North Carolina for Military Employment (NC4ME)

One way North Carolina helps to employ veterans is through the North Carolina for Military Employment program, which connects skilled veterans to job and training positions.

Some of the resources NC4ME provides include:

For more information, visit the NC4ME website.

North Carolina Works

One helpful benefit available to veterans is North Carolina Works (NCWorks), part of the Division of Workforce Services that helps veterans, transitioning servicemembers, and eligible spouses find employment.

The NCWorks Career Center page offers free services and resources, which include:

  • Career counseling

  • Job fairs and workshops

  • Training opportunities

  • Computer and internet access

  • Help writing resumes and cover letters

  • Interview preparation

  • Help with difficult barriers to employment, such as homelessness, disabilities, or age

  • Referrals to other forms of support, such as transportation and nutrition services

  • Access to apprenticeships

Visit NCWorks Online and register for free to see open job positions, trainings, and services just for veterans. Some employers search specifically for veteran employees, so posting your information can help to connect you with those employers.

Veterans Preference in State Employment

If you apply for a job at a North Carolina government agency, North Carolina law says you should receive a hiring preference as a veteran. This preference applies to your first application, but also to later promotions, transfers, and reassignments.

When applying for work, it's important to disclose your military background to the hiring individual because, as long as you meet the minimum requirements for the position, the agency must add your experience to your qualifications for the job.

Preference is applied with:

  • 10 points added onto the eligible veteran's score, in cases where the agency uses a numerical system to determine hiring

  • In systems that do not use a numerical system, up to four years added onto the veteran's relevant experience, if he or she has less than four years of military experience on top of what is required

  • If an agency is applying a reduction-in-force, an eligible veteran receives one year for each year of military service (on top of the years he or she has served in the state position)

If you don't think you've been given proper preference in a hiring, promotion, transfer, or reassignment situation, you can appeal that denial with the Office of State Human Resources.

For more information, contact the North Carolina Office of State Human Resources.

Professional Licenses and Certifications

If you're a veteran and are looking to get licensed for an occupation in North Carolina, there are benefits available to help you get that license. Some North Carolina licensing boards can now use your experience from certain military occupational specialties as meeting part of the requirements for an occupational license.

Military spouses can also be eligible for assistance toward certain occupational licenses.

Examples of occupations that may use military service to fulfill some of their requirements are:

  • Athletic agent

  • Chiropractor

  • Anesthesiologist assistant

  • Armed security guard

  • Public Accountant

  • Professional counselor

For a larger list of participating licensing boards, visit the Employment section of the DMVA Resource Guide (p. 26).

Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Certification

Your business may qualify to be certified as a North Carolina Historically Underutilized Business (HUB), which can give you an advantage when bidding on state contracts. Your business must:

  • Be at least 51% owned by individuals in certain minority groups, which can include veterans with service-connected disabilities

  • Be managed by those individuals in daily operations

Read more in the DMVA Resource Guide (Click "Entrepreneurship" under the Table of Contents, then scroll to p. 47). You can start your application on the HUB Certification page.

Other North Carolina Veteran Benefits

Veteran Status on Driver's Licenses and ID Cards

As a North Carolina military veteran, you may be eligible to have the designation of “VETERAN” added to your state driver's license and ID card. This privilege, which is proof of your service, is free, although you'll need to pay a fee if you renew your license outside of your scheduled renewal time period or if you order a duplicate card.

To apply, visit a driver's license office with proof of your honorable separation or discharge.

Veteran's Driver's License Renewal

If you have military orders that will send you out of North Carolina on active duty, you can renew your military-designated driver's license so it doesn't expire while you're away. You'll get a renewal before you leave, which you can get up to a year before the normal expiration date of your license. You'll need your military documents during the process as verification.

Your family members can also renew their regular licenses through the mail while you're deployed outside of North Carolina. This can be done up to two times in the family member's lifetime.

To apply, you'll need to fill out the application form, complete all the requirements, and send it to the North Carolina DMV.

Military-Themed License Plates

Military-themed vehicle license plates are available to eligible veterans and active-duty servicemembers from the North Carolina DMV. Some plates are free and others carry the same fee as a regular license plate. Types of specialty plates include:

  • Pearl Harbor Survivor

  • Disabled Veteran

  • Congressional Medal of Honor

  • Purple Heart Recipient

  • Desert Storm Veteran

  • Many more

You can see the current application forms and requirements for each specialty license plate on the North Carolina DMV website.

North Carolina Veterans Treatment Courts

North Carolina's Veterans Treatment Courts give attorneys the ability, after careful consideration, to send military personnel and veterans into treatment programs instead of incarceration.

The decision to send a veteran to one of these facilities might be made if the veteran committed a non-violent offence due to mental health disorders, trauma, or substance abuse. Attorneys can also refer the offender to vocational and educational programs and community service organizations.

You can find the contact information for your nearest Veterans Court under the Personal Services section of the NC benefits guide.

H3 Tag: Hunting and Fishing Licenses for Veterans with Disabilities

If you're a North Carolina veteran with a VA-rated disability of at least 50%, you can buy lifetime hunting and fishing licenses. Prices vary from $10-$110, depending on the type of license you choose. To apply, visit your nearest Wildlife Service Agent or NC Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) office or mail in an application with the required fee and VA disability certification. Contact the NCWRC with any questions or for help applying.

North Carolina Veterans Cemetery Program

Qualified North Carolina veterans, spouses, and certain dependents can be buried at North Carolina State Veterans Cemeteries. The site and interment services are free for eligible veterans, but a burial fee is charged for eligible family members.

There are currently four Veterans Cemetery locations in North Carolina, including:

  • Black Mountain

  • Spring Lake

  • Goldsboro

  • Jacksonville

To be eligible, the individual must be:

  • A resident of North Carolina

  • An honorably-discharged veteran OR a spouse, surviving spouse, or an unmarried dependent child of a veteran

You will be required to provide the following:

  • Proof of eligibility

  • Proof of military service

  • Residency in North Carolina

  • For dependents and spouses, relation to the veteran (e.g., a birth or marriage certificate).

Contact a North Carolina Veterans Cemetery for more information about eligibility or registration.

Veteran Benefits Assistance

North Carolina's Department of Military & Veterans Affairs (DMVA) has professional staff members who want to help you and your family members to take advantage of the military benefits and resources you have earned through your service. They do this work for free.

Staff members can also help you request military records you'll need in order to apply for benefits. For certain types of claims, you may also need to bring other documents to your meeting with a claims specialist, such as:

  • Military medical records

  • Medical records from a private doctor OR your doctor's contact information and the date(s) of your treatment(s)

  • Written statements from people with whom you served, which verify relevant events, such as injuries

  • Important letters, pictures, and envelopes

  • Written statements from other people who know you, such as friends and neighbors

  • Other forms of proof for a medical diagnosis

  • Certificates of marriage, divorce. birth, or death

You can receive assistance at Veterans Service Offices or online. The contact information for your nearest office is on the DMVA Benefits & Claims page.

Women Veterans Summit and Expo

North Carolina women veterans have military benefits available to meet their unique needs.

The biennial North Carolina Women Veterans Summit and Expo highlight topics such as community leadership, healthful living, and women veterans advocacy. There, women veterans can trade ideas and stories about education, job opportunities, entrepreneurship, and more. You'll also be able to listen to speakers, visit exhibits, and attend networking and educational sessions.

Additionally, non-profit organization Women Veterans Support Services provides help to women veterans in times of crisis. They can help with filing claims for PTSD as well as meeting immediate needs of women and their children.

About Low VA Rates

Ever since we opened our doors for business, Low VA Rates has focused exclusively on helping veterans and current servicemembers to take full advantage of VA loans. You can get the benefit of our many years of experience with VA loans, which we'll be happy to use to help you with North Carolina veteran loans.

Call Low VA Rates toll-free at 866-569-8272 for help with VA loans in North Carolina, including guidance on verifying your eligibility. We can also answer questions about the wide variety of types of VA loans you can use in different situations. If you're interested, check out our simple online application.