Mississippi Veteran Benefits

Whether you're stationed in Mississippi for now or have permanently moved there, you could be eligible for a variety of state benefits. These benefits include assistance for housing, education, employment, and more.

Veteran Home Loans

Are you stationed in the Magnolia State with the Army, Navy, or Air Force? It's fairly easy to buy your own home here with Mississippi veteran loans. It could be a convenient investment to buy one close to the whatever military base you're stationed at.

Both servicemembers and veterans can enjoy the advantages of VA loans in Mississippi. You've probably heard that VA loans are a type of mortgage that follow the VA's guidelines and can really help military folks. Some of the features that make VA loans so useful include:

  • A lower interest rate than many other mortgage types can provide
  • No required down payment on home purchases
  • No required minimum credit score to qualify
  • Don't have to pay monthly private mortgage insurance (PMI)

Private lenders issue VA loans. You can get quotes from a few different lenders to look for the interest rates and terms that best fit your situation. However, make sure you choose one with a good reputation for helping veterans. At Low VA Rates, we've specialized in helping veterans and servicemembers for years.

How much your loan will is partially affected by your financial information, as well as your lender's terms, rates, and guidelines. That's why it really pays to get a few quotes from different lenders.

You can call Low VA Rates at 866-569-8272 to talk to an experienced loan officer who'll work to understand your situation, answer your questions, and help you choose a quality loan. You can also start an online quote to pre-qualify quickly.

Mississippi Residents Save

$154/mth

Savings based on 2015 active loan data

19Lunches

*Based on an average lunch price of $8.08

Pre-Qualify Now

Mississippi Veterans Home Purchase Board

As a veteran or the unmarried surviving spouse of a veteran, you could qualify for a mortgage from the Veterans' Home Purchase Board to buy or build a single family residence. To be eligible, you must:

  • Be a veteran OR a current servicemember on active duty
  • Have been a Mississippi resident before entering the service OR for two years in a row before you applied for the mortgage
  • Have a Certificate of Eligibility for Home Loan Guaranty from the VA
  • Have an honorable discharge after extended active duty

You can also qualify if you're a member of the Guard or Reserves with at least six years of service, or an unmarried spouse of an eligible veteran who died as a result of service.

Veteran Housing Benefits

Mississippi State Veterans Nursing Homes

Admission to one of Mississippi's four state veterans nursing homes can improve your quality of life. These homes are staffed by skilled and professional healthcare workers. The homes are:

All four of these homes admit qualified veterans, as well as a veteran's spouse, if he or she is married to a resident veteran. To be eligible, a veteran must:

  • Be or have been a resident of Mississippi*
  • Have a qualifying military service history
  • Have a discharge that was not dishonorable

A daily fee is normally charged for services, however, a veteran can receive care for free if they meet ONE of the following conditions:

  • You need nursing home care for a disability the VA has determined to be service-related
  • You have a service-related disability rating of at least 70%
  • You have a 100% disability because of being deemed unemployable and needing nursing home care

If a veteran doesn't qualify for free care, but they don't have the funds to afford the fee, they may be able to get financial assistance. It is recommended that they still fill out all of the necessary application forms.

*Out-of-state veterans can also gain admission to a Mississippi veterans nursing home if there aren't any in-state veterans waiting for admission, they can afford the daily fee, and it's been deemed medically necessary for them to get care in a nursing home.

Property Tax Exemption

According to sections §27-33-75 and §27-33-67 of Mississippi's legal code, veterans and/or their un-remarried spouse may be exempt from paying property taxes on their homestead property if the veteran:

  • Has a complete disability related to their service
  • Received an honorable discharge from the military

To apply for this tax exemption, you can contact the tax collector or assessor for your county.

Veteran Education & Employment Benefits

Education Benefits

Veterans in Mississippi, and their family members, are given many opportunities that help them pursue an affordable education and improve their quality of life.

Honorary High School Diploma

The school board of the district you lived in has the ability to award you a high school diploma if you weren't able to get one because of your military service. This benefit is for those who left high school to serve in World War II, Korea, or Vietnam and received an honorable discharge.

You can apply for this honorary diploma from your school district office. If you're a family member of a veteran who has died, you can also apply for this diploma on his or her behalf.

State Approving Agency

Mississippi's State Approving Agency (SAA) approves education programs at these types of Mississippi organizations:

  • Universities and colleges
  • Junior and community colleges
  • Technical and vocational schools
  • Flight schools
  • Employers offering on-the-job training or apprenticeships

If you have GI Bill benefits, you can use them at these approved programs. To see a list of the institutions where programs have been approved, you can use the VA's Web Enabled Approval Management System (WEAMS) by following these steps:

  • Click on the WEAMS link to see a US map
  • Go to the Mississippi list by clicking on "MS" on or under the map
  • Scroll through the list of organizations, click on any to learn more about it, and use its contact information to get in touch with the admissions staff there

In-State Tuition

If a non-resident of Mississippi, you can enjoy in-state tuition at Mississippi state universities and colleges for any of these reasons:

  • You're a veteran
  • You're eligible for education benefits under US Title 38
  • You're a current US military servicemember stationed in Mississippi

When you enroll at a Mississippi state college or university, be sure to talk to their admissions staff about your military benefits.

National Guard Education Benefits

If you're a member of the Mississippi National Guard, you may qualify tuition assistance from the State Educational Assistance Program (SEAP), under §33-7-405 and §33-7-407 of the state legal code.

To qualify, you must be active with the Guard and enrolled in Mississippi at any of the following types of accredited institutions:

  • A university or college
  • A vocational school
  • A junior college

You can learn more about this benefit and how to apply from your County Veteran Service Officer.

Mississippi Educational Assistance for Children of Veterans

The children of certain veterans can get an educational scholarship from the State of Mississippi. This scholarship can pay for up to eight semesters of tuition (and not for other expenses such as books or extracurricular activities). The scholarship can be used at a state-supported university or college in Mississippi.

To be eligible, the student must be a child of a veteran who:

  • Is an official resident of Mississippi
  • Is either a POW or is MIA

To apply for this benefit, you can contact the County Veteran Service Officer nearest to you.

Employment Benefits

Finding a job after leaving the service can be difficult for many veterans. In order to help them become more successful after serving in the military, the state of Mississippi has a variety of employment benefits servicemembers and veterans can use.

Mississippi Department of Employment

If you need to find a job or get unemployment benefits, you can contact the Mississippi Department of Employment Security (MDES). They offer priority services to veterans and have also created a program where business have pledged to hire a hero.

In order to help these businesses hire veterans, MDES uses its state-wide network of WIN Job Centers to post jobs for free, as well as recruit, screen, and refer qualified veteran candidates.

Veterans looking to get started should find their nearest WIN Job Center. These offices can help match you to a company that has pledged to hire a veteran. They can also help you search other job postings, get referrals to jobs, find on-the-job training opportunities, and more.

Mississippi State Personnel Board and Employment Preference

You can visit the State Personnel Board website to see the state job positions you can apply for, their descriptions, and the qualifications you'd need for each.

When the State Personnel Board (SPB) sends a list of job applicants to a state agency that needs a new employee, the SPB notes on the list who the veterans and disabled veterans are.

In regards to state jobs, the SPB also offers employment preference to veterans at all stages, including during hiring, for promotions, and in the event of layoffs. Disabled veterans are even given a higher level of preference.

State Public Employee Retirement

If you're a member of the State Public Employees Retirement System, you can get credit toward your retirement based on your military service—up to four years of credit for active duty service in the US Armed Forces or maritime service during wartime in World War II.</p

In some special circumstance, some veterans may actually qualify for more than four years of credit. However, there must be proof that your maritime or Armed Forces service was for longer than four years during World War II because of circumstances outside your control and you were unable to be discharged.

No matter how many years of credit you may receive, all eligible veterans must have entered state service after you completed you maritime service or were discharged from the military.

Reemployment Benefits

If you're a member of the Reserves, you can get reemployed after leaving a job for military duties or training. Your time away will count as an absence with leave. To get your job back, you must:

  • Give documentation that you satisfactorily completed your duties or training
  • Still be qualified for the job
  • Have been working at a job that wasn't temporary

If you qualify, you can return to your previous pay level, status, and seniority.

Professional Licensing

If you're a military servicemember or spouse, you can quickly and easily update your professional license when you PCS to Mississippi. Licenses can be for:

  • Engineering
  • Real estate brokerage
  • Medical professions
  • Teaching
  • Accounting
  • Cosmetology
  • And other professions

You can contact your licensing board to find out how to get either a temporary or permanent license. If you get a temporary license, you can start working in Mississippi right away while applying for a permanent license.

You can also count your military training toward your professional license, certification, or registration requirements, as your licensing board allows.

Additionally, military servicemembers with professional licenses will not have to worry about it expiring while they are on federal active duty. According to Mississippi state law, it will extended for up to 90 days after returning from service, and when renewing, you will not have to pay any late or delinquency fees

To qualify for the license extension, you must submit a copy of your official military orders, along with a written verification from your commanding officer, within 90 days of your return from active duty.

Other Veteran Benefits

There are a variety of other miscellaneous benefits you can get as a veteran in Mississippi. These include special driver's license designations and license plates, hunting and fishing privileges, and cemetery benefits.

Veterans Designation on Driver's License or ID Card

You can get a veteran designation on your Mississippi driver's license or identification card.

To get started, you'll need to get verified as a veteran with the Mississippi Veterans Affairs Board (MVAB). To get verified, you will need to mail or fax the following to the MVAB at least two weeks before you need to apply for your driver's license or ID card:

  • A copy of your discharge document, such as a DD-214
  • A letter requesting your veteran status verification that includes your full name, address, phone number, and signature

If you're eligible, the MVAB will send you an approved copy of your discharge papers. You can then take that to your Mississippi Department of Public Safety office to apply for a new or renewal driver's license or ID card with the veteran designation on it.

Specialty License Plates

You can celebrate your military background by getting specialty license plates for your car in Mississippi, and some plate types can even be transferred to an unmarried surviving spouse.

While some specialty plates cost an additional fee, some, such as the Ex-POW plates, are free. Pictures of all the available plates can be viewed online.

To learn more about some of the major plates available, including their details and any fees they may have, you can read the section called "Motor Vehicle License Plates" in Mississippi's State Benefits Manual.

Hunting and Fishing Licenses

If you have a service-related total disability, as rated by the VA, you don't need purchase a license to go hunting or fishing in Mississippi. However, you'll need to carry proof of your Mississippi residency, disability status, and age while you're out hunting or fishing.

Mississippi Veterans Cemeteries

Interment at one of Mississippi's two veteran memorial cemeteries—the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Newton and the North Mississippi Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Kilmichael—is free for veterans and their spouses and eligible dependent children.

The services provided by both cemeteries include in-ground burials or columbarium interment, perpetual care of the interment site, and a free grave marker.

You can request military funeral honors for a deceased veteran through your funeral director by submitting the veteran's discharge document. For more information, please contact the cemetery you are interested in.

Veteran Benefits Assistance

Veterans, current servicemembers, and their dependents can get help from the Mississippi Veterans Affairs Board (MVAB) with:

  • Claims for state and federal benefits
  • Representation in appeals processes
  • Filling out forms
  • Advice
  • Appeals & claim status
  • Hearings
  • Discharge upgrades

And more! To start getting the assistance you need, simply contact a trained, accredited Veterans Service Officer.

Military Records

When you're discharged from the military, you can list Mississippi on your military release to have your discharge document sent to the Mississippi Veterans Affairs Board (MVAB).

If you need a discharge document for a benefits claim, you can request your records from the MVAB. They'll either have it on file or will work to get it for you. The MVAB can also give you copies of death and birth certificates if you need them for claims or benefits.

You can contact the MVAB or a Veterans Service Officer to request your records.

About Low VA Rates

If you have any questions about VA loans in Mississippi, our team at Low VA Rates is happy to help. We've made it our mission to serve veterans and military personnel, and we'll use our experience working with VA loans to find a home loan that works for your situation.

Call us toll-free at 866-569-8272 for a quote on Mississippi veteran loans, or get started with our easy online quote system. With either method, an expert loan officer will help you as soon as possible.