VA Proposes New Grant Program to Assist Veterans with Discharge Upgrades and Benefits Access, Michigan Veterans Benefits Lawyer Jim Fausone Responds
March 03, 2025
Michigan Veterans benefits attorney Jim Fausone is commending a new initiative by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) aimed at helping Veterans secure the care and benefits they have earned. The VA has announced a proposed grant program that would provide legal support for Veterans and former service members seeking to upgrade their military discharge status or correct their military records. This groundbreaking effort could significantly expand access to critical VA programs, including compensation, health care, education, and pensions, for those facing barriers due to discharge status.
A New Approach to Expanding Access for Veterans
The VA’s proposed legal services grant program represents a first-of-its-kind effort to address the challenges Veterans face with other-than-honorable or harmful conduct discharges. Under the program, funding would go to organizations that provide legal assistance, help veterans and former service members access VA benefits, pursue discharge upgrades, and request corrections to their military records.
These efforts align with the broader commitment by the VA and the Biden-Harris Administration to support all Veterans, particularly those who may have been excluded in the past. Recent regulatory changes have already expanded eligibility for certain former service members, including those who endured discrimination, sexual harassment, mental health struggles, or other challenges during their military service.
How Legal Support Bridges the Gap for Veterans
Understanding and addressing their discharge status is daunting for many veterans without professional help. Poor characterization of service can bar access to crucial VA programs, but a favorable ruling from a discharge review board or corrections board can reopen the door to benefits.
The VA’s new grant program aims to help bridge this gap by funding legal organizations to guide Veterans through these processes. This builds on previous efforts, such as the Legal Services for Homeless Veterans and Veterans At-Risk for Homelessness Grant Program, which distributed $11.5 million to nonprofits in 2024. With these resources, legal professionals can ensure that Veterans present strong cases for discharge upgrades or record corrections.
The proposed rule is open for public comment and review in the Federal Register, and the VA anticipates releasing a notice of funding opportunity once the final rule is published. Michigan Veterans interested in exploring how this program could impact them should consider reaching out to an experienced Veterans benefits lawyer.
Jim Fausone Encourages Michigan Veterans to Seek Legal Help
Jim Fausone emphasizes that Veterans in Michigan should immediately explore their eligibility for VA benefits or discharge upgrades. With over a decade of outreach and over 57,000 Veterans granted eligibility following other-than-honorable discharges, the VA’s efforts are showing results.
Veterans who need assistance with VA benefits or discharge upgrades can contact Jim Fausone’s office to learn more about their options. His team is committed to ensuring that Michigan Veterans receive the representation they need to access the benefits and services they deserve.
Veterans interested in learning more about the newly proposed grant, or about their potential benefits in general, should reach out to an experienced veterans’ benefits lawyer for immediate assistance. Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC, is a Michigan-based veteran benefit law firm concentrating only on service-connected disability claims.