Some of the biggest benefits are tied to a decoration, not a disability rating. If you were awarded the Purple Heart or the Medal of Honor, here is what that status unlocks and exactly how to claim it. For your state's specific rules, use this alongside our Benefits by State page.
Education only. Not the VA, not a government agency, and not financial, tax, or legal advice. Help with a VA claim or rating is always free through a VA-accredited Veteran Service Officer.
Tap your award below to jump straight to the benefits it unlocks and the exact steps to claim them.
In this section
If you were awarded the Purple Heart, that award by itself unlocks a specific set of federal benefits, no disability rating required for most of them. This guide walks through every benefit tied to Purple Heart status: health care, base access, travel, federal hiring, home loans, national parks, and the common state-level patterns (plates, property tax, tuition, hunting and fishing, tolls). For your state's exact rules, use our Benefits by State page alongside this guide. I'm not the VA or any government agency, just laying out the path so you don't have to hunt for it.
Nearly everything below asks for the same proof, so get it once and reuse it. Acceptable documents are your DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) showing the Purple Heart award, your Purple Heart certificate, or military orders citing the award.
Step 1 - If you already have a DD Form 214 (DD214) or Purple Heart certificate showing the award, skip to the next section.
Step 2 - If you don't have it, request your records online through eVetRecs at the National Archives (requires a free, identity-verified ID.me or Login.gov account).
Step 3 - If you need a replacement medal or certificate itself (not just the paperwork proving the award), request it through the National Archives replacement medals process, which forwards your request to your service branch for verification and mailing.
Step 4 - Get it there, then come back here and continue with the sections below.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) places Purple Heart recipients in Priority Group 3 for VA health care enrollment, one of the higher-access tiers, and you qualify regardless of your disability rating or how long you served. Purple Heart status also exempts you from the minimum-duty-of-service requirement that trips up some other applicants.
Step 1 - Confirm you're not already enrolled in VA health care. If you are, skip to Step 4.
Step 2 - Apply using VA Form 10-10EZ, "Application for Health Benefits," online at va.gov/health-care/how-to-apply, by phone at 877-222-8387, or in person at any VA medical center.
Step 3 - When you apply, indicate your Purple Heart status and be ready to provide your DD214 or Purple Heart certificate from the section above; this is what gets you placed in Priority Group 3 rather than a lower group.
Step 4 - Get it there, then come back here and continue with Step 5.
Step 5 - Confirm your specific copay obligations, since Priority Group 3 placement affects access and cost-sharing but doesn't automatically zero out every copay category (that depends on your disability rating and the type of care too). Check current rates and exemption categories at va.gov/health-care/copay-rates, or call the number listed there.
Step 6 - Review the full priority group criteria at va.gov/health-care/eligibility/priority-groups if you think you might also qualify for Priority Group 1 (50 percent or higher combined disability rating or unemployable) or another category, since a higher group can mean better access and fewer copays than Group 3 alone.
Your Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC) is the physical card that actually gets you through the gate at a Department of Defense (DoD) or Coast Guard installation and lets you complete a purchase at a commissary, exchange, or Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) facility. For Purple Heart recipients, the card can be printed with "PURPLE HEART" beneath your photo, which is what installation gate staff and cashiers check for.
Step 1 - Enroll in VA health care first if you haven't already (see Section 1); the VHIC is issued through that enrollment record.
Step 2 - Apply for your VHIC online through AccessVA or in person at a VA medical center.
Step 3 - If your Purple Heart status doesn't appear on the card once issued, contact the enrollment coordinator at your nearest VA medical facility and provide your DD214 or Purple Heart certificate to update your record, then request a reprinted card.
Step 4 - Get it there, then come back here and continue with Step 5.
Step 5 - Read the official rundown of what the card unlocks at va.gov/resources/commissary-and-exchange-privileges-for-veterans, and note that a plain Veteran Identification Card (VIC, the ID-only card without health enrollment) does not work for base or commissary access; you need the VHIC.
Step 6 - Once you have the VHIC in hand, you can also register for online commissary shopping and the Commissary Rewards Card through MyCommissary.
Space-Available (Space-A) travel lets you fly on empty seats aboard military aircraft after all higher-priority passengers and cargo are accommodated. Purple Heart status alone does not currently grant Space-A eligibility; that specific travel benefit is tied to having a permanent and total (P&T) service-connected disability rating, not the medal itself. I'm flagging this clearly since some general veteran-benefits lists blur the two.
Step 1 - Check whether you also hold a permanent and total (100 percent, permanent) VA disability rating; if you don't, you're not Space-A eligible on this pathway regardless of Purple Heart status.
Step 2 - If you do hold a permanent and total (P&T) rating, request your DD Form 2765, "Department of Defense/Uniformed Services Identification and Privilege Card," by first enrolling in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS), then visiting a military ID card office (find one via the RAPIDS ID Card Office Locator); this DD Form 2765 is the credential gate agents check.
Step 3 - Get it there, then come back here and continue with Step 4.
Step 4 - Review current sign-up procedures, terminals, and flight-tracking apps through your service branch's official Space-A page (for example, Air Mobility Command's Space-A page for Air Force-run terminals); rules on which terminals you can use and how far in advance to sign up vary by branch.
Step 5 - Note the travel is limited to the continental United States and direct routes to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa; it does not extend to Space-A hops to foreign countries. Eligible dependents holding a valid DD Form 1173 dependent ID card can generally travel under the same category.
Purple Heart recipients get 10-point veterans' preference in federal hiring, a higher tier than the standard 5-point preference for other veterans, and it applies on top of (not instead of) any other hiring authority you qualify under.
Step 1 - When you apply on USAJOBS, claim veterans' preference in your application and select the category that matches your situation. As a Purple Heart recipient you claim the CP preference code (Compensable Disability, meaning a service-connected VA disability rating of 10 to 29 percent) or, if your service-connected rating is 30 percent or higher, the CPS preference code (Compensable Disability, 30 percent or more); the Purple Heart itself qualifies you as a disabled veteran for 10-point preference even at a lower rating. These codes are described on the USAJOBS veterans help page.
Step 2 - Upload your DD214 showing the Purple Heart award, and to claim 10-point preference also upload your VA disability letter (available at va.gov/records/get-veteran-benefit-letter) plus Standard Form 15 (SF-15), "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference," available at opm.gov.
Step 3 - If your combined VA disability rating is 30 percent or more, ask the hiring agency's HR office about the 30% or More Disabled Veteran noncompetitive appointment authority, which lets an agency hire you directly into a position without a public vacancy announcement; details are at opm.gov/fedshirevets.
Step 4 - If you have a documented disability but a lower or no VA rating, ask about a Schedule A appointment, a separate noncompetitive hiring path for people with disabilities; you'll need a letter from a licensed medical professional, a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist, or a federal, state, or local government agency certifying you have an intellectual disability, severe physical disability, or psychiatric disability.
Step 5 - Ask the agency's HR office about the Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA), a separate noncompetitive authority that lets agencies appoint eligible veterans up to the General Schedule (GS) grade GS-11 (or equivalent) without a public competition; Purple Heart recipients are among the veterans covered, and you can confirm the current eligibility rules and grade cap through the same OPM veterans hiring page above.
Step 6 - Get it there, then come back here and continue applying to postings on USAJOBS, attaching all supporting documents to each application (agencies generally require them per-application, not on file once).
The VA home loan funding fee, normally charged on every VA-backed purchase or refinance, is waived entirely for Purple Heart recipients who are on active duty at the time of closing. This waiver applies to every VA loan you use for the rest of your life, not just your first one.
Step 1 - Confirm you were on active duty (not separated) at the time your Purple Heart was awarded and remain on active duty at loan closing; this specific waiver is tied to active-duty status at closing, distinct from the separate funding-fee exemption available to veterans with a 10 percent or higher service-connected disability rating.
Step 2 - Request or review your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) through va.gov/housing-assistance/home-loans/how-to-request-coe and confirm it shows all three conditions: Active Duty Servicemember, Purple Heart Recipient, and Funding Fee exemption.
Step 3 - If the COE doesn't reflect the Purple Heart exemption, contact the VA Regional Loan Center at 877-827-3702 and submit your DD214, Purple Heart certificate, or military orders as evidence; your lender can also submit this documentation on your behalf.
Step 4 - Get it there, then come back here and continue with Step 5.
Step 5 - Make sure your lender has the updated COE in hand on or before your loan closing date; the exemption must be established by closing, not applied for retroactively after the fact.
Step 6 - If you separate from active duty before using this specific waiver, ask your lender whether you instead qualify under the general disability-rating-based funding fee exemption (10 percent or higher service-connected rating), which has its own eligibility path described at va.gov/housing-assistance/home-loans/funding-fee-and-closing-costs.
There are two different free passes here, and it's worth getting the right one (or both, since eligibility overlaps for many Purple Heart recipients).
Step 1 - If you are a veteran with any honorable or general discharge, you qualify for the free lifetime America the Beautiful Veterans Access Pass, no disability rating or Purple Heart status required at all, covering entry to over 2,000 federal recreation sites plus discounted camping. Get it in person and free of charge at any federal recreation site that issues passes (national parks, wildlife refuges, national forests), or order one by mail through the USGS Store for a processing fee.
Step 2 - If you separately have a permanent, medically documented disability (including many Purple Heart recipients with a permanent and total (P&T) rating), you also qualify for the America the Beautiful Access Pass for people with permanent disabilities, which carries the same benefits and can be obtained the same way, in person for free or by mail through the USGS Store for a processing fee.
Step 3 - Bring proof of veteran status (DD214) or proof of permanent disability (VA disability letter) when picking up your pass in person at a park or federal recreation site.
Step 4 - Get it there, then come back here; the pass itself is your access credential going forward, nothing further to file.
Every state runs its own Purple Heart program, so specifics (dollar amounts, exact discount percentages, which agency issues what) vary by state and change year to year. Rather than guess at your state's numbers here, use our Benefits by State page to pull your state's exact rules, then come back here for the common pattern each category follows so you know what to look for and which office handles it.
Step 1 - Purple Heart or Combat Wounded license plates. Most states offer a dedicated Purple Heart plate, often with the registration fee waived or reduced for one or more vehicles. This is issued through your state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or equivalent (sometimes called the Bureau of Motor Vehicles or Secretary of State's office depending on the state); you'll typically need your DD214 or Purple Heart certificate and a completed plate application. Look up your state's exact form and fee on your Benefits by State page.
Step 2 - Vehicle registration fee waivers or discounts. Separate from the plate itself, some states waive or discount the annual registration fee for Purple Heart recipients on one qualifying vehicle; this is handled by the same DMV office as Step 1 and often bundled into the same application.
Step 3 - Property tax exemptions. Every state offers some form of property tax relief for veterans, and many carve out an enhanced or full exemption specifically for Purple Heart recipients or those with a qualifying combined disability rating. This is filed with your county tax assessor or county auditor's office (not the state), typically annually or as a one-time homestead-style filing, and requires your DD214 and proof of residency/ownership. Confirm your county's filing deadline, since property tax exemption windows are often tied to the local tax year.
Step 4 - Tuition waivers and education programs. A number of states waive tuition and fees at public colleges and universities for Purple Heart recipients (and sometimes their dependents), separate from federal GI Bill benefits. This is applied for through the state's higher-education agency or directly with the public institution's registrar/veterans services office, and generally requires proof of state residency plus your DD214 or Purple Heart certificate.
Step 5 - Hunting and fishing licenses. Many states offer free or discounted lifetime hunting, fishing, or combination licenses for Purple Heart recipients, issued through the state's Department of Natural Resources, Fish and Wildlife agency, or equivalent. Bring your DD214 or Purple Heart certificate to the licensing office or upload it through the state's online licensing portal.
Step 6 - Toll exemptions or discounts. A smaller number of states tie toll exemptions to a Purple Heart or disabled-veteran license plate (from Step 1) rather than requiring a separate application; others don't offer a blanket toll benefit at all and instead limit relief to specific disability categories. Check this one carefully on your state page since it's the least uniform benefit in this whole guide.
Step 7 - Get it there, then come back here and continue down this checklist for any remaining category you haven't yet claimed in your state.
Print-and-take checklist
☐ Pulled DD214 and/or Purple Heart certificate (via eVetRecs / National Archives if not on hand)
☐ Enrolled in VA health care (VA Form 10-10EZ) with Purple Heart status noted, confirmed Priority Group 3 placement
☐ Confirmed current VA copay obligations at va.gov/health-care/copay-rates
☐ Applied for or updated VHIC with Purple Heart designation via AccessVA
☐ Registered for MyCommissary online shopping once VHIC is in hand
☐ Checked Space-A eligibility (requires permanent and total disability rating, not Purple Heart alone) and DD Form 2765 if eligible
☐ Claimed 10-point veterans' preference on USAJOBS with SF-15 and supporting documents
☐ Asked HR about 30% Disabled Veteran authority, Schedule A, or Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA) if applicable
☐ Confirmed VA home loan Certificate of Eligibility shows Purple Heart funding-fee exemption before closing
☐ Picked up free America the Beautiful Veterans Access Pass (and Access Pass if permanently disabled)
☐ Looked up my exact state on the Benefits by State page for plates, property tax, tuition, hunting/fishing, and tolls
☐ Applied for Purple Heart license plate through my state DMV
☐ Filed property tax exemption with my county assessor/auditor
☐ Applied for state tuition waiver if pursuing education
☐ Applied for hunting/fishing license discount through my state wildlife agency
This guide is for education only. Rated, Now What is not the VA, the Department of Defense, or any government agency, and we're not affiliated with any of them. Program rules, forms, and dollar amounts change, so always confirm current details on the official .gov links above before you act. If you're filing a new VA disability claim or asking VA to increase an existing rating, don't pay anyone and don't DIY it alone: work with a free VA-accredited Veteran Service Officer (VSO), which you can find through the VA's accredited representative search. And please be careful out there: if anyone contacts you offering to help you "unlock" your VA benefits for an upfront fee, or tries to move your VA compensation into an annuity or investment product, that is a red flag for pension-poaching and benefits-skimming schemes targeting veterans. Legitimate benefits are free to apply for through the official channels listed in this guide.
In this section
If you or a family member received the Medal of Honor, you were handed the single richest benefits package in the entire veteran system. It is not automatic across the board (a couple of pieces need a written application), and a couple of pieces really are automatic once your name is on the right list. This guide walks through every one of them in the order that makes sense to actually do them, with the exact form, the office that handles it, and the official link. Come back to this page (Rated, Now What is home base) after each errand and pick up at the next step. This is education only, not the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or the Department of Defense (DoD), and RNW has no affiliation with either.
The Medal of Honor Roll is a formal registry kept by your parent service (Army, Navy, Air Force/Space Force, or Coast Guard). Getting your name entered on it is the trigger for the special pension below, so it is the first errand, not an afterthought.
Step 1: Confirm you have not already been entered on the Roll. Most recipients are entered automatically by their service around the time of the award ceremony, but the entry still requires a written application on file per 38 CFR 3.802 (Code of Federal Regulations) at ecfr.gov 38 CFR 3.802. If you were awarded years ago and never filed anything or never started receiving the special pension, treat yourself as not yet entered and go to Step 2.
Step 2: If your parent service is the Army, contact Army Human Resources Command, Awards and Decorations Branch, through the Army's official Medal of Honor program page at army.mil/medalofhonor, get the branch-specific intake packet there, then come back here and continue with Step 3.
Step 2 (Navy or Marine Corps): Contact Navy Personnel Command (NPC), Military Awards Branch (PERS-83), at mynavyhr.navy.mil, get the intake packet there, then come back here and continue with Step 3.
Step 2 (Air Force or Space Force): Contact the Air Force Personnel Center (AFPC), Total Force Service Center, at afpc.af.mil, get the intake packet there, then come back here and continue with Step 3.
Step 2 (Coast Guard): Contact the Coast Guard Personnel Service Center (PSC) at uscg.mil, get the intake packet there, then come back here and continue with Step 3. (Each branch runs its own Medal of Honor Roll intake and there is no single tri-service form.)
Step 3: Submit the written application your service requires (a signed letter or short form requesting entry on the Medal of Honor Roll, plus a copy of your award citation/General Order). Your service secretary's office determines eligibility and, once approved, forwards a certificate to the VA on your behalf under 38 CFR 3.802. You do not send anything to the VA yourself for this step.
Step 4: Keep a copy of whatever confirmation your service sends back (letter, certificate, or Roll-entry notice). You will want it on hand for Section 2 (the pension) and any time a state Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or a service academy admissions office asks you to prove Medal of Honor status.
This is a tax-free monthly payment from the VA, separate from and in addition to any VA disability compensation, military retired pay, or Social Security you already receive. It does not require a service-connected disability rating and has no income or net-worth limit. Congress passed the MEDAL Act (part of the Medal of Honor Act, H.R. 695) in late 2025, and it was signed into law December 1, 2025, raising the monthly rate substantially from its prior level. Because the exact current dollar figure changes with this new law and with annual cost-of-living adjustments, do not rely on any number you see repeated on news or veteran-benefit blogs. Confirm the live rate on the VA's own page before you plan around it.
Step 1: Check the current published rate on the VA's official special benefit allowances page at va.gov special benefit allowance rates, which lists the Medal of Honor Pension line item. This is the only figure to trust; treat any other number as approximate until you see it there.
Step 2: File a written application for the special pension with your service secretary at the same time you apply for Medal of Honor Roll entry in Section 1 (it is normally one combined packet, not two separate ones). Per 38 CFR 3.802, payment starts as of the date your name is entered on the Roll, and the pension is paid in addition to every other benefit you are entitled to under federal law.
Step 3: If your service already notified the VA of your Roll entry but payments never started, or you believe you are owed back payments, call the VA directly at 1-800-827-1000 and reference 38 CFR 3.802 and the Medal of Honor Pension (MOHP) program by name. The VA is authorized to pay a lump sum for any missed period once eligibility is confirmed.
Step 4: Know you can decline it if you want to. Under 38 CFR 3.802 you may elect in writing not to receive the special pension; if you later change your mind you can notify the Secretary in writing to start receiving it again. There is no reason most recipients would decline, but the option exists.
Step 5: If you are a surviving spouse or child asking about related VA payments after a recipient's death (this is a different benefit than the recipient's own pension, which stops at death), the relevant form is VA Form 21-534EZ, Application for DIC (Dependency and Indemnity Compensation), Death Pension, and Accrued Benefits by a Surviving Spouse or Child, at va.gov Form 21-534EZ. File it online, by mail, or at a VA regional office.
Under 10 U.S.C. 1065 (see uscode.house.gov 10 USC 1065), Medal of Honor recipients and their dependents get shopping privileges at military commissaries and exchanges (the Exchange/PX/BX, Navy Exchange, etc.) and access to Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) facilities (gyms, marinas, lodging, etc.) on the same basis as a retiree. This runs off your ID card, so getting the card is the actual task.
Step 1: Get your own DoD-issued ID card (Uniformed Services ID, formerly the "retiree ID") at any ID Card/DEERS office. Find the nearest office and book a slot through the RAPIDS (Real-time Automated Personnel Identification System) Site Locator and appointment scheduler at ID Card Office Online, get the appointment booked there, then come back here and continue with Step 2. Bring your Medal of Honor certificate/citation and a state or federal photo ID.
Step 2: Get your eligible dependents (spouse and children) added to DEERS (the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System) so they can get their own cards. You as the sponsor complete DD Form 1172-2, Application for Uniformed Services Identification Card and DEERS Enrollment, at DD Form 1172-2 (PDF). You can pre-sign it through milConnect at milconnect.dmdc.osd.mil if you have a CAC (Common Access Card), or sign it in person at the RAPIDS site.
Step 3: Take the signed DD Form 1172-2, plus two forms of ID for the dependent (one government-photo ID), to the same RAPIDS site booked in Step 1. The form is valid 90 days from your signature, so do not sign it and then sit on it.
Step 4: Once cards are in hand, commissary, exchange, and MWR access work the same as it does for any retiree family: show the ID card at the gate or register. No separate enrollment is needed for shopping itself.
Space-A lets you fly free on military aircraft with open seats. Medal of Honor recipients get an especially favorable priority category, and the privilege extends to accompanying family members when you are traveling with them. The governing rule is DoD Instruction 4515.13 (see DoDI 4515.13 (PDF)).
Step 1: Confirm you already have the Uniformed Services ID card from Section 3, Step 1. That card is your Space-A eligibility document; there is no separate Space-A card.
Step 2: Register for a specific flight using the Air Mobility Command (AMC) official Space-A system at the AMC Space-A travel page, or contact the passenger terminal at the departing base directly (some terminals still take sign-ups by phone or in person; check the specific terminal's page linked from the AMC site). Get registered there, then come back here and continue with Step 3.
Step 3: Show up at roll call at the passenger terminal with your ID and (if traveling with family) their ID cards from Section 3. Seats are assigned by priority category and then by sign-up date/time within that category, so arrive early and be flexible on dates.
Step 4: If a specific terminal's local rules or current category listing feels unclear, call that terminal's passenger service directly (numbers are on the AMC Travel Site) rather than guessing; local terminals sometimes add their own scheduling wrinkles.
This one has no application at all, so there is nothing to file. Under 10 U.S.C. 772 and its exceptions (see uscode.house.gov 10 USC 772), Medal of Honor recipients may wear the military uniform at their own discretion, at any time or place, which is broader than the rules that apply to ordinary veterans or retirees (who can generally only wear it on specific occasions like funerals, weddings, and patriotic events). The only limits that still apply are the general prohibited-activity rules that restrict anyone in uniform (no partisan political activity in uniform, no uniform while engaged in civilian employment that reflects poorly on the honor of the medal, etc.). Keep your award paperwork on hand in case anyone questions it, but there is no permit, card, or registration required to exercise this privilege.
Beyond the federal DoD ID card in Section 3, most states issue a distinctive Medal of Honor license plate, usually free of charge and exempt from renewal fees, and some pair it with other state-level privileges (parking, toll exemptions, hunting/fishing licenses, etc. vary by state).
Step 1: Find your state's Medal of Honor plate program through your state DMV or Department of Licensing site, get the application from there, then come back here and continue with Step 2. A few confirmed direct links: California DMV, New York DMV, Washington State DOL, Wisconsin DOT, Nevada DMV, Florida DHSMV Form 83034. If your state is not listed here, search "[your state] DMV Medal of Honor license plate" and go to the .gov/.us result.
Step 2: Get your proof-of-award document ready: your DD Form 214 showing the Medal of Honor, or the official award citation/General Order, whichever your state's application requests.
Step 3: Submit the state's specific application form (each state uses its own, usually a one-page PDF from the links in Step 1) at your local DMV office, by mail, or online where offered, along with the proof document from Step 2.
Step 4: Ask the same DMV clerk about any other state veteran or disabled-veteran plate/tax benefits stacked on top of the Medal of Honor plate itself; some states allow combining, some don't, and it varies enough that it is worth asking rather than assuming.
Medal of Honor recipients are automatically entitled to full military honors at burial (the level normally reserved for those killed on active duty), which typically includes six pallbearers, a bugler (or recorded Taps if a live bugler is unavailable), a chaplain, and an officer in charge, along with eligibility for burial at Arlington National Cemetery regardless of rank, and eligibility for any VA national cemetery. This section is for whoever is handling arrangements, since the recipient obviously will not be doing this step themselves.
Step 1: Notify the funeral home handling arrangements that the deceased was a Medal of Honor recipient; this is the detail that upgrades the honors package, so make sure it is written on the intake paperwork, not just mentioned verbally.
Step 2: To request military funeral honors directly (independent of the funeral home), contact the Casualty/Funeral Honors office of the deceased's last branch of service, or use the DoD Military Funeral Honors program info at the National Cemetery Administration page cem.va.gov military funeral honors, which lists the branch-specific contacts.
Step 3: To request burial at Arlington National Cemetery specifically, contact the Arlington National Cemetery Interment Services Branch directly at arlingtoncemetery.mil/Funerals, since Arlington has its own scheduling office separate from other VA national cemeteries.
Step 4: For burial at any VA national cemetery (not Arlington), the family or funeral director calls the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-800-535-1117, or starts online at the VA burial benefits page va.gov schedule a burial. This also covers the free headstone/marker and Presidential Memorial Certificate that come with VA national cemetery burial.
Step 5: If the recipient wants a private (non-national) cemetery instead, you can still request a government headstone, marker, or Medal of Honor medallion to affix to a private marker, using VA Form 40-1330M, Claim for Government Medallion to Affix to a Privately Purchased Headstone or Marker, at VA Form 40-1330M (PDF).
This is one of the most valuable and least-known benefits. Biological or adopted children of Medal of Honor recipients can be admitted to West Point (U.S. Military Academy), the U.S. Naval Academy (which also covers Marine Corps-commissioning routes), and the U.S. Air Force Academy (which also covers Space Force) completely outside the normal congressional nomination and state-quota system. Every applicant still has to meet the academy's academic, physical, and medical admission standards; this benefit removes the nomination bottleneck, not the standards themselves.
Step 1: Confirm your child (biological or adopted) meets each academy's baseline eligibility: U.S. citizen, unmarried, no dependents, and within the academy's age window at time of entry (each academy publishes its own exact age range on its admissions site, so check before assuming).
Step 2: Apply directly to each academy your child is interested in, then come back here and continue with Step 3. There is no separate "Medal of Honor" application; your child completes the normal admissions application and the Medal of Honor category is selected as the nomination source instead of a congressional nomination. Links: West Point admissions; the U.S. Naval Academy has a dedicated page for this exact benefit at Children of Medal of Honor Awardees; U.S. Air Force Academy nomination requirements at academyadmissions.com nomination.
Step 3: In the application's nomination section, select or state "Medal of Honor" as the nominating source (rather than requesting a Senator, Representative, or Vice-Presidential nomination), and attach documentation proving the parent's Medal of Honor award (the certificate or citation from Section 1 works well here).
Step 4: Complete the same academic file every applicant completes: SAT, ACT, or CLT scores, a Candidate Fitness Assessment, medical exam through DoDMERB (Department of Defense Medical Examination Review Board), and school transcripts. Get each of those done through the academy's own portal (linked from the admissions pages above), then come back here and continue with Step 5.
Step 5: Submit before the academy's own deadline. Applications typically open around July 1 the year before intended entry and close in late January of the entry year; confirm the exact current-cycle date on the specific academy's admissions page in Step 2, since exact dates shift year to year.
The Medal of Honor itself does not come with a dedicated GI Bill-style tuition benefit for dependents the way, for example, a service-connected death in the line of duty does. If a family also separately qualifies on other grounds (a service-connected disability rating, death in the line of duty, or a Purple Heart), those programs run through completely different rules and offices, and the fence below applies. Two adjacent things worth a quick check, neither of which requires a disability rating or claim:
Step 1: If dependents are not otherwise covered by TRICARE (the military health system, which the family typically already has through the recipient's ID card from Section 3), ask about CHAMPVA (Civilian Health and Medical Program of the VA) eligibility at va.gov CHAMPVA only if there is also a separate qualifying disability or death-related trigger; Medal of Honor status alone does not create CHAMPVA eligibility.
Step 2: Check whether the Congressional Medal of Honor Society (the recipients' own nonprofit membership organization) currently runs any scholarship or family-support program by visiting its official site directly at cmohs.org, since that organization (not the VA or DoD) is the right place for any Medal of Honor-specific philanthropic education support.
Everything above is a downstream benefit tied to the medal itself, not a VA disability claim. If you also want to file for or increase a VA disability rating (service-connected compensation, which is separate from the Medal of Honor pension), do not pay anyone and do not try to self-file the complex version. Work with a free, VA-accredited Veterans Service Officer (VSO) through the VA accredited representative search at va.gov get help from accredited representative, or your local Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), or American Legion post. That is a fully separate process from anything in this guide, and RNW's role stops at pointing you to that free help, not doing the claim itself.
Print-and-take checklist
☐ Confirmed I am (or my family member is) entered on the Medal of Honor Roll; if not, filed the written application with my parent service
☐ Confirmed the current Medal of Honor Special Pension rate on va.gov and that payments are active (called 1-800-827-1000 if not)
☐ Booked a RAPIDS appointment and picked up my Uniformed Services ID card
☐ Signed DD Form 1172-2 and got dependents enrolled in DEERS with their own ID cards
☐ Registered for Space-A travel at my departure terminal for an upcoming trip
☐ Applied for my state's Medal of Honor license plate with proof of award attached
☐ Discussed Medal of Honor status with the funeral home / pre-need file so full honors and Arlington/VA cemetery eligibility are on record in advance
☐ If applicable, started my child's service academy application selecting Medal of Honor as the nomination source
☐ Checked cmohs.org for any current Medal of Honor Society family programs
☐ If pursuing a separate VA disability rating, connected with a free VA-accredited VSO rather than a paid consultant
This guide is educational only. It is not the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, or any branch of the U.S. military, and Rated, Now What has no affiliation with any of them. Benefit amounts, forms, and eligibility rules change (the Medal of Honor pension itself just changed materially under the MEDAL Act signed December 1, 2025), so always confirm current details on the official .gov or service-branch site linked above before acting. Never pay a fee to a company or individual claiming they can get you the Medal of Honor pension, a faster Roll entry, or any other benefit described here faster or more reliably than the free official channels. There is no legitimate paid shortcut, and anyone offering one is running a pension-poaching or annuity-sales scheme aimed at veterans. If someone contacts you unsolicited offering to "help" with these benefits for a fee or a cut of a lump sum, treat it as a scam and report it to the VA Office of Inspector General at vaoig.gov.
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