FINANCIAL ADVANTAGE
Additional Benefits For Illinois Veterans
Illinois Veterans and their families may qualify for valuable state benefits that can lower property taxes, reduce higher-education costs, and help make an accessible home more affordable. Understanding the Illinois disabled Veteran benefits available to you—from property tax exemptions to tuition grants and specially adapted housing assistance—can help you make the most of the benefits you’ve earned through military service.
Tax Relief
Property Tax Exemptions for Veterans in Illinois
- Disabled Veterans can receive substantial property tax relief—and some pay no property tax on their primary residence. Illinois' Standard Homestead Exemption for Veterans with Disabilities reduces the equalized assessed value (EAV) of a qualifying Veteran's primary residence based on the VA-certified service-connected disability rating. Veterans rated 30%–49% receive a $2,500 EAV reduction, 50%–69% receive a $5,000 reduction, and Veterans rated 70% or higher receive a total exemption from property taxes on the qualifying primary residence. The exemption must generally be applied for annually through the county assessment office.
- Returning Veterans can receive an additional homestead exemption. Illinois Veterans returning from active duty in an armed conflict may qualify for the Returning Veterans' Homestead Exemption, which provides a $5,000 reduction in EAV for the Veteran's principal residence for two consecutive assessment years. Eligibility and filing requirements apply.
Family Tuition Assistance
Education Benefits for Illinois Veterans & Families
- Eligible Illinois Veterans can have tuition and mandatory fees covered at public colleges. The Illinois Veteran Grant (IVG) pays eligible tuition and mandatory fees at Illinois public universities and community colleges for qualifying Veterans. It can be used for undergraduate or graduate study for the equivalent of four academic years of full-time enrollment, up to 120 eligibility units.
- Families of 100% disabled, deceased, POW, or MIA Veterans may qualify for up to four years of tuition assistance. Illinois' Deceased, Disabled, and MIA/POW Veterans' Dependents Scholarship pays tuition and mandatory fees at Illinois state-supported colleges and universities for eligible spouses and children of qualifying Veterans. The program provides up to 120 points, equivalent to four years of full-time enrollment, for dependents of Veterans who are MIA, POW, died from qualifying service-connected circumstances, or are rated by the VA as 100% permanent and totally disabled due to service-connected causes, including qualifying individual unemployability.
Home Financing
Housing Benefits for Illinois Veterans
- Illinois can provide up to $15,000 toward specially adapted housing. Veterans who qualify for the federal VA Specially Adapted Housing Grant and meet Illinois residency requirements may qualify for a single state lump-sum payment of up to $15,000 to help acquire a suitable home with fixtures or facilities made necessary by a permanent and total disability.
- Additional assistance may help Veterans adapt an existing home. Eligible Veterans receiving federal specially adapted housing assistance may also qualify for an Illinois grant of up to $3,000 toward remodeling costs made necessary by the Veteran's permanent and total disability. Eligibility is tied to the federal VA specially adapted housing benefit and Illinois program requirements.
Sources
- Illinois Department of Revenue — Property Tax Relief for Veterans and Persons with Disabilities
- Illinois Department of Revenue — Property Tax Exemption Information
- Illinois Student Assistance Commission — Illinois Veteran Grant
- Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs — Deceased, Disabled, and MIA/POW Dependents Scholarship
- Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs — Housing Benefits and Specially Adapted Housing Grant
- Illinois General Assembly — Disabled Veterans Housing Act