What each benefit actually is, who qualifies, and how to apply.
The Transition Roadmap tells you when — what to file at 180 days out, what expires on day 240, what order to do things in.
This guide tells you what — what each benefit is, whether it applies to you, and where to start.
Use the roadmap to stay on schedule. Use this when you hit something on the roadmap and think, "what even is that?"
No dollar figures here on purpose. Rates, payment amounts, and premiums change every year, and a stale number is worse than no number. Every section links to the official page where the current figures live.
Veterans Crisis Line — dial 988, then press 1. Or text 838255. Free, confidential, 24/7.
What it is. A monthly, tax-free payment for injuries, illnesses, or conditions caused or made worse by your service. It is not welfare, it is not need-based, and it does not reduce with income. A rating is expressed as a percentage from 0 to 100.
Why a 0% rating still matters. It means the VA has formally acknowledged the condition is service-connected. That unlocks other things — VALife eligibility, and a much simpler path if the condition worsens later.
Who qualifies. Any veteran with a current condition linked to service, and a discharge other than dishonorable.
How to apply. VA Form 21-526EZ, online at VA.gov.
The one thing people get wrong. Waiting. If you're not ready to file a complete claim, file an Intent to File (VA Form 21-0966) first — it holds your effective date for a year, so any back pay is calculated from that earlier date.
What it is. A single form that tells the VA "a claim is coming." It freezes your effective date for one year.
Why it matters. Compensation is paid back to your effective date. Filing an Intent to File on day one out and the actual claim eight months later can mean eight months of back pay you'd otherwise lose.
How. VA Form 21-0966.
What it is. Comprehensive medical care through the VA system — primary care, specialists, mental health, prescriptions, preventive screening.
Who qualifies. Far more veterans than believe they do. You do not need a disability rating. Enrollment is sorted into priority groups based on service history, service-connection, and income.
The window that matters. Veterans who served in a theater of combat operations after the Persian Gulf War, or in combat against a hostile force after November 11, 1998, get enhanced eligibility for up to 10 years from their most recent discharge — free care for conditions related to that service. The PACT Act extended this from five years to ten.
How to apply. VA Form 10-10EZ, online at VA.gov.
Do it even if you feel fine. Enrolling once establishes your record. It costs nothing to be enrolled and not use it.
TRICARE ends when you separate. What comes next depends on your separation type.
TAMP (Transitional Assistance Management Program) continues TRICARE premium-free for 180 days after separation — but it is not automatic and does not apply to everyone. It mainly covers involuntary separations, certain Reserve activations, sole survivorship discharges, and a few specific situations. A routine end-of-contract separation usually does not qualify. Check your status in DEERS or milConnect before you separate.
CHCBP (Continued Health Care Benefit Program) is premium-based bridge coverage you can buy when TRICARE or TAMP ends. It runs 18 to 36 months depending on your situation. You must purchase it within 60 days of losing coverage. That deadline is the one people miss.
What it is. A screening the VA provides to enrolled veterans for exposure to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other hazards. The PACT Act made a long list of conditions "presumptive," meaning the VA assumes the service connection rather than making you prove it.
Why it matters even if you're healthy. Getting the screening on record now helps enormously if something surfaces years from now.
→ va.gov/PACT
What it is. Tuition and fee coverage, a monthly housing allowance while you're enrolled more than half time, and a books and supplies stipend. Generally 36 months of entitlement.
Who qualifies. Service on active duty after September 10, 2001. The percentage of the benefit you receive scales with how long you served.
Does it expire? If your last discharge was on or after January 1, 2013, it never expires — that's the Forever GI Bill. If your service ended before that date, you have 15 years from your last separation.
How to apply. VA Form 22-1990.
The catch that surprises people. You can only transfer while you are still serving. It generally requires a minimum period of service and an additional service commitment. Once you're out, the door is closed.
If you have a spouse or kids and think school might be their path rather than yours, look at this well before you separate.
Children must generally use transferred benefits between ages 18 and 26.
What it is. Training, education, and employment support for veterans whose service-connected condition affects the work they can do. It can cover an entirely different career path, and in some cases it covers more than the GI Bill would.
Who qualifies. A service-connected disability rating and an employment handicap. You do not need a high rating.
How to apply. VA Form 28-1900.
Worth knowing. Many veterans use VR&E and keep their GI Bill in reserve for later, or for a dependent.
va.gov/careers-employment/vocational-rehabilitation →
GI Bill entitlement can be used for licensing and certification exams, apprenticeships, on-the-job training, and non-degree programs — not just college. If a trade credential is what actually gets you hired, you can spend the benefit there.
What it is. A mortgage guaranteed by the VA. Typically no down payment, no private mortgage insurance, and competitive rates.
Who qualifies. Service requirements vary by era and component. You'll need a Certificate of Eligibility (COE), which you can request online in minutes.
Things people don't know. The benefit is reusable — it isn't once-per-lifetime. And the VA funding fee is waived for veterans receiving compensation for a service-connected disability, which is one more reason to have a rating on record even at 0%.
Grants to build or modify a home for veterans with certain severe service-connected disabilities.
va.gov/housing-assistance/disability-housing-grants →
What it is. Veterans' Group Life Insurance, the civilian continuation of the SGLI you had on active duty.
The deadlines. SGLI continues at no cost for 120 days after separation, then ends. You can convert to VGLI within one year and 120 days of separation — but if you apply within 240 days, you skip the health questions entirely. That 240-day mark is the one to put in your calendar.
Worth comparing. VGLI premiums rise with age. If you're healthy, commercial term life may cost less. If you have conditions that would complicate underwriting, the no-health-questions window is valuable — don't let it pass while you shop.
What it is. Guaranteed acceptance whole life insurance for veterans with a service-connected disability rating — including a 0% rating. No medical exam, no health questions.
Who qualifies. Veterans age 80 or under with a rating of 0 to 100%, with no time limit to apply. Veterans 81 and older may qualify in narrower circumstances.
The trade-off. Because there's no medical underwriting, full coverage takes effect two years after you enroll, as long as premiums are paid. If you die during that period, your beneficiaries receive the premiums paid plus interest.
Why to look early. Premiums are locked at the age you enroll and never increase. The two-year clock starts the day you apply — so applying sooner is strictly better than applying later.
va.gov/life-insurance/options-eligibility/valife →
What it is. A hiring advantage for veterans applying to federal civil service jobs, applied as additional points or as preference in the selection process. Preference categories depend on service period, campaign badges, and service-connected disability.
What it isn't. It is not a guarantee of a job, and it doesn't apply to every federal position. But it's a real, legally structured advantage, and it's underused.
Related. Certain appointment authorities let agencies hire eligible veterans without going through the standard competitive process.
What it is. Unemployment benefits for recently separated service members. It's administered by your state, so amounts and rules vary.
Worth saying plainly. This is an earned benefit, not charity. Apply while you're searching.
Apply through your state's workforce agency.
Health coverage for the spouse and dependent children of a veteran who is rated permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected condition, or who died from one, when they aren't eligible for TRICARE.
va.gov/health-care/family-caregiver-benefits →
A monthly, tax-free payment to eligible surviving spouses, children, and in some cases parents, when a veteran dies from a service-connected condition or under certain other circumstances.
va.gov/disability/dependency-indemnity-compensation →
Support, training, counseling, and in some cases a stipend for family members caring for a veteran with a serious service-connected condition.
va.gov/family-and-caregiver-benefits →
This is the most overlooked category, and it varies enormously by where you live.
Commonly available:
Where to start. Your state's department of veterans affairs, and your county veteran service officer. Then check VeteransDirectory.org for organizations serving your area.
County Veteran Service Officers (CVSOs) and accredited VSO representatives — from organizations like the VFW, American Legion, DAV, and others — are trained and accredited to help you file claims. They are free. They handle these claims daily, they know what evidence a claim needs, and veterans who work with one generally fare better than those who go it alone.
On paid representatives. VA-accredited attorneys and claims agents may charge fees, but only in specific circumstances defined by law — generally not for an initial claim. If anyone offers to file your first claim for a percentage of your back pay, that's a signal to stop and talk to a CVSO instead.
Find one. Your county government's veteran services office, or VeteransDirectory.org.
If you're still in or recently out, the order matters more than the list. Work the Transition Roadmap — it puts these in sequence and flags the windows that close.
If something here applies to you and you're past the window, apply anyway. Several of these have no deadline at all, and a few of the ones that do have exceptions.
Looking for work? Our job board and federal jobs search are free, and so are the tools that help you translate what you did into civilian language.
Need something else? VeteransDirectory.org — veteran transition resources, so that veterans transitioning out of the military find the help they have earned now, not twenty years from now.
This guide describes federal programs in general terms and is not legal or financial advice. Eligibility rules and payment amounts change. Always confirm current details at VA.gov or with an accredited representative before making decisions.