The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration has announced the allocation of $44,553,338 in grants for the fiscal year 2024 to expand and improve state Veterans' cemeteries. The grants aim to enhance burial and memorial services accessibility for Veterans.

States benefiting from these grants include California, Georgia, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Washington. Veterans interred in these grant-funded cemeteries receive comprehensive burial benefits equivalent to those provided in VA national cemeteries at no cost. These benefits encompass a gravesite with perpetual care, a government headstone or marker, a burial flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate.

“It is our duty to ensure America’s Veterans are honored for their service as they are laid to rest,” stated Acting Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Ronald Walters. “Partnering with states, tribes and territories allows us to better provide burial options closer to where Veterans and their families live.”

Since its establishment in 1978, the Veterans Cemetery Grants Program has distributed over 504 grants totaling more than $1 billion across 122 state, territorial, and Tribal Veterans’ cemeteries. This funding has facilitated over 800,000 Veteran interments. In fiscal year 2024 alone, nearly 185,000 interments were conducted by both grant-funded and VA national cemeteries combined.

Currently providing about 94% of U.S.-based Veterans with access to a VA or VA-funded cemetery within 75 miles of their homes underscores the department's commitment.

Most VA-grant funded cemetery interments are also recorded on the Veterans Legacy Memorial site. This platform enables family members and friends to preserve their Veteran’s legacy through tributes and sharing personal achievements online.

Further information regarding VA’s burial benefits can be accessed through official channels or by watching an informative video provided by the department.