The state of Florida provides several veteran benefits. This page explains them.
Florida Veterans Homes
Florida State Veterans Home
The Robert Jenkins, Jr. Assisted Living/Domiciliary Home provides a special combination of housing, personalized supportive services, and incidental medical care to eligible veterans. Veterans admitted must be residents of Florida for one year prior to admission and have an honorable discharge. The cost of care is determined based on income.
Veterans Nursing Homes of Florida
The state of Florida operates 6 Veterans' nursing homes and 1 assisted living facility throughout the state. Basic admission requirements for all veterans' nursing homes in Florida include an honorable discharge, Florida residency for one year prior to admission, and certification of need of nursing home care by a VA physician.
Florida Veteran Financial Benefits
Basic Property Tax Exemptions
Resident veterans with VA disability of at least 10% can get a $5,000 deduction on their home's assessed value. The unremarried surviving spouse who had been married to the veteran for at least 5 years may also entitled to this exemption.
Homestead Exemption
Florida resident veterans with an honorable discharge and are 100% permanently and totally disabled as well as quadriplegic veterans are exempt from paying property tax on their residence. Unremarried surviving spouses may also be eligible.
Florida resident veterans who are paraplegic, hemiplegic, or permanently and totally disabled who must use a wheelchair for mobility, or are legally blind, may be exempt from real estate taxation depending on income.
Driver's License Fee
Permanently and totally disabled veterans can get a Florida driver's license for free.
Florida Veteran Employment Benefits
Hiring Preference for Government Jobs
Florida state, county, and municipal governments give disabled veterans with an honorable discharge, wartime veterans, spouses and surviving spouses of totally disabled veterans preference in hiring for government jobs.
Military Veterans Certification Pathway
Veterans without a bachelor's degree may be eligible for a 5 year temporary teaching certificate if they have an honorable discharge, 60 college credits with at least a 2.5 GPA and pass a subject area examination.
Certification Fee Waiver
Veterans and their spouses may be eligible for a waiver of the fee to receive a teaching certificate.
Florida Veteran Education Benefits
Tuition Waiver
Florida waives undergraduate-level tuition at state universities, community colleges, and career and technical training facilities for Florida recipients of the Purple Heart and higher combat decorations.
Education for Children Of Deceased Or Disabled Florida Veterans
Florida provides four-year college educational opportunities for dependent children and spouses of veterans who died from a service connected disability or who are 100% percent service-connected totally and permanently disabled veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. For more information, call toll free (888) 827-2004. Dependent children of service members Missing In Action or Prisoners Of War may also be eligible for tuition benefits.
Veterans Florida Agriculture Program
The Veterans Florida Agriculture Program is a six-month training fellowship that provides veterans and servicemembers a comprehensive, hands-on experience in the agriculture industry. The training takes place at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Research and Education Center facilities across the state.
Trainees earn $15 an hour.
Florida Veteran Recreation Benefits
State Park Admission
Florida State Parks offer a 25% discounted annual pass to all state parks for all honorably discharged veterans and active-duty members.
Florida State Parks also offer a free-for-life Military Entrance Pass to honorably discharged veterans with service-connected disabilities; this pass is offered to the surviving spouses and parents of service members who died in combat as well.
County and municipal parks offer free or reduced entrance fees to current military members, honorably discharged or disabled veterans and their spouses. Contact your local county or municipality for details.
Hunting and Fishing License
Active-duty and retired military Florida residents can get a Military Gold Sportsman's License for $20. The license covers hunting, freshwater and saltwater fishing and a variety of associated permits at a greatly reduced cost.
100% permanently and totally disabled service-connected veterans are entitled to a free five year hunting and fishing license.
Visit the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs website for more information on any of these programs.
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