TheHazlewood Act is a State of Texas benefit that provides qualified Veterans, spouses, and dependent children with an education benefit of up to 150 hours of tuition exemption, including most fee charges, at public institutions of higher education in Texas. This does NOT include living expenses, books, or supply fees.
*Check with your school on application deadline policies. If you qualify for state education benefits earned through military service and your verification paperwork to the school is delayed, you may apply for up to a 60-day deferment of tuition and fees to avoid late charges and/or being dropped from classes by submitting a Deferment Request Form.
Eligible Veterans may assign or transfer unused hours of exemption eligibility to a child under certain conditions as drawn from the Hazlewood Act Statute and 40 Texas Administrative Code 461
Legacy recipients will receive an exemption for the number of degree certified hours reported by the institution for that term or semester. Maximum degree certified hours awarded to the Legacy recipient will be dependent upon the degree or certificate program in which the student is enrolled for that term or semester and shall be consistent with the program length as defined within the school catalog as approved by the regional accreditation commission. (40 TAC 461.30)
*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 child. Only one child will use Hazlewood Legacy benefits at a time.
Yes. However, you can only transfer unused hours to one eligible child at a time, you may not exceed 150 hours total, regardless of how you distribute the hours among multiple children.
No. There is no age limit for a child, spouse, or dependent who has their own Hazlewood hours. Each veteran family member may receive their own 150 tuition hours if the veteran is 100%, total and permanent, service-connected by the VA.
Be the spouse/dependent of an eligible veteran who is determined by the VA to be 100%, total and permanent, service-connected veteran or one who became totally disabled for purposes of employability as a result of a service-related injury or illness. The spouse/dependent(s) of an eligible veteran who meets the requirements below are entitled to receive a 150 credit hours exemption, each, under certain conditions as drawn from the Hazlewood Act Statute and Texas Administrative Code 461:
Be the spouse/dependent of a Hazlewood Act benefit-eligible veteran who is determined by the VA to be 100% total and permanent service-connected veteran or one who became disabled for purposes of employability because of a service-related injury or illness. The veteran must have been KIA, MIA, or died as a result of service-related injuries or illness.
No. A veteran who is totally and permanently disabled and individually unemployable is not required to maintain Texas residency while their eligible child and/or spouse are using their Child/Spouse Hazlewood Act benefits.
The Hazlewood Act is available only for use at a Texas public college or university. To access listings of Texas public colleges and universities, go to the Texas Institutions of Higher Education page and select any of the schools listed under the Texas Public Institutions. The schools listed under Independent (Private) Institutions do NOT qualify for this exemption.
Register a new account using a new email and password. Your information will be immediately available after registering a new account and logging in. Use your first name (not a nickname or initials), date of birth, and social security number.
Perhaps. It is possible to use the Hazlewood Act or Child Legacy Act while on active duty, if the servicemember has been released or discharged from previous military service and received a DD-214 that qualifies the veteran to receive the Hazlewood Act.
Yes. The law requires more than 180 days of Hazlewood Act exemption qualifying federal military service, excluding initial entry training. The law does not specify nor require the full 181 active-duty days to fall under one continuous period.
Yes. In September 1996, the Texas Attorney General issued an opinion that military personnel honorably separated after being on active duty may qualify for the Hazlewood Act exemption if they meet other program requirements.
(b) A person who is an officer, enlisted person, selectee, or draftee of the Army, Army Reserve, Army National Guard, Air National Guard, Air Force, Air Force Reserve, Navy, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps, Marine Corps Reserve, Coast Guard, or Coast Guard Reserve of the United States, who is assigned to duty in Texas, and the spouse and children of such an officer, enlisted person, selectee, or draftee, are entitled to register in a state institution of higher education by paying the tuition fee and other fees or charges required of Texas residents, without regard to the length of time the officer, enlisted person, selectee, or draftee has been assigned to duty or resided in the state. However, out-of-state Army National Guard or Air National Guard members attending training with Texas Army or Air National Guard units under National Guard Bureau regulations may not be exempted from nonresident tuition by virtue of that training status nor may out-of-state Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard Reserves training with units in Texas under similar regulations be exempted from nonresident tuition by virtue of that training status. It is the intent of the legislature that only those members of the Army or Air National Guard or other reserve forces mentioned above be exempted from the nonresident tuition fee and other fees and charges only when they become members of Texas units of the military organizations mentioned above.
(c) The spouse or child of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States who has been assigned to duty elsewhere immediately following assignment to duty in Texas is entitled to pay the tuition fees and other fees or charges provided for Texas residents if the spouse or child resides continuously in Texas.
(d) A spouse or dependent child of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, who is not assigned to duty in Texas but who has previously resided in Texas for a six-month period, is entitled to pay the tuition fees and other fees or charges provided for Texas residents for a term or semester at an institution of higher education if the member:
Yes. A veteran must prove that they were a Texas resident at the time of entry into military service, entered the service in the State of Texas, or declared Texas as their home of record. The burden of proof is on the veteran to prove their Texas residency through supporting documents (i.e., federal tax records, high school/college transcripts, voter registration, Texas property tax filings, etc.).
Possibly. After completing the initial Service obligation, the veteran separates from their service and establishes Texas residency* (12 months) and re-enters the Service in the state of Texas or declares Texas as the home of record, and meets all other Hazlewood requirements, then the veteran may qualify for the Hazlewood Act.
*Note if the Veteran was stationed in Texas under military orders at the end of the initial enlistment period, the time while stationed in Texas does not count toward the establishment of residence in Texas for the subsequent enlistment.
No. The Hazlewood Act exempts qualified students from paying tuition, and most fees, while enrolled in classes at public institutions of higher education in Texas, up to 150 semester hours. If the cost of the digital textbook and access to the instructional content is established in the course program as a specific lab and/or course fee, then Hazlewood Act benefits users should be exempt from paying the fee associated with that class.
Use the 60-day deferment form when the student is missing a supporting document. The form establishes the deferment for an extension of time up to 60 days from the first day of the semester. Deferment Form.
No. A student who has defaulted on a loan that was made or guaranteed by the state of Texas is disqualified from receiving Hazlewood Act benefits. Currently, the state loans that apply to the rule are Hinson-Hazlewood Stafford Loans, Hinson-Hazlewood Health Education Loans (HELP), Hinson-Hazlewood College Access Loans (CAL), uninsured Texas Opportunity Plan Loans (TOP) and the Texas B-On-Time Student Loan administered by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
Yes. If the student is receiving federal VA education benefits other than the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33 or any other benefits designated only for payment of tuition and fees), the student may receive both benefits concurrently.
Institutions are NOT required to offer Hazlewood Act benefits to veterans enrolled in continuing education classes for which the college or university receives no formula funding (tax support).However, the college or university may choose to permit this option.
Yes. Hazlewood Act benefits may be used for graduate studies, including law school or any other program of study at public institutions (other than continuing education) if the veteran has not accumulated 150 credit hours using Hazlewood Act benefits since the fall of 1995.
An eligible Hazlewood beneficiary may use their benefit at more than one college/university during the same semester or term; they must meet the same requirements in both and be enrolled in a degree or certificate program and meet all other requirements of the TX Education Code and Admin Rules for both IHEs.
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