Veterans Benefits

★ EDUCATION ★Grants for Veterans andPOW/MIA DependentsQualified veterans of the U.S. Armed Forcesare eligible for consideration for state grants whilethey are full-time undergraduate students.Veterans must be Pennsylvania residents and meetother PHEAA eligibility requirements.Dependent children of members or formermembers of the U.S. Armed Forces who served onactive duty after January 31, 1955 who are listed asmissing in action and who were residents ofPennsylvania for at least 12 months prior to activeduty are eligible for undergraduate state grants.For more information, call toll-free 1-800-692-7392.Educational GratuityPayments of educational gratuities are forchildren of honorably discharged veterans whohave been certified by the U.S. Department ofVeterans Affairs as having wartime service-connecteddisabilities rated as totally and permanentlydisabled or children of veterans who die and havedied of war service connected disabilities. Formore information, call (717) 861-9410.★ MOTOR VEHICLES ★For requests and questions on the followinginformation, call toll-free 1-800-932-4600.Vehicle RegistrationOn the application of a disabled veteran whoseservice-connected disability is certified at 100 percentby the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs,the PA Department of Transportation will issue aspecial registration plate designating the vehicle asbelonging to a disabled veteran or a severely disabledveteran.

Purple Heart Recipient/Ex-Prisoner of WarLicense PlatesAny former POW or Purple Heart recipientowning a vehicle may apply for these plates. Theplates may be used for a passenger car or truck witha registered gross weight of not more than 9,000 lbs.When registering a vehicle, the applicant mustpay a nominal fee to cover the cost of processing forissuing or renewing the registration.Parking PlacardNo fee is charged to a veteran with a disabilitycertified by the U.S. Department of VeteransAdministration as service-connected for a parkingplacard designating the vehicle as used by a disabledperson.Applications for any of the special licenseplates/parking placard can be obtained from anycounty director of veterans affairs office or bycalling the PA Department of Transportation at1-800-932-4600.★ EMPLOYMENT ★Civil Service PreferenceHonorably discharged veterans receiving a passingscore on a PA State Civil Service examination aregiven an additional ten points on initial appointmentonly. Widows of veterans and wives of disabled service-connectedveterans are also extended the samepreferential rating. For more information, contactthe PA State Civil Service Commission, P.O. Box 569,320 Market Street, Harrisburg, PA 17108, or call(717) 783-3058.

Veterans EmploymentVeterans employment representatives are locatedat all PA CareerLink offices or participatingagencies providing free job counseling and placementinformation. For more information, contactyour local Employment Security Office atwww.cwds.pa.gov/cwdonline.State RetirementHonorably discharged veterans employed bythe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for a period ofthree years may be eligible to purchase credit foractive military duty time (not to exceed five years)for retirement purposes.Contact a State Employees’ Retirement System(SERS) Counselor to determine your eligibility. Ifyou call SERS toll-free (1-800-633-5461) from alocation in Pennsylvania, you will be automaticallyconnected to the Retirement Counseling Centerserving the county from which you are calling.★ ASSISTANCE AGENCIES ★PA Bureau forVeterans AffairsToll-Free NumbersFt. Indiantown Gap – 1-800-547-2838Philadelphia – 1-866-754-8637Pittsburgh – 1-866-754-8636MiscellaneousIndiantown Gap National CemeteryFort Indiantown GapAnnville, PA 17003-5002Phone: (717) 865-5254Vietnam Veterans of AmericaGeneral Information LineToll-Free 1-800-882-1316…continued on next page

State Veterans HomesTo be eligible, a veteran, spouse or survivingspouse of an eligible veteran:• Must have served in the U.S. Armed Forces orPA National Guard;• Must be honorably discharged; and,• Must be a Pennsylvania resident.Applications are processed on a “first come, firstserved” basis. For more information or applications,contact your county director of veterans affairs orone of the following:Department of Military & Veterans AffairsVeterans Homes SystemAnnville, PA 17003(717) 861-8906 or 1-800-547-2838Hollidaysburg Veterans HomeP.O. Box 319 • Hollidaysburg, PA 16648(814) 696-5201Gino J. Merli Veterans Center401 Penn Avenue • Scranton, PA 18503(570) 961-4300Pennsylvania Soldiers and Sailors Home560 East Third Street • Erie, PA 16507(814) 871-4531Southeastern Veterans CenterOne Veterans DriveSpring City, PA 19475(610) 948-2400Southwestern Veterans Center7060 Highland DrivePittsburgh, PA 15206(412) 665-6706Delaware Valley Veterans Home2701 Southampton Road • Philadelphia, PA 19154(215) 8562700Statements in this pamphlet are intended for general informationand do not have the effect of law or regulation.