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In this Update:
- New Law Extends PA Guard Family Education Benefit
- Urging Congress to Support the Major Richard Star Act
- VA Announces Longer Access to Community Care Services
- Financial Help for Pennsylvania Veterans Facing Hardship
- Congress Considering 2026 Federal Funding for Veterans Programs
- College Football Shows Appreciation for Veterans
- Upcoming Webinar: Preventing Veteran Suicide in Community Care
- Helping Veterans Get into College
- Tuition Assistance for Veterans
- Colleges That Support Veterans
- Support for Veteran Students
- Back-to-School Discounts for Veterans and Their Families
- Veterans Job Listing
- What are Vet Centers?
- Who is Eligible to Receive Services at Vet Centers?
- Contacting Your Local Vet Center
New Law Extends PA Guard Family Education Benefit
The Military Family Education Program (MFEP) covers the cost of a state college education for dependents of Pennsylvania National Guard members in return for a six-year service obligation. We passed a new law ensuring additional dependents are covered each time the member reenlists.
The benefit encourages talented Guard members to continue their service to the commonwealth and nation. Many Guard members who benefited from the original MFEP are now deciding whether to commit to another six years.
Act 32 of 2025 clarifies that a Guard member can receive a new MFEP assistance grant – helping an additional dependent – with each new service obligation. I was proud to support this family benefit for our men and women in uniform.
Urging Congress to Support the Major Richard Star Act
In late July, the Senate passed a resolution urging the U.S. Congress to support the Major Richard Star Act (H.R. 2102) under which former Service members who were medically retired from the military with less than 20 years of service (Chapter 61 retirees) AND are eligible for Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) would no longer have to forfeit a portion of the benefits they earned in service.
VA Announces Longer Access to Community Care Services
Veterans referred by the VA to community care for essential specialty services – including cardiology, gastroenterology, oncology and hematology, orthopedic and pulmonary care – will now receive 12 full months of uninterrupted treatment at VA expense before having to obtain a reauthorization from the VA. Prior to this change announced by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, community care referrals often needed to be reevaluated every 90 to 180 days, which could cause interrupted or delayed care.
Financial Help for Pennsylvania Veterans Facing Hardship
The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs offers financial support to veterans and their surviving dependents facing unexpected financial hardship through the Veterans Temporary Assistance (VTA) Program.
If you’re experiencing an unexpected financial crisis, the VTA program can provide up to $1,600 per year to help cover essential needs, including:
- Food and groceries
- Rent or mortgage payments
- Utility bills
- Fuel and heating
- Clothing and shelter
This program is designed to offer short-term relief during tough times, ensuring veterans and their families have the support they need.
Congress Considering 2026 Federal Funding for Veterans Programs
Veterans’ health care programs and benefits programs will be fully funded next year under legislation recently considered in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. The most recent version of the bill, as passed by the Senate, allocates approximately $300 billion for mandatory veterans’ benefits, including disability compensation, education assistance, vocational rehabilitation and employment training. The bill is now back in the House for consideration of changes made by the Senate.
College Football Shows Appreciation for Veterans
Starting at noon on Sept. 17, veterans can request two complementary tickets to see the Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Indiana during PSU’s annual Military Appreciation football game Nov. 8 at Beaver Stadium. Two additional tickets can be purchased at a discounted rate of $35 each. Tickets will only be available as long as supplies last but all veterans with proof of military service are invited to a free Military Appreciation Tailgate before the game at the Bryce Jordan Center.
Retired military can receive free tickets through VetTix to the University of Pittsburgh Panthers vs. Boston College Oct. 4 matchup for Pitt’s annual Hail to Heroes game at Acrisure Stadium.
Upcoming Webinar: Preventing Veteran Suicide in Community Care
Join the Suicide Risk Management Consultation Program (SRM) this month for a virtual lecture on preventing suicide among veterans receiving VA-authorized community care. The session will focus on implementing lethal means safety counseling – a strategy to reduce access to lethal methods like firearms.
What You’ll Learn:
- Veteran suicide rates
- What lethal means safety counseling is
- How to limit access to lethal means
- Insights from a recent pilot program in community health systems
How to Register in TMS:
- Click the “Instructor Led” button
- Select a class under “Available Classes”
- Click “Register” in the top right
- On the day of the event, go to the “Online Content” tab and click “Start Course”
For more info and resources, visit the TMS Resources site.
Helping Veterans Get into College
Service to School provides free college and graduate school application counseling and admissions support to veterans.
The University of Pennsylvania offers free pre-college bootcamps in English, Spanish, Math and Science, assistance with college applications, and financial aid and scholarships to eligible veterans living in Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware or Montgomery counties through the federal Veterans Upward Bound
Tuition Assistance for Veterans
- The Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty provides up to 36 months of education benefits to eligible veterans for a variety of programs including college classes.
- The Post-9/11 GI Bill can help qualifying veterans and service members and their children pay for college educational expenses.
- Many Pennsylvania colleges and universities participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program which helps qualifying veterans pay for tuition and fees the Post-9/11 GI Bill does not cover. Pennsylvania veterans who attend participating out-of-state schools may also be eligible for benefits through the program.
- Children or surviving spouses of a service member or member of the Selected Reserve who died on or after 9/11 could be eligible for 36 months of higher education financial assistance, including tuition, housing and fees, through the Fry Scholarship.
- The Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship provides added benefits to eligible veterans receiving Post-9/11 GI Bill or Fry Scholarship with up to 9 months, or $30,000 of benefits for training in high-demand STEM fields.
- The VFW Sport Clips Helps a Hero Scholarship offers up to $5,000 per semester to eligible veterans and service members looking to further their education.
Colleges That Support Veterans
Support for Veteran Students
Veterans Education Success offers free resources to help Veteran students navigating student loans, finding the right school and seeking scholarships. It also provides free legal services, advice and college and career counseling for the GI Bill.
The Student Veterans of America® is a non-profit that provides resources, scholarship opportunities, network support and advocacy for student Veteran success to, through and beyond higher education.
The VFW will award a Student Veteran Support Grant of up to $500 twice a year to VFW Posts or Departments for events that support student Veterans at a college or university.
Back-to-School Discounts for Veterans and Their Families
Apple’s Veterans and Military Purchase Program gives a 10% discount through ID.me.
HP offers up to 40% off electronics for Veterans through ID.me.
Veterans Job Listing
Every week, the Pennsylvania Nation Guard Association updates its free job board with good openings for National Guard members, Veterans and their families across Pennsylvania and in nearby states. The board features nearly 10,000 employment and internship postings.
What are Vet Centers?
VA Vet centers provide free and confidential readjustment counseling for war-zone Veterans and their families, from World War II to the current Global War on Terror.
Vet centers are small, non-medical, counseling centers conveniently located in our region. They’re staffed by highly trained counselors and team members dedicated to seeing you through the challenges that come with managing life during and after the military.
Whether you come in for one-on-one counseling or to participate in a group session, at Vet centers you can form social connections, try new things and build a support system with people who understand you and want to help you succeed.
Who is Eligible to Receive Services at Vet Centers?
Vet center services are available to Veterans at no cost, regardless of discharge character, and without the need to be enrolled in VA health care or having a service-connected disability. If you are a Veteran or service member, including members of the National Guard and Reserve, you can access Vet center services if you:
- Served on active military duty in any combat theater or area of hostility.
- Experienced military sexual trauma (regardless of gender or service era).
- Provided mortuary services or direct emergent medical care to treat the casualties of war while serving on active military duty.
- Performed as a member of an unmanned aerial vehicle crew that provided direct support to operations in a combat theater or area of hostility.
- Accessed care at a Vet Center prior to Jan. 2, 2013 as a Vietnam-era Veteran.
- Served on active military duty in response to a national emergency or major disaster declared by the president, or under orders of the governor or chief executive of a state in response to a disaster or civil disorder in that state.
- Are a current or former member of the Coast Guard who participated in a drug interdiction operation, regardless of the location.
Contacting Your Local Vet Center
Even if you are unsure if you meet the criteria to receive services from a Vet center, please contact a center.
Center services are also available to family members when their participation would support the growth and goals of the Veteran or active-duty service member. If you consider them family, so does your local center. Bereavement services are also available to family members of Veterans who were receiving Vet center services at the time of the Veteran’s death, and to the families of service members who died while serving on active duty.
Vet center locations in Pennsylvania are:
- Bucks County Vet Center, 2 Canals End Road, Suite 201B, Bristol, PA 19007, 215-823-4590
- DuBois Vet Center, 100 Meadow Lane, Suite 8, DuBois, PA 15801, 814-372-2095
- Erie Vet Center, 240 West 11th Street, Suite 105, Erie, PA 16501, 814-453-7955
- Harrisburg Vet Center, 1500 N. Second Street, Harrisburg, PA 17102, 717-782-3954
- Lancaster Vet Center, 1817 Olde Homestead Lane, Suite 207, Lancaster, PA 17601, 717-283-0735
- Norristown Vet Center, 320 East Johnson Highway, Suite 201, Norristown, PA 19401, 215-823-5245
- City Center Philadelphia Vet Center, 801 Arch Street, Suite 502, Philadelphia, PA 19107, 215-627-0238
- Northeast Philadelphia Vet Center, 101 East Olney Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19120, 215-924-4670
- Pittsburgh Vet Center, 2500 Baldwick Road, Suite 15, Pittsburgh, PA 15205, 412-920-1765
- Scranton Vet Center, 1002 Pittston Avenue, Scranton, PA 18505, 570-344-2676
- White Oak Vet Center, 2001 Lincoln Way, Suite 280, White Oak, PA 15131, 412-678-7704
- Williamsport Vet Center, 49 East Fourth Street, Suite 104, Williamsport, PA 17701, 570-327-5281
For more information, please visit www.Vetcenter.va.gov.
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