FLORIDA STATE VETERAN BENEFITS
Florida offers various benefits for veterans. On this page, you’ll find a concise overview of each of these benefits.
Florida Veterans Homes
Florida State Veterans Home
The Robert Jenkins, Jr. Assisted Living/Domiciliary Home offers a unique blend of accommodation, tailored supportive services, and incidental medical assistance to eligible veterans. To qualify for admission, veterans must have been Florida residents for at least one year preceding admission and possess an honorable discharge. The expenses for care are assessed based on income.
Veterans Nursing Homes of Florida
Florida oversees 6 veterans’ nursing homes and 1 assisted living facility across the state. Fundamental admission criteria for all veterans’ nursing homes in Florida consist of an honorable discharge, Florida residency for one year preceding admission, and certification of the necessity for nursing home care by a VA physician.
Florida Veteran Financial Benefits
Basic Property Tax Exemptions
Veterans residing in Florida with a VA disability rating of at least 10% can receive a $5,000 deduction on the assessed value of their home. Additionally, the unremarried surviving spouse, married to the veteran for a minimum of 5 years, may also be eligible for this exemption.
Homestead Exemption
Florida resident veterans with an honorable discharge and who are 100% permanently and totally disabled, along with quadriplegic veterans, are relieved from paying property tax on their primary residence. Unremarried surviving spouses may also qualify for this exemption. Additionally, Florida resident veterans who are paraplegic, hemiplegic, or permanently and totally disabled, requiring a wheelchair for mobility, or are legally blind, might be exempt from real estate taxation, contingent upon income criteria.
Driver’s License Fee
Permanently and totally disabled veterans are eligible to obtain a Florida driver’s license without any charge.
Florida Veteran Employment Benefits
Hiring Preference for Government Jobs
Florida state, county, and municipal governments offer preferential hiring treatment to disabled veterans with an honorable discharge, wartime veterans, as well as spouses and surviving spouses of totally disabled veterans for government job positions.
Military Veterans Certification Pathway
Veterans who lack a bachelor’s degree could qualify for a five-year provisional teaching certificate if they meet specific criteria, including having an honorable discharge, possessing at least 60 college credits with a minimum GPA of 2.5, and passing a subject area examination.
Certification Fee Waiver
Veterans and their spouses could potentially qualify for a waiver of the fee required to obtain a teaching certificate.
Florida Veteran Education Benefits
Tuition Waiver
Florida offers tuition waivers for undergraduate-level programs at state universities, community colleges, and career and technical training facilities to recipients of the Purple Heart and other higher combat decorations.
Education for Children Of Deceased Or Disabled Florida Veterans
Florida offers four-year college educational opportunities for dependent children and spouses of veterans who either died from a service-connected disability or are 100% service-connected totally and permanently disabled veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. For additional details, please contact toll-free at (888) 827-2004. Dependent children of service members Missing In Action or Prisoners Of War may also qualify for tuition benefits.
Veterans Florida Agriculture Program
The Veterans Florida Agriculture Program is a six-month training fellowship offering veterans and servicemembers an immersive, hands-on experience in the agriculture industry. Conducted at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Research and Education Center facilities throughout the state, participants receive training and earn $15 per hour.
Florida Veteran Recreation Benefits
State Park Admission
Florida State Parks provide a 25% discounted annual pass to all state parks for honorably discharged veterans and active-duty members.
Additionally, Florida State Parks offer a free-for-life Military Entrance Pass to honorably discharged veterans with service-connected disabilities. Surviving spouses and parents of service members who died in combat are also eligible for this pass.
County and municipal parks may offer free or reduced entrance fees to current military members, honorably discharged or disabled veterans, and their spouses. For specific details, individuals should contact their local county or municipality.
Hunting and Fishing License
Florida residents serving on active duty or retired from the military are eligible to obtain a Military Gold Sportsman’s License for $20. This comprehensive license includes hunting, freshwater and saltwater fishing, and various associated permits at a significantly reduced cost.
Furthermore, veterans who are 100% permanently and totally disabled due to service-connected disabilities are entitled to receive a free five-year hunting and fishing license.
