NCA honors eligible Veterans, active-duty Service Members and eligible family members with final resting places in national shrines and with lasting tributes that commemorate their service and sacrifice to our Nation.
The VA's Veterans Cemetery Grants Program aims to provide grants exceeding $910 million to establish, expand, improve, operate, and maintain 120 Veterans cemeteries across 48 states, territories including tribal trust lands, Guam, and Saipan. In the fiscal year 2020, the program supported over 37,268 interments in state cemeteries funded by NCA grants. Grants are available exclusively for projects that establish, expand, or improve Veterans cemeteries owned and operated by state, territorial, or tribal governments on trust land. The program is designed to cover up to 100% of the development costs for approved projects, including operating equipment for new cemeteries, but excludes land acquisition. Funded cemeteries must adhere to VA's standards and guidelines for site selection, planning, and construction. These cemeteries are dedicated solely to the interment of Veterans and their eligible family members, with the state, territory, or tribal government responsible for the cemetery's administration, operation, and maintenance. Additionally, the VA offers a "plot allowance" to reimburse states for burial expenses of certain eligible Veterans.