Emergency Grants

Michigan Veterans Trust Fund

The Michigan Veterans Trust Fund is a State of Michigan emergency grant program that provides financial aid to wartime-era veterans who encounter temporary or unexpected financial hardship.

A veteran or their spouse may be eligible for one-time financial assistance from the MVTF if the veteran has at least 180 days of active military service and an honorable discharge. The service must be active duty service during a wartime era. Veterans holding Expeditionary Medals for non-wartime era dates may also qualify. Financial assistance provided by the MVTF cannot generally be given more than once in a two-year period.

Each county in Michigan has an MVTF Committee that provides for the administration of Michigan Veterans Trust Fund expenditures. Local MVTF Committee members are appointed from the various veterans service organizations by the State of Michigan Veterans Trust Fund Board of Directors.

Michigan Veterans Trust Fund 65+ Peacetime Program

MVTF 65+ Peacetime is a new program to recognize the largest group of peacetime era veterans (1975-1990) who have recently started turning 65 years old. The program is designed to meet the critical needs of peacetime-era veterans without wartime-era service. Peacetime Veterans must meet the following criteria:

• At least 65 years of age in the current year
• Served on active duty in the military during peacetime (180 days)
• Discharged under honorable conditions

Application requests are limited to utilities and shelter (including home repairs) assistance. Surviving spouses of eligible veterans may apply.

Ottawa County Financial Hardship Grants

The Ottawa County Veterans Services Committee provides Financial Hardship Grants to honorably discharged wartime veterans or their widows/widowers who are residents of Ottawa County. The emergency grants are intended to help veterans who encounter temporary or unexpected financial hardship. A veteran or their spouse may be eligible for this one-time financial assistance if the veteran has at least 90 days of active military service during a wartime era and an honorable discharge. Veterans holding Expeditionary Medals for non-wartime era dates may also qualify. This financial assistance is generally not given more than once in a twelve-month period. Each application is determined on a case-by-case basis.

Basic Eligibility Requirements

• Legal resident of Ottawa County at the time of application.
• Honorable, Under Honorable Conditions, or General Discharge with a minimum of 90 days of active wartime service or 90 days for WWI veterans or separated as the result of a physical or mental disability incurred in the line of duty or aggravated by active duty.
• Service during the war-time periods listed is required or an Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, plus 90 of honorable active duty for service between periods in places such as Grenada, Lebanon, Berlin, Persian Gulf, Mayaguez Operation, or Desert Storm.
• Initial basic training and active-duty training do not count towards the required 90 days of wartime service.
• Includes relief for indigent spouses and dependents of active-duty personnel during the continuance of present hostilities and before their discharge.
• Includes widows and widowers of eligible veterans who have not remarried.
• Excludes individuals with an “uncharacterized” discharge, who were never activated by the Department of Defense.

What Does Wartime-Era Mean?

Some programs refer to “wartime-era” service as an eligibility requirement. Wartime periods are defined as: