The Ultimate Guide to Oregon Veterans Benefits [Updated]

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In addition to the federal benefits available to all eligible U.S. military veterans regardless of location, each U.S. state offers additional benefits and exemptions for veterans and their families that are unique to that state.

Oregon is no exception!

More than 320,000 veterans make their home in the Beaver State (about 8% of the population), and numerous Oregon veterans benefits are available to honor and support those who served.

Some of the BEST Oregon Veterans Benefits

Oregon VA benefits specifically include:

• Property tax exemptions
• Education and training programs
• Recreational licenses and discounts
• Help with employment
• Emergency financial assistance.

Your military branch, career status, and disability status, as well as residence status can affect benefit eligibility.  

The Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs administers many of the Oregon state veterans benefits programs. This is a great place to learn about your state and national benefits or get help with claims and applications. 

Read on for the ultimate guide to Oregon veterans benefits!

Oregon Veterans Benefits for Taxes

Property Tax Exemptions for Oregon Veterans 

Property tax exemptions for veterans are one of the best Oregon disabled veteran benefits available.

If you’re a disabled Oregon veteran or the surviving spouse or registered domestic partner of a disabled veteran, you may be entitled to exempt $23,370 or $28,045 of your property’s assessed value from property taxes. (This amounts to an average savings of $350.)

The exemption amount increases by 3 percent each year. The exemption is first applied to your home and then to your taxable personal property.  

To qualify for the $23,370 exemption, you must meet ONE of these requirements:

• Be a veteran officially rated as 40% disabled or more by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces or
• Be a veteran who served with the U.S. Armed Forces and is certified each year by a licensed physician as being 40% or more disabled AND, in the year before the exemption year, whose total gross income does not exceed 185 percent of the annual Federal Poverty Level Guidelines.

To qualify for the $28,045 exemption, you must meet one of these requirements:

• Be a veteran who is officially certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces as having service-connected disabilities rated 40 percent or more; or
• Be a veteran’s surviving spouse or partner who hasn’t entered into a new marriage or partnership, where the veteran died due to service-connected injury or illness, or the veteran received at least one year of the maximum exemption.

Active-duty service members, including National Guard and Reserve members, may also qualify for a residential property tax exemption. 

If you are serving in the Oregon National Guard or Military Reserve forces and have been ordered to federal active duty (Title 10) or deployed under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), you are eligible for the exemption if:

• You are an Oregon resident
• You own your home and it is your primary residence
• You live in your home except for time away for military service
• You are ordered to serve under federal active duty (Title 10) or deployed under the EMAC for more than 178 consecutive days.  You will file an Oregon Active Duty Military Service Member’s Exemption Claim form #150-303-084 along with support documents showing the dates of service (such as your military orders or DD-214).

(If you are regular active enlistment or on a regular tour of duty, you do not qualify.)

NOTE: In Oregon, “partner” means the surviving registered domestic partner of a veteran. ORS 106.340 provides that domestic partners who have registered as provided in ORS 106.325 have the same privileges as spouses. So, a surviving registered domestic partner of a veteran is also eligible for this exemption.

The exemption claim form is at: https://www.oregon.gov/DOR/forms/FormsPubs/veteran-exemption-claim_303-086.pdf

Income Tax for Oregon Veterans

All active-duty pay earned outside Oregon and up to $6,000 of active-duty pay earned in Oregon is tax-free.

In Oregon, military retirement pay isn’t taxable either. (Only California, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia require veterans to pay taxes on their retirement income.)

VA disability payments and Social Security disability payments are tax-free in all states.

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Oregon Veteran Benefits for Education

Are there Oregon VA benefits for education? Yes!

The state offers a plethora of programs for veterans and service members (and their families) who seek tuition and education support. 

The Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs offers educational benefits for veterans and their dependents, including programs for individuals who served in the Guard or Reserves.

Oregon In-State Tuition 

A public university listed in ORS 352.002 or community college offers tuition and fees no greater than the resident rate if the student:

• Served in the armed forces of the United States.
• Was discharged from that service with either an honorable discharge or a general discharge under honorable conditions.
• newly enrolled after September 15, 2013 (undergraduate), or newly enrolled after September 15, 2014 (graduate student).
• Provides proof that the student has established a physical presence in Oregon within 12 months of being enrolled at the public university or community college.

Disabled Veterans’ Dependent Tuition Waiver

A child (including adopted children and stepchildren) or unremarried spouse of an individual who served in the U.S. military and who died while serving, who died due to a service-connected disability, or who is 100% disabled due to a service-connected disability, is eligible for a full tuition waiver at any Oregon public university or community college. This benefit does not include fees. It can be applied toward a bachelor’s or a master’s degree.

Additionally, a child of a veteran (living or deceased) who has been awarded a Purple Heart in 2001 or later due to injuries sustained in combat, and who received a discharge under honorable conditions, is also eligible for a tuition waiver.

All applicants must be residents of Oregon and must be admitted to a public university or community college. At the time a child applies for a tuition waiver for a bachelor’s degree, he or she must be 23 or younger.

To apply for a tuition waiver, complete the application form and send it to the Veterans’ Clerk Certifying Official at the educational institution you are attending. You must submit the application at least two weeks before you start school (though in some cases, exceptions may be made).  

Voyager Aid Program for Oregon National Guard and Reserve

Oregon VA benefits include a tuition benefit to residents of Oregon who have served in a combat zone since September 11, 2001.

The Voyager Aid Program will make up the difference between educational benefits from the VA and remaining tuition and fee costs. Students ineligible for VA educational benefits must submit proof of ineligibility. The Voyager Aid Program does not cover E-Campus or distance courses.

For more information, contact the financial aid office at your educational institution.

Oregon National Guard State Tuition Assistance

The Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 4035 in 2018 authorizing the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) to administer $2.5 million in grants to Oregon National Guard Service members attending Oregon community colleges or public universities.

This grant provides funding for tuition at Oregon community colleges (up to 90 credits) and public universities (up to 180 credits) for current Oregon National Guard members.

The Oregon National Guard State Tuition Assistance grant will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until all available funds are used. The grant is a “last dollar” program, meaning it is calculated after other state and federal grants for which eligible students qualify.

Priority Enrollment

Priority enrollment status is automatically assigned to incoming students for the New Mexico schools system whose active-duty, National Guard, or Reservist parent is transferred to a New Mexico military facility.  

Oregon Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children

This compact was designed to remove barriers to educational success faced by children of military families because of frequent moves and deployment of their parents. This program:

• Facilitates the timely enrollment of children of military families and ensures that they are not placed at a disadvantage due to difficulty in the transfer of educational records from the previous school district or variations in entrance or age requirements.
• Facilitates the student placement process through which children of military families are not disadvantaged by variations in attendance requirements, scheduling, sequencing, grading, course content or assessment
• Facilitates the qualification and eligibility for enrollment, educational programs, and participation in extracurricular academic, athletic and social activities
• Facilitates the on-time graduation of children of military families
• Provides for the uniform collection and sharing of information between and among member states, schools and military families 
• Promotes coordination between this compact and other compacts affecting military children
• Promotes flexibility and cooperation between the educational system, parents and the student in order to achieve educational success for the student

Honorary High School Diplomas for Oregon Veterans of World War II, Korea or Vietnam 

Veterans who were unable to complete their high school education due to entry into the military may be eligible to have a high school diploma awarded to them.

Diplomas can be requested in the school district the veteran attended or in the school district in which the veteran now resides. A representative of a veteran who is deceased may also request the diploma.

Eligibility requires:

• high school attendance prior to military service, and
• military service either:
  
  • during World War I, World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War
  • during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Just Cause, Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Operation Restore Hope, Operation Urgent Fury or Operation Enduring Freedom, OR
  • in an area the President designated as a combat zone, AND
• discharge or release under honorable conditions

A DD-214 is required to establish eligibility. 

Contact the Oregon Department of Education for more information.

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Oregon Veterans Benefits for Employment

There are several Oregon VA benefits that support veterans and their families with employment.

Hiring Preference

Veterans and disabled veterans receive preference when applying for federal, state, county, and local government jobs in Oregon.

All veterans with other than dishonorable discharges receive a 5-point employment preference over non-veteran competitors (5 extra points added to their successful exam scores, giving them a hiring preference over non-veterans). Disabled veterans in Oregon get an advantage of 10 points.  

To receive the preference, you must have served on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States:

• For more than 90 consecutive days beginning on or before January 31, 1955; or
• For more than 178 consecutive days; or
• For 178 days or less and has a disability rating from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs; or
• For at least one day in a combat zone;

 OR,

• Received a combat or campaign ribbon or an expeditionary medal for service in the Armed Forces ​
• Be receiving a non-service-connected pension from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Provide proof of eligibility by submitting a copy of your DD214/DD215 form (documentation must include character discharge).

A disabled veteran must have:

• A discharge or release from active duty for a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty; or
• A disability rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; or
• The Purple Heart for wounds received in combat.

Anyone currently serving in the National Guard also gets five points added to their final passing score on hiring exams for state employment.  

More information:  https://www.oregon.gov/EMPLOY/jobseekers/Pages/Veterans.aspx

Direct Professional Licensing for Military Experience

Thanks to an Oregon law passed in 2012, you may be able to attain official accreditation for skills gained from your military experience. 

The program, designed to quickly get service members back to work after serving in the military, requires certain professional licensing agencies and boards in Oregon to accept military training or experience as an allowable substitution for traditional civilian education or experience required for licensure, certification or registration. That means veterans in certain fields don’t need to go back to school for training they have already received in the military. 

Certain professions may have special requirements that must be met in addition to military education or experience.

Priority of Service in Training and Referrals

Through WorkSource Oregon, veterans and spouses of veterans may qualify for Priority of Service in employment and training services.

This includes priority referrals to jobs and other services over non-veteran applicants with the same qualifications.

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Oregon Veterans Benefits for Emergency Assistance

Oregon Veterans’ Emergency Financial Assistance Program (OVEFAP)

The Oregon Veterans’ Emergency Financial Assistance Program (OVEFAP) is for veterans and their immediate family (spouse, unremarried surviving spouse, child, or stepchild) who are in need of emergency financial assistance. Assistance is granted one time only and average award amounts vary.

For information: https://www.oregon.gov/odva/benefits/pages/emergency-assistance.aspx

Oregon Drop-in Centers

These are daytime sanctuaries where homeless veterans can clean up, wash their clothing, and participate in a variety of therapeutic and rehabilitative activities. Linkages with longer-term assistance are also available.

You can contact your local Vet Center or federal VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) for locations and services in your area.

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Oregon Veterans Benefits for Vehicle Licenses

Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services offers specialty license plates to veterans, disabled veterans, and qualifying family members.

Available plate styles include:

• Branch of service
• Campaign or service medals
• Permanent disabled veteran
• Specialty plates that support service organizations such as the Gold Star Family plate or the Purple Heart plate.

Veterans can purchase a license plate set displaying the word VETERAN for a $10 surcharge in addition to normal fees from a local Oregon Division of Motor Vehicles office. The $10 surcharge goes to the support of the Oregon Veterans’ Home. 

Proof of honorable military service is required. Former POWs, members of the active Oregon National Guard, and certain veteran service organization names are available on license plates.

Oregon Disabled Veteran Benefits for Registration Fees

Oregon disabled veterans qualify for a one-time registration fee for motor vehicle registration. There are no additional costs other than regular plate fees or replacement plate fees. The registration is valid for as long as the person who qualified for Disabled Veteran Plates remains an owner. These plates do not allow parking in designated disabled parking spaces.

The registration fee for Disabled Veteran Plates is $15 regardless of vehicle type. Only one set of plates may be issued per qualifying veteran. 

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Oregon Veterans Benefits for Recreation

Oregon veterans looking to take advantage of the Beaver state’s beautiful outdoor recreational resources may be eligible for reduced license costs and recreational fees.  

Oregon State Parks

You don’t have to be an Oregon resident to qualify for these benefits! Service-connected disabled veterans get free parking and camping at Oregon state parks.

You may camp for free in a tent, RV or standard horse campsite for 10 nights at a time at a single state park, or a total of 10 nights in a 30-day period, regardless of the location.

If you stay longer than 10 nights at a park, you will pay the standard rate for the extra days. You also have to pay the reservation fee. 

Active duty members get the same benefit, but they have to pay upfront and then file for reimbursement. Additionally, all active duty service members can visit Oregon state parks for free on Memorial Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day.

For more information: Oregon State Parks: Special Access Pass

Hunting and Fishing Licenses

​A free hunting and angling license for disabled war veterans with a federal VA-rated service-connected disability of 25 percent or more is offered through the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Veterans must be Oregon residents for at least six months. 

Also, non-resident uniformed service members are able to hunt or fish in Oregon for the same cost as a state resident.

For more information: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife: Hunters and anglers with disabilities​

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Oregon Veteran Benefits: Housing

Oregon Veterans Home Loans

Since 1946, the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs (ODVA) has helped more than 334,000 veterans realize their dreams of owning a home, loaning over $7.5 billion to veterans. 

ODVA offers a state veterans’ home loan that is an additional and separate benefit from the Federal VA Home Loan Guaranty Program. The current maximum loan amount is $417,000 for a single family, owner occupied residence and veterans are now eligible to use the loan as a lifetime benefit.

The program is designed specifically to provide veterans the lowest interest rate possible and is secured through special federal bonding only available to state home loan programs. 

The eligibility for the program expires 30 years after discharge from the U.S. Armed Forces. ODVA also offers home improvement loans. 

VA Home Loan Oregon: Learn more about Oregon Veterans Home Loans on the Oregon government website.

Or call 1-800-828-8801. 

Oregon Veterans Homes

Care at the Oregon Veteran’s Homes is an earned benefit available to veterans, their spouses and parents who had a child die while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.

To be eligible for this benefit, qualifying veterans must have served as defined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (Federal VA) and received an honorable discharge from their branch of service.

The Homes are Medicare and Medicaid Certified. A veteran may be eligible to have some or all of the cost of care at the Veterans’ Home covered by the VA. This requires a VA physician’s certification that nursing home care is needed due to a service-connected disability.

Typically, veterans who have a 70% or greater service-connected disability and are in need of skilled nursing care due to their disability are eligible to have the cost of care covered by the VA. 

The Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs has Admission Liaisons to assist veterans and their families with questions about care and the admissions process at the two homes.

The Dalles Oregon Veterans’ Home
700 Veterans’ Drive, The Dalles, Oregon 97058 Tel: (541) 296- 7190 or 800-846-8460. 
Program Director: Dallas Swafford Tel: 541-296-7152.
The Dalles website

Lebanon Oregon Veterans’ Home
600 North 5th Street, Lebanon, Oregon 97355 
Tel: (541) 497 -7265.
Program Director: Jeremy Woodall (541) 497-7268. 
Lebanon website

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Oregon Veterans Benefits for Health Care

Oregon provides Veterans with a Regional Benefits Office and VA Medical Centers.

Oregon VA Regional Benefits Office

• Portland: Portland Regional Office

Oregon VA Medical Centers

Station ID	Facility	Address	Phone
648	VA Portland Health Care System	3710 SW U.S. Veterans Hospital Road   Portland, OR 97239	503-220-8262 Or 800-949-1004
653	Roseburg VA Health Care System	913 NW Garden Valley Blvd.   Roseburg, OR 97471-6513	541-440-1000
692	White City or VA Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center	8495 Crater Lake Hwy.   White City, OR 97503	541-826-2111
531	Burns Oregon Outpatient Clinic	271 N Egan Ave   Burns, OR 97720	541-573-3339
648	Newport Outreach Clinic	1010 SW Coast Highway   Newport, OR 97365	541-265-4182
648GE	The Dalles Outreach Clinic	704 Veterans Drive   The Dalles, OR 97058	541-296-3937
648	West Linn CBOC	1750 SW Blankenship Rd Ste 300   West Linn, OR 97068	503-210-4900
648GA	Bend CBOC	2650 NE Courtney Drive   Bend, OR 97701	541-647-5200 Or 855-213-8002
653GB	Brookings VA Clinic	840 Railroad St   Brookings, OR 97415	541-412-1152
648ZZ	Community Resource and Referral Center (CRRC)	308 SW 1st Ave   Portland, OR 97204	503-808-1256 Or 800-949-1004 X 51256
653BY	Eugene Health Care Center	3355 Chad Dr.   Eugene, OR 97408	541-607-0897
653QA	Eugene VA Downtown Clinic	211 E 7th Ave Suite 118   Eugene, OR 97401	541-440-1000
648GE	Fairview Clinic	1800 NE Market Drive   Fairview, OR 97024	503-660-0600
692SS	Grants Pass West VA CBOC	1877 Williams Hwy   Grants Pass, OR 97527	541-955-5551
648GF	Hillsboro CBOC	1925 NE Stucki Ave., Suite #300   Hillsboro, OR 97006	503-906-5000
692GA	Klamath Falls CBOC	2225 North El Dorado Blvd.   Klamath Falls, OR 97601	541-273-6206
687GC	La Grande (OR) Community Based Outpatient Clinic	202 12th Street  La Grande, OR 97850	541-963-0627
648GB	Lincoln City Clinic	4422 NE Devils Lake Road, Suite 2   Lincoln City, OR 97367	541-265-0547
687TH	Morrow County VA Telehealth Clinic (Boardman OR)	2 Marine Drive, Suite 103 ~ P.O. Box 1059   Boardman, OR 97818	541-481-2255
653GA	North Bend VA Clinic	2191 Marion Street   North Bend, OR 97459	541-756-8002
648GD	North Coast CBOC	91400 N. Neacoxie Street, building 7315   Warrenton, OR 97146	503-220-8262 X 52593
648GB	Salem CBOC	1750 McGilchrist St. SE, Suite 130   Salem, OR 97302	971-304-2200
687TH	Wallowa County VA Telehealth Clinic (Enterprise OR)	401 NE 1st Street   Enterprise, OR 97828	541-426-0219
0622V	Central Oregon Vet Center	1645 NE Forbes Rd. Suite 105   Bend, OR 97701	541-749-2112
0626	Eugene Vet Center	190 East 11th Avenue   Eugene, OR 97401	541-465-6918
0645	Grants Pass Vet Center	135 N.E. Steiger Street   Grants Pass, OR 97526	541-479-6912
0617V	Portland Vet Center	1505 NE 122nd Ave.   Portland, OR 97230	503-688-5361
0640	Salem Vet Center	2645 Portland Rd NE, Suite 250   Salem, OR 97301	503-362-9911

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MAKE SURE YOU GET ALL THE OREGON VETERANS BENEFITS YOU DESERVE

Regardless of what state you live in, it’s important that you pursue the monthly compensation payments due to you for disabilities connected to your military service.

Most veterans are underrated for their disabilities and therefore not getting the compensation they deserve. 

At VA Claims Insider, we help veterans understand and take control of the claims process so they can get the rating and compensation they’re owed by law.

Our process takes the guesswork out of filing a VA disability claim and supports you every step of the way in building a fully-developed claim (FDC)—so you can increase your rating in less time!  

If you’ve filed your VA disability claim and have been denied or have received a low rating – or you’re not sure how to get started – reach out to us for a FREE VA Claim Discovery Call so you can FINALLY get the disability rating and compensation you deserve. 

We’ve supported more than 25,000 veterans to win their claims and increase their ratings. NOW IT’S YOUR TURN.

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