Military: Exemptions for Texas Veterans (Hazlewood Exemption)

Program Purpose

The purpose of the Hazlewood Exemption (Hazlewood Act) is to provide an education benefit to honorably discharged or separated Texas veterans and their dependent children and spouses.

81st Texas Legislative Changes (effective 6/19/2009):
Senate Bill 93 authorized new provisions which remove certain residency restrictions, extend eligibility to spouses, and permit eligible veterans to assign their unused hours to their child. These new provisions are known as the "Hazelwood Legacy Act".

Senate Bill 297 authorized a new exemption from the payment of tuition (fees not included) for a child, or stepchild, of a member of the Armed Forces who is deployed to active duty in a combat zone outside the United States. To learn more about this program, click on FrequentlyAskedQuestions

Eligibility Requirements

Veterans:

• Who, at the time of entry into the U.S. Armed Forces:
  • Are Texas residents,
  • Designated Texas as Home of Record, or
  • Entered the service in Texas.
• Have served at least 181 days of active military duty, as indicated as "net active service" (the sum of 12(c) and 12(d)) on the DD214),
• Have received an honorable discharge or separation or a general discharge under honorable conditions,
• Have no federal veteran's education benefits, or have federal veterans education benefits dedicated to the payment of tuition and fees only; such as Chapter 33, for term or semester enrolled that do not exceed the value of Hazlewood benefits (Pell and SEOG Grants are not relevant),
• Are not in default on a student loan made or guaranteed by the State of Texas, and
• Enroll in classes for which the college receives tax support (i.e., a course that does not depend solely on student tuition and fees to cover its costs), unless the college's governing board has ruled to let veterans receive the benefit while taking non-funded courses.

Children and spouses:

• Of veterans who, at the time of entry into the U.S. Armed Forces:
  • Are Texas residents,
  • Designated Texas as Home of Record, or
  • Entered the service in Texas.
• Have a parent or is the spouse of a veteran of the U. S. Armed Forces, Texas National Guard, or Texas Air National Guard who died as a result of service-related injuries or illness, is missing in action, or became totally disabled for purposes of employability as a result of service-related injury or illness,
• Have no federal veteran's education benefits, or have federal veterans education benefits dedicated to the payment of tuition and fees only; such as: Chapter 33, for the term or semester enrolled that do not exceed the value of Hazlewood benefits (Pell and SEOG Grants are not relevant), and
• Are residents of Texas as of the term or semester in which they enroll.

The benefit may not be used for correspondence courses unless the courses are part of the student's degree plan.

Transferability of Benefits (Legacy Program)

Eligible veterans may assign unused hours of exemption eligibility to a child under certain conditions. To be eligible, the child must:

• Be a Texas resident,
• Be the biological child, stepchild, adopted child, or claimed as a dependent in the current or previous tax year,
• Be 25 years or younger on the first day of the semester or term for which the exemption is claimed (unless granted an extension due to a qualifying illness or debilitating condition), and
• Make satisfactory academic progress in a degree, certificate, or continuing education program as determined by the institution.

If a child to whom hours have been delegated fails to use all of the assigned hours, a veteran may re-assign the unused hours that are available to another dependent child.

Veterans' spouses are not eligible to receive a transfer of unused hours.

Application Process

To use Hazlewood benefits or to transfer unused benefits to an eligible child, applicants must complete an application/release form. Please choose the appropriate application below:

1. HEVAppPacketforVeteransWhoHaveNeverUsedtheExemption
2. HEDAppPacketforEligibleChildrenandSpousesWhoHaveNeverUsedtheExemption2
3. HEPAppPacketforPreviousExemptionRecipientsVeteransChildrenandSpouses3
4. TUHH Hazlewood Application Packet for Transfer of Unused Hazlewood Hours to Eligible Child
5. HETHazlewoodApplicationPacketforaChildWhoHasReceivedaTransferofHours

Veterans must provide proof (DD214) from the Department of Defense regarding their military service and nature of discharge. In addition, both veterans and dependents must also provide proof of eligibility or ineligibility for GI/Montgomery benefits (Chapter 33/Post 911) by requesting an education benefits letter from the VA office in Muskogee, OK at (888)-442-4551 or www.gibill.va.gov. Dependents must provide proof from Dept of Defense or from Veterans Administration regarding parent's death or disability related to service. Both groups should contact their college financial aid office regarding their status on prior federal student loans made or guaranteed by the State of Texas. All applicants must complete the appropriate application (see links above) and submit it to the college financial aid office.

To read more about this program check out: Texas Education Code §54.203     

As of September 1, 2007 the Federal Governmet has implemented a new rule making it mandatory that students reapply for the Hazlewood Exemption each semester they are requesting the tuition waiver. Please complete a renewal application with your respective VA representative in the Financial Aid office on the campus that you are attending.

NCTC Veteran Certifying Officials are as follows:

Gainesville. Bowie, Graham Campuses

Ashley Tatum

atatum@nctc.edu

PH: 940.668.4242 ext 3323

FX: 940.668.4260

Corinth Campus

Stanja Zylowski

szylowski@nctc.edu

PH: 940.498.6294 ext 6202

FX: 940.498.6271

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