Veteran Benefits for Oregon

• Oregon Retired Military Pay Income Taxes: Retired military personnel may be able to subtract some or all of their federal pension income. The subtraction amount is based on the number of months of federal service before and after October 1, 1991. Retirees can subtract their entire federal pension if all the months of federal service occurred before October 1, 1991. If there are no months of service before October 1, 1991, retirees cannot subtract any federal pension. If service included months before and after October 1, 1991, retirees can subtract a percentage of their pension income. To determine your percentage, divide your months of service or points earned before October 1, 1991, by your total months of service or points earned. Round your percentage to three places (example: 0.4576 = 45.8%). Once you determine the percentage, it will remain the same from year to year.
• Oregon Property Tax Exemption: Veterans rated at 40% or more disability rating may qualify for a property tax exemption.
• Oregon State Taxes on U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Disability Dependency and Indemnity Compensation: Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is a tax-free monetary benefit paid to eligible survivors of military service members who died in the line of duty or eligible survivors of Veterans whose death resulted from a service-related injury or disease.
• Military Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP)/ Reserve Component Survivor Benefit Plan (RCSBP)/ Retired Serviceman’s Family Protection Plan (RSFPP) Oregon State Tax Benefits: The Surviving Spouse of a deceased military Service member may be able to subtract some or all of their federal pension income. The subtraction amount is based on the number of months of federal service before and after October 1, 1991. Spouses can subtract the entire federal pension if all the months of federal service occurred before October 1, 1991. If there are no months of service before October 1, 1991, retirees cannot subtract any federal pension. If service included months before and after October 1, 1991, retirees can subtract a percentage of their pension income. To determine your percentage, divide your months of service or points earned before October 1, 1991, by your total months of service or points earned. Round your percentage to three places (example: 0.4576 = 45.8%). Once you determine the percentage, it will remain the same from year to year.
• Oregon Military Pay Adjusted Gross Income Subtractions: You may qualify for more than one of the subtractions below if your federal adjusted gross income (AGI) includes military pay. Military pay is: active duty pay, reenlistment bonuses, and pay for guard and reserve annual training, weekend drills, and inactive duty training.
  • Stationed outside Oregon – For military pay earned while stationed anywhere outside Oregon
  • Guard and reserve away from home – For military pay earned by National Guard members or reservists assigned away from home 21 days or more
  • Other military pay – For any remaining taxable military pay after taking the above subtractions, up to $6,000

Sales Tax:

• Statewide: None
• Gasoline Tax: 55.22 cents/gallon (includes all state, local, and federal taxes)
• Diesel Fuel Tax: 60.45 cents/gallon (includes all state, local, and federal taxes)

Recreation

Disabled Veteran Hunting and Fishing Licenses: Service-connected resident disabled war veterans rated 25% or more can get free hunting & fishing licenses. Disabled veterans are also eligible for an Oregon Elk tag at a reduced cost.

Active Duty Hunting & Fishing Licenses: Active duty members can get hunting & fishing licenses for the resident rate.

Oregon State Parks: You DO NOT have to be an Oregon resident to qualify for these benefits. Service-connected disabled veterans get free parking and camping at 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.

Education Programs

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 grants 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.

Oregon Instate Tuition and Fees for Student Veterans: A public university listed in ORS 352.002 or community college shall charge an enrolled student who is not a resident of this state, and who is attending classes as an undergraduate or graduate on a public university or community college campus in this state, tuition and fees no greater than the resident rate if the student:

• Served in the armed forces of the United States
• Was relieved or discharged from that service with either an honorable discharge or a general discharge under honorable conditions
• Undergraduate student newly enrolled after September 15, 2013, or graduate student newly enrolled after September 15, 2014
• 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

Oregon Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children: It is the purpose of this compact to remove barriers to educational success imposed on children of military families because of frequent moves and deployment of their parents by:

• Facilitating the timely enrollment of children of military families and ensuring 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.
• Facilitating 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
• Facilitating the qualification and eligibility for enrollment, educational programs, and participation in extracurricular academic, athletic and social activities
• Facilitating the on-time graduation of children of military families
• Providing for the promulgation and enforcement of administrative rules implementing the provisions of this compact
• Providing for the uniform collection and sharing of information between and among member states, schools and military families under this compact
• Promoting coordination between this compact and other compacts affecting military children
• Promoting flexibility and cooperation between the educational system, parents and the student in order to achieve educational success for the student

Housing: The following are the sites for Veterans Homes

Oregon State Veterans Home at Ardmore

Oregon State Veterans Home at Claremore

Eligibility for admission:

• Discharged other than on dishonorable accounts
• Veterans who are disabled and in need of care
• There is a fee for service
• Spouses and Gold Star Parents may be eligible

Employment and Job Training: Veteran Preference

All honorably discharged Veterans can have 5 points added to any state employment examination scores. Those with a VA service-connected disability will get 10 points added to their score.

Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act: Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) protect civilian job rights and benefits for Veterans and members of Reserve components. USERRA also makes major improvements in protecting service member rights and benefits by clarifying the law, improving enforcement mechanisms, and adding Federal Government employees to those employees already eligible to receive the Department of Labor assistance in processing claims.

Paid leave for Oregon State Employees for Military Training: Oregon State employees receive 15 calendar days of military leave each training year. National Guard or Reserve Service members are eligible for paid leave for military training.

Oregon Military Family Leave Act (OMFLA): OMFLA provides 14 days of unpaid leave per deployment due to a Spouse or same-sex domestic partner being called to or on leave from active military duty. OMFLA requires covered employers to grant leave to employees who have worked an average of at least 20 hours per week. Any employer already covered by the Oregon Family Leave Act (OFLA) is covered by the Oregon Military Family Leave Act. Generally speaking, any employer with 25 or more employees in Oregon is covered.

Burials and Memorials

Please note that your preference regarding burial in a national cemetery and use of a headstone provided by VA should be documented and kept with your paperwork and medical records. Eligibility for interment in the State Veterans Cemetery follows National Cemetery Administration eligibility requirements.

National Cemeteries include:

Eagle Point: Eagle Point National Cemetery

Portland: Willamette National Cemetery

Roseburg: Roseburg National Cemetery

Oregon VA Benefit Resources

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

• Roseburg: Roseburg VA Health Care System
• White City: White City or VA Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center

Important information for Oregon Veteran Benefits:

For Veterans applying for VA benefits for the first time, you must submit a copy of your DD 214 (discharge paperwork). This will provide your discharge status, along with your full name, social security number, branch of service, and dates for which you served. Honorable and general discharges qualify a Veteran for most VA benefits.

You should always keep your paperwork, along with your medical records, in a safe place where you and your family can have access to them. It is imperative to have it in a location where it cannot be destroyed or tampered with, which includes a safe.

Your eligibility for most VA benefits is based upon discharge from active military service under other than dishonorable conditions. Active service means full-time service as a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or as a commissioned officer of the Public Health Service, the Environmental Services Administration or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Any Veteran discharged from the military under the conditions of “Dishonorable” due to bad conduct discharges issued by general courts-martial may bar VA benefits. Veterans in prison and parolees may be eligible for certain VA benefits. VA regional offices can clarify the eligibility of prisoners, parolees, and individuals with multiple discharges issued under differing conditions.

*This information is accurate as of December 2019

Oregon Veteran Benefits

If you are a disabled Veteran in Oregon and are VA rated 90% or less, you may be eligible for additional benefits. Contact Veterans Guardian for a free consultation with no obligation. Let us review your claim to determine whether you qualify for additional benefits.