Hazlewood
What is it?
The Hazlewood Act provides qualified Veterans, spouses, and children with an education benefit of up to 150 hours of tuition and fee exemptions at state supported colleges or universities.
SB 639 (82nd Texas Legislative, Regular) authorized new provisions which are effective with tuition and fee charges for fall, 2011. See "NEW" provisions below.
Who qualifies?
Effective with the fall 2009 term/semester, in order to be eligible to receive a Hazlewood Act Exemption, a Veteran must:
- Have been a Texas resident upon entry into the military, entered into active federal duty in the State of Texas, or declared Texas as his or her home of record at the time of entry into the armed forces as documented on his or her DD Form 214;
- Have a military discharge of honorable or general, under honorable conditions;
- Served at least 181 days of active duty service (excluding training);
- Not be in default on an education loan made or guaranteed by the State of Texas and not in default on a federal loan if that default is the reason the student cannot use his or her federal veterans’ benefits.
NEW! Veterans who are granted their first Hazlewood exemption beginning fall, 2011 must reside in Texas during the semester or term for which the exemption is claimed. This requirement does not apply to Veterans who received the exemption prior to the 2011-2012 academic year.
The Hazlewood Act benefit is also extended to the dependent children and spouses of eligible Veterans who died in the line of duty or as a result of injury or illness directly related to military service, are missing in action, or who became totally disabled for purposes of employability as a result of a service-related injury or illness. This benefit also applies to the dependent children and spouses of members of Texas National Guard or Air National Guard units who were killed while on active duty while serving either the State of Texas or the United States or are totally disabled for purposes of employability. An eligible child or spouse must provide official military documentation indicating that he or she meets the requirements.
NEW! Eligible children who receive the Hazlewood exemption for the first time beginning fall, 2011 must be 25 years of age 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). This requirement does not apply to children who received the exemption prior to the 2011-2012 academic year.
Eligible Institutions
The awards are available only for use at a Texas public college or university.
To access listings of Texas public colleges and universities, follow this link to Texas Institutions of Higher Education and select any of the schools listed under the Texas Public Institutions.
**Note: The schools listed under Independent Institutions do NOT qualify for this exemption.
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.
NEW! Effective with tuition and fee charges fall, 2011, a Veteran's spouse or a child's guardian, conservator, custodian, or other legally designated caretaker may re-assign unused hours to an eligible child (through Legacy) on behalf of the Veteran if the Veteran died prior to requesting the transfer of hours.
Veterans' spouses are not eligible to receive a transfer of unused hours.
How to get it?
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:
Veterans using the Exemption must complete the HE-V application form.
HE-V Application Packet for Veterans
Eligible Children and Spouses Who Have Never Used the Exemption must complete both the HE-V and the HE-D application forms.
HE-D Application Packet for Eligible Children and Spouses
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 Chapter 33/Post-9/11GI Bill benefits by requesting an education benefits letter from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) office in Muskogee, OK at (888)-442-4551 or www.gibill.va.gov. Dependents must provide proof from Dept. of Defense or VA regarding parent's death or disability related to service. If additional documentation is needed, students may wish to contact the National Personnel Records Center at (314) 801-0800 or by writing:
National Personnel Records Center
Military Personnel Records
9700 Page Avenue
St. Louis, Missouri 63132-5100
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.
NEW!! Effective with tuition and fee charges for fall, 2011, all applicants (Veterans, spouses and children) must complete and submit the appropriate application and documentation listed above to their college or university's financial aid office or Veterans' education office no later than one year after the earlier of the date the school:
- provides written notice to the applicant of his/her eligibility, or
- receives written notice from the applicant that acknowledges the applicant's awareness of his/her eligibility for the exemption.
Combat Exemption for Children of Military Service Members
What is it?
The 81st Texas Legislature authorized a new exemption from the payment of tuition (fees not included) at state supported colleges or universities 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.
Important Notice!
Funding to award Combat Exemptions to eligible students for the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 academic years is not available.
The Hazlewood Act is administered by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). For additional information, please visit their College for All Texans website.