The mission of the Department of Veterans Affairs is to serve America’s veterans and their families with dignity and compassion and be their principal advocate in ensuring that they receive medical care, benefits, social support, and lasting memorials promoting the health, welfare and dignity of all veterans in recognition of their service to this Nation.
The DVA ensures that the health care needs of America’s veterans are served by providing primary care, specialized care, and related medical and social support services.
The Compensation Program provides monthly payments and ancillary benefits to veterans and certain survivors, in accordance with rates established by Congress, in recognition of the average potential loss of earning capacity caused by a disability, disease, or death incurred in or aggravated during active military service.
The Pension Program provides monthly payments, as specified by law, to needy wartime veterans or survivors who are permanently and totally disabled or die as a result of a disability not related to military service.
The Education Program provides educational assistance to men and women of the Armed Forces to adjust to civilian life after separation from the service. Assistance is also available to members of the Selected Reserves and National Guard, and survivors of veterans whose death is service-connected.
The Vocational Rehabilitation and Counseling Program helps service-disabled veterans achieve independent life skills and employment by providing all services and assistance necessary to enable veterans with service-connected disabilities to achieve maximum independence in daily living and, to the maximum extent feasible, become employable and obtain and maintain suitable employment.
The Loan Guaranty Program provides housing credit assistance to veterans and service persons to purchase and retain homes through the use of the government’s partial guaranty of VA loans made by private lenders.
The Insurance Program provides the same or better life insurance benefits and service to veterans, service members and beneficiaries commonly made available to private citizens by their employers, and insurance protection to veterans who have lost their ability to purchase commercial insurance at standard rates because of service-connected disabilities, providing value to them and to the taxpayers.
Through the National Cemetery Administration (NCA), the DVA ensures that the military service of our Nation’s veterans is honored by providing dignified burials and lasting memorials for veterans and eligible family members and maintaining all veterans’ cemeteries as national shrines.
