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Alaska Department of Natural Resources
Division of Mining, Land and Water

Veteran's Discount

The State of Alaska offers Alaska resident veterans a once-in-a lifetime discount on the purchase of state land in accordance with AS 38.05.940 Land Purchase Price Discount for Veterans. Please read the eligibility requirements below to confirm you qualify. The discount is 25% of the purchase price, although the discount does not apply to certain costs which DNR incurred to develop the parcel for sale. The web page for each Auction/OTC parcel provides an estimate of the purchase price with the discount for that parcel. The details of how the discount amounts are calculated are detailed below.

Qualifications for Veteran's Land Discount

To qualify for the Veteran's Land Discount, you must submit proof of eligibility. Eligibility proof should be submitted only AFTER it is requested from you by DNR; you will be given a deadline by which the information must be submitted. OTC purchasers must submit these items within 30 days of the date of their purchase application to receive the discount.

You must provide proof of the following items:

  1. You are 18 years of age or older on the date of bid or application (11 AAC 67.055 General Qualifications);
  2. You meet the Alaska residency requirements of this program as detailed at Proof of Alaska Residency; and
  3. A DD Form 214 (Report of Separation from Active Duty) showing the qualifying length of active duty and character of the discharge. There are many versions of the DD Form 214, and some versions contain multiple pages. Please ensure that the pages you submit show both dates of service and character of discharge.
    • In accordance with AS 38.05.940 Land Purchase Price Discount for Veterans, you must prove you are a veteran that has:
      1. Served on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States (United States Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, or Coast Guard; State National Guard units; or Army, Navy, Marine, and Air Force Reserve) or the Alaska Territorial Guard for at least 90 days, unless tenure was shortened due to a service-connected disability or due to receiving an early separation after a tour of duty overseas; and
      2. Received an honorable discharge or general discharge under honorable conditions.
  4. You will also need to complete the Veteran's Discount Application/Affidavit and sign it in front of a notary.

Please note that if you are still on active duty and have not yet received a DD Form 214, you are not yet eligible for this discount.

For the Sealed-Bid Auction, applicants who are above the age of 18 and fulfill the stated requirement for Alaska residency, but are unable to provide a DD Form 214 or its equivalent, will be required to proceed with purchase of the parcel at the full, non-discounted bid amount.

For OTC purchases, applicants who are unable to comply with Veteran's Discount requirements will be required to proceed with purchase of the parcel at the full, non-discounted purchase price.

Veterans are encouraged to request their DD Form 214 and gather their other required documentation well in advance of the auction.

Once-in-a-lifetime Benefit

The Veteran's Land Discount is a once-in-a-lifetime benefit and a purchaser that received this benefit on a past land purchase from the State of Alaska is not eligible to receive the discount a second time, regardless of final conveyance on the original parcel.

If two or more individuals jointly submit a bid or application for a parcel for which they wish to apply a Veteran's Land Discount, both must be eligible bidders/applicants but only one need be an eligible veteran and apply for the discount. Upon approval, a single 25% discount will be given and only the eligible veteran bidder/applicant will have exhausted their "once-in-a-lifetime" Veteran's Land Discount.

Reimbursable Costs

To calculate the veteran's discount amount, DNR first determines the costs which the state incurred to create the parcel. These costs are called reimbursable costs, because they are reimbursable to the state. The discount does not apply to reimbursable costs. Reimbursable costs include survey, platting, trail clearing, and road development costs. Reimbursable costs are listed for each parcel currently available in a table below. The table below contains the reimbursable costs per parcel; note that our paper brochures list some reimbursable costs on a per acre basis for all parcels in a subdivision or a per lot basis for certain parcels.

To calculate the total reimbursable costs for the parcel, see the parcel's web page, or find the reimbursable cost in the paper brochure. You will need to do the following calculation if you are using the reimbursable costs per acre from the paper brochure. In the table below this calculation has already been done for you.

For example:

Reimbursable Cost / Acre

$1000.00

Parcel Size in Acres

x 2.00

Total Reimbursable Costs

$2000.00

Calculating the Veteran's Discount Amount

Below are examples of discount calculations for each type of parcel.

Subdivision Parcel Example

Below is an example of how a Veteran's Land Discount is calculated for a 1.82-acre Subdivision Parcel with reimbursable costs of $987 per acre, if the bid price was $40,000:

Reimbursable Cost / Acre

$987.00

Parcel Size in Acres

x  1.82

Total Reimbursable Costs

$1796.34

Bid Price

$40,000.00

Less Reimbursable Cost

-  $1,796.34

Amount Eligible for Discount

$38,203.66

Amount Eligible for Discount

$38,203.66

25% Veteran’s Discount Rate

x  0.25

Veteran’s Land Discount

$9,550.91

Bid Price

$40,000.00

Less the Veteran’s Land Discount

-  $9,550.91

Discounted Purchase Price

$30,449.09

Bid Price

$40,000.00

5% Minimum Down Payment

x  0.05

Minimum Down Payment

$2,000.00

Discounted Purchase Price

$30,449.09

Less 5% Minimum Down Payment

-  $2,000.00

Balance Due

$28,449.09

*plus applicable fees

Remote Parcel Example

Below is an example of how a Veteran’s Land Discount is calculated for a Remote Parcel with reimbursable costs of $5,410, if the bid price was $15,000:

Total Reimbursable Costs

$5,140.00

Bid Price

$15,000.00

Less Reimbursable Cost

-  $5,140.00

Amount Eligible for Discount

$9,860.00

Amount Eligible for Discount

$9,860.00

25% Veteran’s Discount Rate

x  0.25

Veteran’s Land Discount

$2,465.00

Bid Price

$15,000.00

Less the Veteran’s Land Discount

-  $2,465.00

Discounted Purchase Price

$12,535.00

Bid Price

$15,000.00

5% Minimum Down Payment

x  0.05

Minimum Down Payment

$750.00

Discounted Purchase Price

$12,535.00

Less 5% Minimum Down Payment

-  $750.00

Balance Due

$11,785.00

*plus applicable fees

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