Emergency Grants for Military Families From the Pennsylvania DMVA
The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs gives grants of up to $5,000 to servicemembers and their families facing an unexpected financial challenge, through the Pennsylvania Military Family Relief Assistance Program (MFRAP). Grants are based on documented need, and recipients do not have to repay them.
You may qualify if you are currently serving on active duty for 30 or more days in a regular or reserve component of the U.S. armed forces, or on state active duty for 30 or more days in the Pennsylvania Army or Air National Guard. Members in good standing of the Pennsylvania Army or Air National Guard or any Armed Forces Reserve component can apply for three years after 30 or more days of active duty, when the financial need is related to that service. Former service members discharged for medical reasons related to duty can apply for four years after discharge, when the need is linked to their service, personal emergencies, or duty-related disabilities. Relatives of eligible service members may qualify under certain conditions.
The kinds of situations the program is meant for include a sudden loss of income, property, or support tied to military service or an urgent personal situation; an emergency need for childcare without the money to pay for it; a natural or man-made disaster that leaves a family needing basic necessities; and the death or severe illness of a close family member requiring urgent travel or accommodation with no funds available. Urgent circumstances are extraordinary situations that keep servicemembers from meeting basic living needs for themselves or their dependents, including disasters, losing a home or job, disability, or serious illness.
The program page at pa.gov offers the application to download, along with an MFRAP brochure, program guidelines and a list of frequently asked questions. Completed applications go in one of two ways:
- Mail to PA DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AND VETERANS AFFAIRS, ATTN: BVP-MFRAP, 40 FISHER AVENUE, JONESTOWN, PA 17038-8202.
- Or, to speed up the process, fax the application and your documents to 717-861-9084.
Each application is checked for eligibility and need, then sent to the PA MFRAP Fund Committee for approval. No application is guaranteed approval. Processing can take as little as 48 hours.
Servicemembers overseas must first seek military assistance for emergency travel before applying to PA MFRAP. They need a statement from their command, from a lieutenant colonel or higher, explaining the unavailability of assistance.
Which form to use is not settled on the DMVA's own pages. The program page offers a 2023 application to download, while the DMVA also states that on October 24, 2026 it published the final-form regulation for State Veterans' Benefits, effective on publication, and that new application forms for the state veterans' benefits programs are available at pa.gov/agencies/dmva/pennsylvania-veterans/pa-vetconnect/apply-for-state-veterans--benefits. Ask which MFRAP form is current before you mail or fax anything.
For general questions, call the office at 717-861-8910 or toll-free at 1-800-547-2838, or email ra-pa-mfrap@pa.gov. Do not email applications or personal information, for your own security. The page does not give office hours.
Source: pa.gov/services/dmva/apply-for-military-family-relief-ass…, read November 3, 2026.
The details
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Former service members discharged for medical reasons related to duty, for four years after discharge, with financial need linked to their service, personal emergencies, or duty-related disabilities. Relatives of eligible service members may qualify under certain conditions.
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You can mail your application to: PA DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AND VETERANS AFFAIRS ATTN: BVP-MFRAP 40 FISHER AVENUE JONESTOWN, PA 17038-8202 Or, to speed up the process, you can fax your application and documents to 717-861-9084.
In Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs’s words
Servicemembers and their families can face unexpected financial challenges. The DMVA offers grants through the Pennsylvania Military Family Relief Assistance Program (MFRAP). Grants, based on documented need, can reach up to $5,000. Importantly, recipients do not have to repay MFRAP grants.
Organization
Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
About this listing
This listing summarizes publicly available information from pa.gov/services/dmva/apply-for-military-family-relief-ass…. Last recorded review: November 3, 2026. Contact the provider to confirm eligibility, hours and availability before you go. If something here is wrong, tell us.