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Veteran Benefits, Financial Resources, and Discounts for Military Families

15 min read
Veteran Benefits, Financial Resources, and Discounts for Military Families

Military families have a lot to deal with - emotionally, logistically, and financially. What benefits are out there for military families to make life a bit easier for them? Where can they find discounts and deals? We've created this helpful financial guide aimed specifically to help military family members learn about the different resources, federal programs, retail discounts, and deals for dependents of U.S. soldiers.

U.S. soldier family members should be able to rely on fellow Americans to provide support and help in one way or another. In this guide we aim to help military families navigate their finances as well as get the support needed in various aspects of their busy lives.

The Most Important Organizations and Resources for Military Families

The Most Important Organizations and Resources for Military Families

There's one key thing to keep in mind, one thing that's hammered into our brains again and again: Everyone serves. Whether you're military personnel, retired veterans, or have family members who serve or are veterans themselves, it's important to remember there are plenty of resources and support groups available. However, beyond asimple breakdown of military family benefits, it's easy to get lost in military resources and give up on your search before finding what you really are after! Here are the main support groups that all dependents should check and use regularly:

  • Military OneSource: The government's official one-stop resource for military spouses, this site includes materials on deployment, relocation, parenting, and finances. It offers 24/7 confidential support and counseling, access to the free Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Digital Library for adults and children, and a lot of information about what's out there for military family benefits. 👥 💬 💼 🎓
  • National Military Family Association (NMFA): The NMFA is one of the longest-running organizations made for family support. They've wooed national sponsors for a ton of different helpful programs, from family retreats to caregiver support. It's simply one of the best military websites out there for information and resources. 💼 👥 🎓
  • Operation Homefront: The top nonprofit resource for helping to build "strong, stable, and secure military families," Operation Homefront offers many types of financial help and programs such as Homes on the Homefront, Transitional Homes, and the Holiday Toy Drive. 💼 👥
  • Blue Star Families: Offering everything from career coaching to discounted movie tickets, this community offers the opportunity to get support in a variety of ways. Sign up to get a mentor and find the help you need. 💼 👥 🎓
  • Tutor.com: This is an official resource for completely free online tutoring and homework help for U.S. military members and their families. The members themselves, children, and some spouses are eligible. 🎓
  • Operation Code: Offering military veterans and family members a new career path, this nonprofit organization offers accelerated learning programs for coding, programming, and software development. 🎓
  • FOCUS Project: Medical experts at Harvard Medical School and UCLA have been studying the resilience of military families for decades, and now, they offer courses in resilience and coping training. 👥

Air Force Benefits

The Air Force provides Airmen and their loved ones with outstanding insurance plans and low-cost life insurance. They also take care of basic needs such as living expenses, including utilities and maintenance for those who choose to live in on-base housing. Vacation benefits include 30 days with pay and, if they choose to fly, they can take advantage of available space on Air Force aircraft to travel to many international destinations as well as almost any state in the U.S.

Other benefits include:

  • Adoption Assistance: In which eligible service members who are actively serving may be reimbursed a maximum of $2,000 per child for qualifying expenses related to the adoption of children under age 18. 🎓
  • Air Education and Training Command: The first step in every Airman’s Career. 🎓
  • Air Force Aid Society Merit Scholarship: A $5,000 scholarship available to dependent Children and Spouses of active duty and retired Airmen who have demonstrated outstanding potential based on their GPA. 💼 👥 🎓
  • The full list ofAir Force specific benefitscan be used to save thousands of dollars every year on education, healthcare, and family services.

National Guard Benefits

Members of the National Guard qualify for a range of benefits offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

These include benefits such as:

  • Life Insurance Programs: Providing Nation Guard members and their families with added financial security at very competitive rates. 👥
  • Pension: Providing tax-free monthly benefit to wartime Veterans with limited or no income. 👥
  • Home Loan Benefits: Helping service members purchase, retain or adapt a home. 🎓
  • Health care benefits: Providing all necessary inpatient hospital care as well as outpatient services to preserve, promote and restore the health of those who serve. 💼 👥
  • Burial & Memorial Services: Reimburses the burial costs for a Veteran and/or their dependents . 🎓

Military Marriage & Spouse Benefits

Military Spouse Assistance

Military Spouse Assistance

The wives, husbands, and partners of military members may feel like they're alone, but that's far from the truth. Not only are there communities of military spouses ready to network with, but there are more scholarships, business funds, and remote jobs available than ever before! Military spouse benefits and resources include everything from a free library to a military family life counselor to partner associations.

Benefits for Children and Dependents

Benefits for Children and Dependents

"Military brats" have a mixed bag of privileges and struggles. The drawbacks are pretty obvious, with a family member going missing for long stretches of time, lots of moving, and needing to switch schools frequently. The benefits of being a military child include having access to educational tools, tutoring, and various kinds of financial help. Luckily, there's support for military families during deployment, especially for military children. Benefits of military family members include some of the following programs:

Do Parents Get Military Discounts? Are They Considered Dependents?

Military benefits for parents of service members are limited. They cannot be enrolled in Tricare, but if you learn how to make a parent a military dependent, they may have access to some limited Tricare Plus options.

Financial Concerns: Banking, Military Family Insurance, Loans, and Emergency Assistance

Financial Concerns: Banking, Military Family Insurance, Loans, and Emergency Assistance

Health care can get expensive, especially if someone is treating a spouse with PTSD or a potential brain injury. Luckily, military family benefits tend to cover those sorts of things, but that doesn't mean the transient lifestyle can't lead to unforeseen costs, or even sudden wealth. Getting a hold of good military insurance benefits not only helps in emergencies but also can provide resources in times when things are going well. A number of insurance and financial options are available as well as ways money can be drawn on in times of stress.

  • USAA: With numerous forms of banking, insurance, wealth management, and loans for military family members, from auto loans to mortgages to health insurance to credit monitoring, the USAA is the top insurer of military families and veterans.
  • Armed Forces Insurance: Providing active military and veteran insurance for family needs from auto to renters' insurance, AFI has been an important provider sine 1887.
  • First Command: A banking solution that offers financial planning, loans, investment management, and insurance for military family members, this institution dates back to the 1950s.
  • Tricare: This is the official health insurance of the U.S. military.
  • AAFMAA: This banking solution offers mortgages, wealth management, and life insurance.
  • Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society: They offer many kinds of services and loans for military family members, from financial counseling to thrift shops to education assistance.
  • Army Emergency Relief: For those in the Army, this organization offers interest-free loans and grants as well as financial assistance.
  • Veterans of Foreign Wars Grants: The VFW offers emergency financial assistance for veterans.
  • Military Star Card: Earn rewards and build credit with a military-focused credit card.

Your individual state may have a military family relief fund for direct financial aid as well!

Discounts for Military Families

Discounts for Military Families

There's a huge array of military discounts out there for a huge variety of situations: when things are going well and you're shopping for a gift for your loved one's return, or when things are a bit more dire and spouses are scrounging for cheap groceries. We've picked out some of the most useful deals for military families that can help transitions go smoother.

Recreation and Vacation

Many attractions like museums, national parks, and even amusement parks give vacation deals to military families. If your loved one is looking for a bit of rest and relaxation, you may be able to find a military lodging facility that could fit your needs, such as the Hale Koa Hotel or the Shades of Green Resort. Check the Information, Tickets, and Travel Office or look for a USO. There are a lot of options!

Hotel and Flight Discounts

Note that besides buying military family discount flights, you can also travel via train or bus: Amtrak offers 10% off on tickets, or you can get up to 30% off on Greyhound tickets or 15% off on Peter Pan bus tickets.

Other Military Family Discounts and Deals

Below you'll find a few military programs that once enrolled you'll have access to exclusive deals and discounts for a variety of online retailers and services:

  • GOVX: Servicemen and -women themselves can get deals for everything from gear to baseball tickets to hotels to discount airline tickets for military families.
  • ID.me: Put in a military ID and you can get discounts with a variety of brands. It's sort of like a military discount Groupon!
  • Veterans Advantage: Easily find military discounts and savings with this network.
  • Military Bridge: This similar resource focuses on discounts at small or local businesses.

Most military deals at stores and restaurants pertain only to the service members themselves, but there are still many more deals out there that extend to military family and dependents. Discounts are everywhere, but here's a brief overview of what's available. (Keep in mind that each one of these military family deals has special rules and regulations.)

Clothing

Electronics

Food

Cars and Home

Gifts/Other

Looking For More Military Family Discounts?

If you haven't found the coupons and deals you need here, know that there are always more deals out there for military dependents. You can use CouponFollow's Interactive Military Discount Guide to sort through over 250+ different Military discounts, coupons and deals based on programs you've enrolled in and categories of interest.