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Veterans · SC

Life insurance and burial benefits for South Carolina veterans

South Carolina is home to about 390,000 veterans, served by the Department of Veterans' Affairs. VA national cemeteries in Beaufort, Columbia (Fort Jackson), and the Florence National Cemetery Annex are open for burials, while the original Florence National Cemetery is closed to new burials. At the M.J. "Dolly" Cooper Veterans Cemetery in Anderson, a VA grant-funded state cemetery, burial is free for honorably discharged veterans, with a $300 fee for a spouse or eligible child. Veterans rated totally and permanently service-connected disabled may be exempt from property tax on their home, up to five acres, and two vehicles. Six State Veterans Homes provide skilled or intermediate nursing care.

Facts checked against the sources listed below.

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Veterans in the state

390,000

Estimate, 2023

VA national cemeteries

4

Located in South Carolina

State veterans cemeteries

1

Built with VA grants

State agency

SC

South Carolina Department of Veterans' Affairs

Life insurance options for South Carolina veterans

Military life insurance is federal, so the options are the same in every state: convert SGLI to VGLI after separation, apply for VALife if you have a service-connected rating, or buy private coverage. Healthy veterans often compare VGLI against private term life, since VGLI rates rise every five years.

Veterans cemeteries in South Carolina

VA national cemeteries

State veterans cemeteries

Burial in a VA national cemetery, a government headstone or marker, and a burial flag are available to eligible veterans at no cost; see VA burial benefits for current allowances. Source: VA National Cemetery Administration – Find a Cemetery: South Carolina (national and VA grant-funded)

Compare coverage as a veteran in South Carolina

A licensed agent can check private options side by side with VGLI and VALife. Free, with no obligation.

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South Carolina state benefits for veterans

At the M.J. "Dolly" Cooper Veterans Cemetery in Anderson, there is no cost for the plot, grave liner, permanent marker, or opening and closing of the grave for an honorably discharged veteran, and there is no longer a residency requirement; a $300 fee applies for a spouse and for each eligible child. Source: SC Department of Veterans' Affairs – M.J. "Dolly" Cooper Veterans Cemetery

Veterans rated totally and permanently service-connected disabled by the VA may be exempt from property tax on their home and up to five acres of land, plus up to two private passenger vehicles. Apply to the SC Department of Revenue (Form PT-401-I or MyDORWAY). Source: SC Department of Revenue – Property Tax Exemptions for SC Veterans

South Carolina has six State Veterans Homes offering skilled or intermediate nursing home care to South Carolina veterans separated under general or honorable conditions; apply through your county veterans affairs officer or the home. Source: SC Department of Veterans' Affairs – State Veterans Homes

For help applying, contact the South Carolina Department of Veterans' Affairs.

Planning for final costs too? See final expense insurance in South Carolina.

Frequently asked questions

Where can veterans be buried in South Carolina?

South Carolina has 4 VA national cemeteries and 1 state veterans cemetery, including Beaufort National Cemetery in Beaufort. Eligibility rules apply; the cemetery or South Carolina Department of Veterans' Affairs can confirm.

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Can South Carolina veterans keep their military life insurance after leaving service?

SGLI can be converted to VGLI within 1 year and 120 days after separation, with no health questions if you apply within 240 days. Veterans with a service-connected rating may also qualify for VA Life Insurance (VALife). These are federal programs, so the rules are the same in every state.

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Do disabled veterans get a property tax break in South Carolina?

Veterans rated totally and permanently service-connected disabled by the VA may be exempt from property tax on their home and up to five acres of land, plus up to two private passenger vehicles. Apply to the SC Department of Revenue (Form PT-401-I or MyDORWAY).

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Does South Carolina pay a burial benefit for veterans?

At the M.J. "Dolly" Cooper Veterans Cemetery in Anderson, there is no cost for the plot, grave liner, permanent marker, or opening and closing of the grave for an honorably discharged veteran, and there is no longer a residency requirement; a $300 fee applies for a spouse and for each eligible child.

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Sources

  1. VA National Cemetery Administration – Find a Cemetery: South Carolina (national and VA grant-funded)
  2. VA National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics – VetPop2023, Table 6L (living veterans by state)
  3. SC Department of Veterans' Affairs – M.J. "Dolly" Cooper Veterans Cemetery
  4. SC Department of Revenue – Property Tax Exemptions for SC Veterans
  5. SC Department of Veterans' Affairs – State Veterans Homes
  6. South Carolina Department of Veterans' Affairs

Veterans guides for other states