Ohio GI Promise

Ohio GI Promise authorizes the Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education to deem qualified Veterans as Ohio residents for the purpose of qualifying for in-state tuition rates. The Residency Officer at each public institution has sole authority to request any documentation to make the final determination of residency status.

Ohio War Orphans Scholarship

The Ohio War Orphans Scholarship program provides tuition assistance to children of deceased or at least 60% VA-rated service-connected disabled Ohio Veterans who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during a period of declared war or conflict — DEADLINE IS MAY 15 OF EACH YEAR. Eligibility: Veteran parent must be deceased or at least 60% VA-rated service-connected disabled for level of disability and financial situation to be considered. Student must be enrolled for full-time undergraduate study at an eligible Ohio college or university. Ohio residence is required, and applicant must be under 25.

Ohio Safety Officers College Memorial Fund

http://www.hesc.ny.gov/content.nsf/SFC/NYS_Regents_Awards_for_Children_of_Deceased_and_Disabled_Veterans

This fund provides a tuition waiver for children of members of the U.S. Armed Forces who were killed in the line of duty during OEF or OIF. Tuition waivers are also available (for up to four years of undergraduate education) for the spouse or qualified former spouse of a member of the U.S. Armed Forces killed in the line of duty while serving in a combat zone after May 7, 1975.

Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission

(MIC3)https://www.hesc.ny.gov/pay-for-college/military-corner.html

As a member of this national organization, Ohio ensures the fair and equal treatment of military children and the children of recent military retirees and service members who died on active duty. The compact provides support for children transferring between school districts and states, ensuring that their records, course placement, extracurricular participation and graduation needs are accommodated.

Purple Star Recognition Award

The Purple Star Award is for military-friendly schools in Ohio that show a major commitment to supporting the unique needs of students and families connected to our nation’s military.

Ohio National Guard Scholarship Program

This scholarship program provides, subject to available funding, 100 percent tuition to Army and Air Guard members attending a two- or four-year public college or university. It is available up to 12 full-time quarters or eight full-time semesters.

High School Diploma

School district/city boards of education may grant a high school diploma to any Veteran of WWII, the Korean War or Vietnam War, or to women who left school to support the war effort. If a person who qualifies for a diploma under this program is deceased, the diploma may be awarded posthumously. Eligibility: Veteran left school prior to graduation to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces or left school prior to graduation due to family circumstances and subsequently entered the Armed Forces. Veteran has not been granted a diploma. Veteran received an honorable discharge. A woman left school prior to graduation to join or subsequently join the workforce to support her family or to join the work effort

USERRA — Uniformed Services Employment & Re-employment Rights Act

This act is intended to ensure that persons who serve or have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, Reserves, National Guard or other “uniformed services” are: not disadvantaged in their civilian careers because of their service; promptly re-employed upon their return from duty, and are not discriminated against in employment based on past, present or future military service.

Employer Support of the Guard & Reserve (ESGR)

ESGR promotes a culture where all employers support and value the military service of their employees. ESGR recognizes outstanding support, increasing awareness of the USERRA law and resolving conflict through mediation.

Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (aka VR&E, VET90 or Ch. 31 Program)

This program assists Veterans with service-connected disabilities to prepare for, find and keep suitable jobs. For Veterans with service-connected disabilities so severe that they cannot immediately consider work, the program offers services to improve their ability to live as independently as possible

Feds Hire Vets

Feds Hire Vets is an initiative designed to help military Veterans transition to federal employment.

Apprenticeships/ On the Job Training

Veterans may receive tax-free living expenses during an apprenticeship or On the Job Training if the company’s training program is certified for GI Bill® funding. Apprenticeship programs teach high-level skills for today’s workplace. Ohio has more than 600 registered apprenticeship programs in fields as diverse as construction, energy, healthcare, manufacturing and utilities. Search the list of state apprenticeships available at the link below and contact the company you are interested in to see if they are certified to receive GI Bill® funding. If they are not, contact the ODVS State Approving Agency

OhioMeansJobs Centers

Veterans and military spouses can access free, one-on-one personal coaching for their job search at any of the 88 county OhioMeansJobs Centers. Additional intensive services are provided to eligible Veterans by Veterans under the Jobs for Vets State Grant Program. Priority is given to serving those who are economically or educationally disadvantaged, including homeless Veterans and Veterans with barriers to employment.

OhioMeansVeteranJobs

OhioMeansVeteranJobs.com gives Ohio Veterans, service members and their families one easy entry point to find information about jobs, building civilian resumes, professional licenses, benefits and how to obtain college credit awarded for military training, education and service. Veterans who register on the site will have their resumes seen first by employers who have jobs matching their skills

Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP)

The Department of Defense Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP) assists eligible homeowners who face financial loss when selling their primary residence homes in areas where real estate values have declined because of a base closure or realignment announcement. HAP is based upon the Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Development Act of 1966, and was expanded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. HAP consists of BRAC impacted personnel or wounded, injured, or ill and surviving spouse applicants.

Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)

HEAP is an Ohio Development Services Agency program that exists to help low-income Ohioans pay their utility bills. Eligibility: HEAP is a federally funded program designed to assist eligible low-income Ohioans with their winter heating bills. Households may be eligible for assistance from HEAP if the household’s income is at or less than 175 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. If you are eligible, the amount of your benefit will depend on federal funding levels, how many people live with you, your total household income, and the primary fuel you use to heat your home. In most cases, benefits will be a credit applied to your energy bill by your utility company. Emergency HEAP also may be available.

Smart Money Choices

The Ohio Treasurer of State offers an educational series that consists of financial education programs and workshops. Topics include budgeting, credit and debt management, elder care, entrepreneurship, retirement and estate planning, homeownership, identity theft and fraud prevention, insurance, investments, kids and money and Social Security.

Medical Facilities

The Veterans Health Administration is home to the largest integrated healthcare system consisting of 153 medical centers, in addition to numerous community-based outpatient clinics, community living centers, Vet Centers and Domiciliaries. Together, these healthcare facilities provide comprehensive care to Veterans in Ohio and nationwide. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of the medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology and speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.

Vet Centers

Vet Centers understand and appreciate Veterans’ war experiences while assisting them and their family members toward a successful post-war adjustment in or near their community. The VA provides mental health counseling for Veterans and families at seven Vet Centers in Ohio. Vet Center staff provide military sexual trauma (MST) and bereavement counseling to individuals, groups, and families. Services include treatment for any military-related issues that affect functioning within the family, work, school, or other areas of everyday life. Other services include outreach, education, medical referral, homeless Veteran services, employment, VA benefit referral and coordination with local providers. These services are a critical link in the overall healthcare available to Veterans

Ohio Cares for the National Guard

Ohio Cares is a collaboration of state and local agencies supporting the behavioral health of current active Ohio National Guard personnel and their families.

Ohio Heroes Program

The Ohio Housing Finance Agency offers all benefits of their first-time home buyer program to Ohio’s heroes at an interest rate that is lower than the going interest rate.

Ohio Legal Help

Ohio Legal Help seeks to improve justice and fairness for all Ohioans by removing barriers to the law so that they can understand their legal options, make informed decisions and connect to local legal and community resources. Ohio Legal Help is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 2018 to help Ohioans access the civil justice system. The organization provides plain language legal help information, interactive self-help tools, and connections to local legal and community resources that can help people resolve legal issues. Ohio Legal Help is supported in part by three noteworthy state-based organizations: The Supreme Court of Ohio, the Ohio State Bar Foundation and the Ohio Access to Justice Foundation.

Patriot Program

The Ohio Attorney General provides services for Ohio military. Legal Assistance: This pro bono program provides volunteer lawyers to assist military personnel and their families. Legal assistance is available for wills, powers of attorney, living wills and durable powers of attorney for healthcare. Consumer Protection: This section provides information to enable active-duty personnel and Veterans to protect themselves from scams and to assist those who have fallen victim. Civil Rights: Ohio law prohibits discrimination for military status in employment, housing and public accommodations, to include against a disabled active-duty person or Veteran who needs a service animal. Ohio law also prohibits discrimination for race, sex, color, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, and disability, protecting Veterans in those protected classes. Identity Theft: This section helps identity theft victims by working with credit report agencies, creditors, collectors, etc

Ohio’s Veterans’ Courts

Courts throughout Ohio are implementing special Veterans’ Courts, where the emphasis is on treatment and diversion rather than punishment. The Ohio Department of Veterans Services has established effective working relationships with these courts in order to provide guidance and assistance on issues like sustainable funding and obtaining certification from the Ohio Supreme Court.

Driver’s License

100 percent service-connected disabled Veterans are eligible for a free driver’s license. Upon renewal of a driver’s license, all Ohio Veterans with a valid DD-214 can receive a free “Armed Forces” stamp on their license, which can qualify them for retail discounts

Military License Plates

Ohio has over 40 varieties of military license plates including: Active duty plates Reservists plates Ohio National Guard plates Combat plates Gold Star Family plates Women Veteran plates These special plates cost the same as a regular plate and normal vehicle registration fees apply. Personalized or reserved license plates will require additional fees

Free License Plates

License plates are available at no charge to: 100 percent service-connected disabled Veterans. Medal of Honor recipients. Former Prisoners of War (POWs). Purple Heart recipients.

Military Injury Relief Fund

The fund grants a one-time, tax-exempt monetary payment to military service members injured in active service as a member of the U.S. Armed Forces while serving after October 7, 2001 and to individuals diagnosed with post-traumatic stress while serving after October 7, 2001.

Military Ready to Vote/ Vote in Honor of a Veteran

The Military Ready to Vote program of the Ohio Secretary of State is intended to make it easier for active-duty Ohio-resident military service members stationed outside the state to register and cast their votes. Online services of the program include: A Military Ready-to-Vote (MRV) packet designed to allow active-duty service members to register to vote and request an absentee ballot. The packet also has a Track your Ballot feature to ensure that the ballot reaches a local board of elections. An electronic download of the MRV packet or a .PDF of the Federal Post Card Application for an absentee ballot. An e-mail sign up for elections updates and reminders. Ballot information on state and local candidates and issues. Online Ohio elections results. The Secretary of State also offers the Vote in Honor of a Veteran program, which enables any voter to pay tribute to an individual service member by dedicating their vote to them. It also allows a voter to post a testimonial about their military loved one and to receive a special pin to wear on Election Day

For Service in Afghanistan & Elsewhere

This program provides a monetary bonus for those who served during the time of the conflict in Afghanistan. It pays $100 per month for service in Afghanistan and $50 per month for service elsewhere, up to a maximum of $1,500. Eligibility: Veterans (including those currently serving) can determine if they are eligible by visiting the website and using the eligibility tools. Generally, anyone who served honorably anywhere in the world for more than 90 days (not for training) on or after October 7, 2001 is eligible. Applicants must have been Ohio residents at the time of entry onto active duty and must be current Ohio residents.

Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame

The Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame was created to recognize the contributions of Veterans to their communities after they leave the service. The Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame Committee (consisting of all Veterans) selects no more than 20 inductees annually from nominations submitted throughout the year. This is NOT a Military Hall of Fame. Those inducted have served honorably in the military and have continued to serve and contribute in their communities, state and nation in an exemplary manner. Nominations are accepted all year, but to be considered for the November Induction Ceremony, packets must be received by June 1 of each year

Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame

Purpose: The Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame recognizes the postmilitary achievements of outstanding Veterans and spotlights all Veterans’ contributions to the civilian workplace and community. Eligibility: Served honorably in the military. Contributed to their community in a commendable way. Born in Ohio or lived in Ohio for at least five years. Must have received an honorable discharge from the U.S. Armed Forces and must provide a copy of discharge papers with the nomination. Be of good moral character, no felony convictions. Posthumous nominations are accepted.

The Ohio Veterans Homes

The Ohio Veterans Homes are comprised of three facilities at two locations: Located near Lake Erie in Sandusky, Ohio (approximately 60 miles west of Cleveland), the Sandusky Home offers standard and memory care in its licensed nursing home. The Sandusky home also offers Veterans Hall, a domiciliary (DOM) for those who are able to function in an independent living situation and DOM+ for those requiring very limited assistance (supervised care) but who do not require the level of care provided to nursing home residents. Located in scenic, rural Georgetown, Ohio (approximately 45 miles east of Cincinnati), the Georgetown Home offers skilled nursing services providing two levels of nursing care – standard care and memory care.

The Ohio Veterans Homes

Must have been an Ohio resident for one year, at any time during lifetime. Served on active duty during a time of war or armed conflict or be the recipient of the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal or Vietnam Service Medal. Most recent discharge must be under honorable conditions. Be disabled by disease, wounds or otherwise and, by reason of such disability, incapable of earning a living. Individuals who have medical conditions that cannot be adequately supported by OVH personnel are not eligible for immediate admission.

Free Licenses

Ohio Revised Code provides for eligible resident disabled Veterans and former prisoners of war to receive a fishing license hunting license fur taker permit deer permit wild turkey permit wetlands habitat stamp or any combination of these licenses free of charge.

Free Registration of Watercraft

Registration is available to 100-percent service-related disabled Veterans (as rated permanently and totally disabled by the VA) or former POWs, Medal of Honor recipients, or Veterans Car Assistance Program participants

Discounts at Ohio State Parks

Free camping is available to 100-percent disabled Veterans (as rated permanently and totally disabled by the VA) or former POWs. A 10-percent discount on camping, getaway rentals, cottages and lodge rooms is available to active duty military and Veterans.

1st Stop Business Connection

This state program provides free information for business people to get started or to continue to develop and grow a business.

Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTACs)

The PTACs help Ohio’s businesses sell goods and services to local, state and federal governments. In addition to services like marketing, one-on-one training and help with resources, the Ohio PTACs offer (at no cost to Ohio businesses) bid-matching services, product and procurement histories, military specifications and trade events where Ohio firms can meet government buyers. The program is part of a nationwide network of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers.

Small Business Development Centers

The Ohio Development Services Agency in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration has a network of Small Business Development Centers in Ohio. These centers contribute funds and resources to support small business development.

Mobilized Military Member Tax Exemption

Effective January 1, 2007, the deduction of military pay from federal adusted gross income received for active duty while stationed outside of the State of Ohio for greater than 30 days is allowed.

Military Retirement Pay — State Tax Exemptions

Effective January 1, 2008, military retirement pay and Survior Benefit Plan (SBP) benefits are exempt from Ohio income tax and local school district income taxes. Effective August 21, 2008, surviving spouse benefit plans are also exempt from Ohio income tax and local school district income taxes.

Homestead Exemption

Veterans who are rated by the VA as 100-percent disabled due to a service-connected disability are eligible for expanded Homestead Exemption property tax relief on their primary residential home. Instead of the $25,000 allowed for other eligible 65-and-older or permanently disabled applicants, eligible Veterans can exempt $50,000 of the assessed value of their primary residential home from property taxes, meaning that a home valued at $150,000 will only be taxed at a value of $100,000. These Veterans are also exempt from the $30,000 limit on annual income applied to other applicants; eligible Veterans have no limit on their annual income. Eligibility: A Veteran must have been separated or released from active duty under honorable conditions and receive a total disability rating, or total disability rating for compensation based on individual unemployability, for a service-connected disability or combination of service-connected disabilities

Show Fellow Ohioans You Served

Most Ohio County Recorders Offices can issue Veterans a state ID card in addition to the standard DD-214 designation. Find more at: https://www.starkcountyohio.gov/government/ offices/recorder/veterans.php At present, not all Ohio County Recorders are able to issue a Veteran ID. However, you still can request an ID through another county, or contact your local County Veterans Service Office.