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Alaska has the highest per-capita veteran population of any state, and approximately 36% of them receive VA disability (25,184 in 2025, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs). But many more benefits are available in addition to healthcare and monthly compensation.

Alaska’s veterans benefits include a $150,000 property tax exemption, fare discounts from Alaska Airlines, a 50% discount on Alaska Marine Highway ferries, free state park camping, and a complimentary resident hunting and fishing license for veterans rated 50% or higher.

This guide breaks down the state-specific benefits available to disabled veterans in Alaska, the disability ratings required to access each, and where to find legal help and resources to claim everything you have earned.

Tax Exemptions and Financial Assistance

Do Disabled Veterans Pay Property Taxes in Alaska?

Veterans with a 50% or higher service-connected disability rating receive a property tax exemption on the first $150,000 of assessed value of their primary residence. Under AS 29.45.030(e), this exemption is mandatory for all Alaska municipalities and applies to real property owned and occupied as the veteran’s permanent place of abode.

To qualify, the veteran must be an Alaska resident, separated from service under non-dishonorable conditions, with a disability rating of 50% or more from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or their branch of service. Most municipalities require the application to be filed by January 15 of the assessment year. Find out more.

Surviving spouses qualify for the exemption if they are at least 60 years old and have not remarried. Some municipalities may extend the exemption by ordinance to surviving spouses under 60 of disabled veterans, and to surviving spouses of service members who died from a service-connected cause.

Do you deserve a higher disability rating but the VA underrated you? Get a free case evaluation here.

Housing Assistance

Alaska Housing Finance Corporation Veterans Mortgage Program

The AHFC Veterans Mortgage Program offers reduced interest rates to qualifying Alaska veterans on owner-occupied single-family homes and small multi-family properties. Veterans must apply within 25 years of discharge from active duty.

A separate State Veterans Interest Rate Preference provides a 1% interest rate reduction on the first $50,000 of an AHFC loan for veterans who meet the State Veteran income limits. The rate preference cannot be combined with the Veterans Mortgage Program.

Alaska Programs for Homeless Veterans

The Alaska VA Healthcare System supports homeless veterans and veterans at risk of homelessness through Homeless Patient Aligned Care Teams and programs such as HCHV (Health Care for Homeless Veterans), HUD-VASH rental assistance, and SSVF (Supportive Services for Veteran Families). SSVF and HUD-VASH explicitly cover not only the veteran, but also the veteran’s family.

The VA Anchorage Regional Benefit Office maintains Homeless Veteran Outreach Coordinators who brief monthly at the VA Domiciliary. AHFC also runs a dedicated Homeless Veterans and Their Families program statewide. Find out more.

Transportation Benefits

Do Disabled Veterans Pay for Car Registration in Alaska?

Yes, but veterans rated 50% or higher service-connected disabled may register one passenger vehicle without charge. Both the motor vehicle registration tax and the registration fee are waived. Veterans rated below 70% pay standard Alaska DMV registration fees.

Disabled Veteran License Plates in Alaska

Alaska’s disabled veteran plate is issued at no cost to any veteran rated 50% or higher service-connected. Disabled parking placards are also free in Alaska when issued in conjunction with a disabled veteran plate, with no annual or replacement fee for the first issue.

To apply, the veteran submits Form 861 along with VA documentation of the service-connected rating and an honorable or under-honorable-conditions discharge. Find out more.

Alaska Marine Highway Disability Discount Pass

Disabled veterans with a service-connected disability qualify for a 50% Disability Discount Pass on the Alaska Marine Highway System, valid year-round on all AMHS vessels. The pass entitles the veteran and a physician-required attendant to half the regular passenger fare.

The discount applies to passenger fares only. Vehicle and stateroom fares are not discounted, and the pass is not transferable to spouses or dependents independently. To apply, submit documentation of service-connected disability to the AMHS Disability Pass Desk at PO Box 112505, Juneau, AK 99811-2505. Find out more.

Alaska Airlines Veteran Fare Discount

Alaska Airlines’ WeSalute+ program offers a 5% airfare discount on most fare classes to veterans, military retirees, and members of the National Guard and Reserve who enroll in the program. The discount applies once the veteran is verified through the program and links the membership to Alaska Airlines bookings.

Education Benefits

Do Disabled Veterans Get Tuition Assistance in Alaska?

Alaska does not offer a state-funded tuition waiver for living disabled veterans. Disabled Alaska veterans rely on federal benefits, including the Post-9/11 GI Bill, Montgomery GI Bill, and Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E), to fund higher education.

Does Alaska Waive Tuition for Children of Disabled Veterans?

No, but Alaska does waive tuition for the spouse and dependent children of an Alaska resident service member who died in the line of duty, died from injuries sustained in the line of duty, or is listed as a POW or MIA. The waiver covers undergraduate tuition, fees, and on-campus room and board at the University of Alaska.

Children of living disabled veterans must rely on the federal Chapter 35 Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) program if the veteran is rated permanently and totally disabled.

Employment Benefits for Alaska Veterans

Alaska State Veterans Hiring Preference

Alaska grants veteran hiring preference under AS 39.25.159. On numerical state employment assessments, qualifying veterans receive 5% of the available points added to a passing score. Disabled veterans and former prisoners of war receive 10%.

In non-numerical assessments, a disabled veteran or former POW is afforded an interview opportunity. With equal qualifications under reduction-in-force factors, the veteran is preferred and retained.

The 2022 amendment (HB 125) extended hiring preference to spouses and children of certain veterans, making this one of the few state employment preferences in the country that benefits the entire qualifying military family. Find out more.

Veteran-Owned Business Preference

Alaska offers a 5% bid preference, capped at $5,000, to qualifying Alaska veteran-owned businesses competing for state contracts. The bidder must qualify as an Alaska Bidder, with ownership and control thresholds varying by entity type.

Recreation Benefits

Spending time outdoors can be an important part of recovery and well-being for veterans dealing with physical or mental health challenges. Alaska offers several ways for disabled veterans to enjoy the state’s public lands and waters at reduced or no cost.

Do Alaska State Parks Offer a Disabled Veterans Pass?

Yes. Alaska resident veterans with a documented service-connected disability qualify for a free DAV State Park Camping Pass, valid for two years at all developed Alaska State Park campgrounds. The pass covers camping fees but does not cover boat launch or day-use fees.

To apply, present documentation of service-connected disability in person at the Anchorage or Fairbanks DNR Public Information Center. Find out more.

Permanently disabled veterans also qualify for the lifetime federal America the Beautiful Access Pass, which provides free entry and discounts at all national parks, forests, and federal recreation lands.

Do Alaskan Disabled Veterans Get a Free Fishing and Hunting License?

Yes, resident veterans rated 50% or higher service-connected receive a complimentary permanent identification card from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, which serves as a hunting, sport fishing, and trapping license. Holders also do not need to purchase a king salmon stamp or state waterfowl conservation stamp.

To qualify, the veteran must meet ADF&G residency (12 consecutive months in Alaska immediately preceding application) and be physically present in Alaska when applying. The card is voided immediately upon loss of residency. Find out more.

Non-resident disabled veterans must purchase standard non-resident hunting and sport fishing licenses at full price. Alaska does not offer a discounted non-resident DAV license.

Health Care Benefits

Alaska provides healthcare to veterans through the VA Alaska Healthcare System, headquartered at the Colonel Mary Louise Rasmuson Campus in Anchorage. The system operates seven medical facilities and four Vet Centers across the state.

VA Medical Centers and Outpatient Clinics in Alaska

The system provides primary care, specialty care, mental health services, and pharmacy services through the following facilities:

  • Colonel Mary Louise Rasmuson Campus (main medical center): 1201 North Muldoon Road, Anchorage, AK 99504 | Phone: (888) 353-7574
  • Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson VA Medical Center (DoD/VA joint venture, with 24/7 emergency and inpatient care): 5955 Zeamer Avenue, JBER, AK 99506 | Phone: (907) 257-4700
  • Fairbanks VA Clinic: 2555 Phillips Field Road, Fairbanks, AK 99709 | Phone: (907) 328-1750
  • Homer VA Clinic: 4141 Pennock Street, Homer, AK 99603 | Phone: (888) 353-7574
  • Juneau VA Clinic: 709 West 9th Street, Federal Building, Suite 150, Juneau, AK 99801 | Phone: (888) 353-7574
  • Mat-Su VA Clinic: 865 North Seward Meridian Parkway, Suite 105, Wasilla, AK 99654 | Phone: (888) 353-7574
  • Soldotna VA Clinic: 237 West Rockwell Avenue, Soldotna, AK 99669 | Phone: (888) 353-7574

Vet Centers in Alaska

Vet Centers provide free, confidential counseling, peer support, and readjustment services for combat veterans, military sexual trauma survivors, and their families:

  • Anchorage Vet Center: 4400 Business Park Boulevard, Suite B-34, Anchorage, AK 99503 | Phone: (907) 563-6966
  • Fairbanks Vet Center: 751 Old Richardson Highway, Fairbanks, AK 99701 | Phone: (907) 456-4238
  • Wasilla Vet Center: 1751 East Gardner Way, Wasilla, AK 99654 | Phone: (907) 376-4318
  • Kenai Vet Center (Soldotna outstation of the Anchorage Vet Center): 43299 Kalifornsky Beach Road, Suite 4, Soldotna, AK 99669 | Phone: (907) 260-7640

Alaska State Veterans Homes

The Alaska Veterans and Pioneers Home (AVPH) in Palmer is the only state-operated veterans home in Alaska that holds the National Association of State Veterans Homes designation. The 79-bed assisted-living and memory-care facility reserves 75% of beds for veterans, with the remaining 25% available to non-veterans, including surviving spouses, on the same age and residency terms.

To qualify, applicants must be at least 60 years old, an Alaska resident for at least 12 continuous months, and have a documented physical disability or other care need. Monthly fees are based on ability to pay and cover housing, meals, recreation, and graduated care levels.

Burial and Survivor Benefits

Alaska does not operate a state veterans cemetery. Veterans, eligible spouses, and dependent children may be buried at no cost in one of Alaska’s two VA national cemeteries:

  • Sitka National Cemetery (active and accepting all eligible interments): 803 Sawmill Creek Road, Sitka, AK 99835 | Phone: (907) 384-7075
  • Fort Richardson National Cemetery (active and accepting all eligible interments): Building 58-512, Davis Highway, Fort Richardson, AK 99505 | Phone: (907) 384-7075

The VA covers the gravesite, headstone or marker, opening and closing of the grave, and a burial flag at no cost to the family at any national cemetery.

The widows and widowers of deceased Alaskan veterans can also receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, healthcare, accrued benefits, and more.

benefits available after a veteran’s death

Federal Benefits Available to Alaska Veterans

In addition to Alaska’s specific benefits, disabled veterans also receive a wide range of federal VA disability benefits, including:

  • Monthly tax-free compensation payments based on disability rating (calculate it here)
  • Medical care, including mental health services and counseling
  • Special compensation, Aid & Attendance and other financial benefits
  • Home loans and housing benefits
  • Vocational rehabilitation and employment services
  • Survivor benefits
  • Federal hiring preference

Eligibility for some of these benefits depends on the disability rating percentage. Use the links below to see what federal benefits disabled veterans can get with a rating of 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, etc.

100% Disabled Veteran Benefits

Alaska veterans with a 100% disability rating receive the highest level of federal VA benefits, including:

  • Full monthly VA compensation
  • Full VA healthcare coverage
  • Dental care
  • Adaptive equipment grants

See all federal benefits for a 100% disabled Alaska veteran →

100% Disabled Veteran Benefits for Spouse and Dependents

Spouses and family members of 100% disabled veterans may also be able to get several benefits:

  • CHAMPVA healthcare
  • DIC eligibility
  • Education benefits
  • Property tax exemption continuation (in Alaska, the surviving spouse must be at least 60 to retain the exemption)
  • Access to Alaska state resources

Benefits for Toxic Exposure

Several Alaska bases have documented histories of toxic exposure, including PFAS contamination from firefighting foam (AFFF), petroleum, solvents, PCBs, and at one site, residual radiation from underground nuclear testing.

Alaska Military Bases with Known Toxins

Veterans who served at toxic military bases, in Alaska or elsewhere, and developed related disabilities may be eligible for compensation. If you served at a base in a different state, you can find it using the Military Base Toxic Exposure Map.

How to Claim or Increase Disabled Veteran Status

Getting through the VA disability claims process can be challenging, but several local and national resources are available to help guide you. These resources include local veteran organizations, state-sponsored VA services, and experienced disability attorneys.

Free Guide for Getting VA Disability Benefits

Attorney Matthew Hill has written THE book on how to get VA disability compensation and benefits. And it’s yours free of charge. We also offer a free ebook for easy, immediate access.

Legal Resources for Disabled Veterans

Attorneys Specialized in VA Disability Law

Our VA-accredited lawyers proudly represent Alaska veterans who were denied or underrated by the VA, with no upfront costs. Contact us for a free evaluation – even if we don’t take your case, we’ll point you in the right direction!