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5 Special Benefits Reserved for Purple Heart Recipients
By USVCP Staff Writers
August 7, 2018
Did you know that Purple Heart recipients have 5 special benefits only available to them? Here they are:
1. Medical Priority Upgrades at the VA
A Purple Heart recipient will automatically be placed in Group 3 VA medical tier system, which means they will never be responsible for a co-pay for medical treatment.
2. The Forever GI Bill
Purple Heart recipients get full educational benefits no matter how long they spent on active duty — and they get the full benefits offered in the Forever GI Bill.
3. Preferential Hiring In Government Jobs
When applying for a federal government job, all honorably discharged veterans who served active duty get hiring preference over non-veterans. Vetererans get five-point preference if they served during a war, served during a campaign for which a campaign medal was created, or served during certain periods or for certain lengths of time. Purple Heart recipients get a ten-point preference.
4. Commissary & MWR Access
The 2019 National Defense Authorization Act makes Purple Heart recipients eligible for on-base shopping and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) area use starting in 2020.
5. Special State Benefits
Many states offer extra benefits to Purple Heart recipients. For example, in Arizona, in-state university tuition can be waived for Purple Heart recipients. In South Carolina, children of Purple Heart recipients are eligible for free in-state university tuition.
