Texas Veteran State Benefits

By Jane Amar

According to the Texas Veterans Commission, there are over 1.7 million Texans who are U.S. veterans, including 100,000 who served in the recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Texas organizations such as the Texas Veterans Commission have helped veterans and their dependents to receive over $1.5 billion in benefits. Various agencies in Texas help veterans with issues ranging from health to home-buying.

The Texas Veterans Commission employs 75 counselors trained by the Veterans Administration on VA programs. These experts, located within the Veteran Administration's facilities throughout the state, assist veterans, their dependents, or survivors with their applications for benefits, appeals of denials, questions about VA benefits, and help completing various VA forms. Some counselors participated in a pilot program in 2008 to expedite processing of VA claims at the VA's Waco Regional Office. The Texas counselors reduced claims processing time for Texas veterans to 11 days compared to the average processing time of 132 days for claims filed directly with the Veterans Administration.

The Texas Veterans Commission has a Veterans Education staff that helps veterans or their eligible family members reach their educational goals. The staff assists with completing paperwork, and helps veterans understand the rules of school officials and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and works with those who are having difficulty receiving their educational benefits. Counselors also help veterans with job placement. Staff members conduct informational outreach activities with schools, veterans' groups, employers and current military members to inform them about VA educational programs.

The Transition Assistance Program (TAP) is a partnership between the Departments of Defense, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Labor's Veterans' Employment and Training Service. The program sponsors training for staff from organizations such as the Texas Veterans Commission, who then visit military installations and assist service members being discharged with the transition to civilian life. The program provides a three-day workshop on employment opportunities, job-searching techniques, how to write resumes, and career guidance. Workshop attendees on average find a job three weeks sooner than those who do not attend. The related Disabled Transition Assistance Program provides vocational and informational services geared toward disabled veterans.

Texas Veterans Commission representatives located at VA facilities throughout the state provide free vocational or rehabilitation counseling to veterans or current military personnel and their eligible dependents. The counselors have training on helping veterans select a career, and guide them to special programs that provide education or job experience for veterans, such as jobs with employers who have received incentives to provide on-the-job training to veterans. Counselors help veterans locate jobs, prepare for job interviews, or select the right schools for additional education that the VA may finance. If the veteran has medical issues, counseling includes help with obtaining medical care and locating independent living services. Eligibility for counseling varies and veterans should contact the nearest Texas Veterans Commission counselor for guidance on their eligibility for services.

The Texas Veterans Land Board offers three different loans to eligible veterans-- land loans, housing loans, or home-improvement loans. Financing for the program is independent of federal housing programs, so Texas veterans who have received VA assistance are still potentially eligible for these programs. The Texas Veterans Land Board helps veterans purchase vacant tracts of land, and may provide up to $325,000 to finance the purchase of a home, or up to $25,000 for veterans who need to make substantial repairs to their home. The Land Board programs do not include refinancing.

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