Veterans Affairs

Veterans Statement of Rights and Responsibilities:

1. I understand the satisfactory academic progress policy at Laredo Community College applies to all federal, state and institutional aid
2. I understand that the courses that i am requesting certification for are part of my current degree plan, and that i am responsible for the cost of any courses that do not fall within the parameters of my chosen degree plan.
3. I understand that i must be registered in order for the Laredo Community College veteran services office to process my certification with the department of veteran affairs or Hazlewood benefits. I will notify the veteran services office each semester i register, drop classes, withdraw my enrollment, change my degree plan, change my address,
4. I understand i am responsible for all charges not explicitly covered by the VA or other veteran benefits ( Hazlewood)
5. I am aware that there are academic advisors available specifically for veterans using educational assistance.
6. I understand that I must attend a Mandatory Orientation Session every fall semester.
7. I understand that I must maintain the required standards of progress towards the degree indicated as specified in my respective Laredo Community College Catalog. I agree to notify the Veteran’s Representative at Laredo Community College of any changes in my enrollment status. I understand that failure to notify the Veteran’s Representative may result in overpayment from the VA Office that may result in those funds being owed back to the VA Office

A veteran’s tuition voucher must be approved for every semester, including individual summer sessions. Approved veteran’s tuition vouchers must be submitted to the Bursar’s office by the veteran and/or dependent student before the payment deadline of each registration period. A copy of the tuition bill must be submitted to the Veterans office upon receipt. Veteran’s Tuition Vouchers will not be issued or approved after the census date.

The Hazlewood Act:

The Hazlewood 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.

Veteran Qualifications

A Veteran must:

• At the time of entry into active duty the U.S. Armed Forces, designated Texas as Home of Record; or entered the service in Texas; or was a Texas resident;
• Have received an honorable discharge or separation or a general discharge under honorable conditions as indicated on the Veteran's Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214);
• Served at least 181 days of active duty service (excluding training);
• Have no federal Veteran’s education benefits, or have no federal Veterans education benefits dedicated to the payment of tuition and fees only (such as Chapter 33 or 31; for term or semester enrolled that do not exceed the value of Hazlewood benefits;
• Not be in default on a student loan made or guaranteed by the State of Texas;
• 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 cost), unless the college’s governing board has ruled to let Veterans receive the benefit while taking non-funded courses; and
• Meet the GPA and undergraduate excessive hours requirements of Texas Education Code Sec. 54.2001 (see link at bottom of page).

Veterans who are granted their first Hazlewood Act 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 the Veterans who either received the exemption prior to the 2011-2012 academic year, have reenlisted into active duty, or reside with a spouse who is on active duty.

Hazlewood Act application process

A Veteran must:

• Apply and be accepted to a Texas public college or university of his/her choice. Go to www.applytexas.org to apply or use your institution's application for admission;
• Provide proof (DD214) from the Department of Defense regarding military service and the nature of discharge;
• Provide proof of eligibility or ineligibility for GI Bill benefits (Chapter 31, 33/Post-9/11) by requesting a certificate of eligibility for federal education benefits from eBenefits (if Veteran has active duty service after 9/11/2001). You will need to create a username and password to request your certificate of eligibility;
• Fill out the Hazlewood Exemption application form; and
• Turn in the Hazlewood Exemption application form, a copy of your letter of eligibility/ineligibility, and a copy of your DD214 into the financial aid office of the institution you will be attending.

Applications and all supporting documentation must be received by the institution no later than the last day of class in order to be evaluated for the semester or term.

Determine institution eligibility for the Hazlewood Act

Eligible Institutions:

The Hazlewood Act is available only for use at a Texas public college or university. To access listings of Texas public colleges and universities, follow this link: Texas Institutions of Higher Education 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.

Legacy Act (Child)

Eligible Veterans may assign unused hours of exemption eligibility to a child under certain conditions.

Qualifications

A child (legacy recipient) must:

• Be classified by the institution as 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 old 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
• Meet the GPA and undergraduate excessive hours requirements of Texas Education Code Sec. 54.2001 (see link at bottom of page).

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. *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.

Legacy Act Application Process

Qualifications

• A child (legacy recipient) of a Veteran must:
• Apply and be accepted to a Texas public college or university. Go to www.applytexas.org to apply or use your institution's application for admission;
• Fill out the Hazlewood Exemption Application;
• Provide proof of eligibility or ineligibility for GI Bill benefits (Chapter 31, 33/Post-9/11) by requesting a certificate of eligibility for federal education benefits from eBenefits. You will need to create a username and password to request your certificate of eligibility;
• Take both applications, letter of eligibility/ineligibility (if needed), along with a copy of the Veteran’s DD214, to the financial aid office of the institution you will be attending.

Applications and all supporting documentation must be received by the institution no later than the last day of class of a term in order to be evaluated for that semester or term.

Hazlewood Act for Spouse/Child

Spouses and dependent children of eligible Active Duty, Reserve, and Texas National Guard 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 are entitled to each receive a 150 credit hours exemption.

Qualifications

A spouse must:

• Be a spouse of a Veteran who, at the time of entry into the U.S. Armed Forces, be classified by the institution as a Texas resident, designated Texas as Home of Record, or entered the service in Texas;
• Be a spouse of a Veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces or the Texas National Guard who died as a result of service-related injuries or illness, is missing in action, or became totally disabled (100%) as a result of service-related injury or illness or is entitled to receive compensation at the 100% rate due to individual unemployability (IU) due to a service connected injury or illness;
• Have no federal Veterans education benefits, or have no federal Veterans education benefits dedicated to the payment of tuition and fees only (such as Chapter 33 or 31) for term or semester enrolled that do not exceed the value of Hazlewood benefits;
• Be classified by the institution as a Texas resident; and
• Meet the GPA and undergraduate excessive hours requirements of Texas Education Code Sec. 54.2001 (see link at bottom of page). This requirement does not apply to the spouse of a MIA, KIA, or service connected deceased Veteran.

A child must:

• Be a child of a Veteran who, at the time of entry into the U.S. Armed Forces, be classified by the institution as a Texas resident, designated Texas as Home of Record, or entered the service in Texas;
• Be a child 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 (100%) as a result of a service-related injury or illness or is entitled to receive compensation at the 100% rate due to individual unemployability (IU) due to a service connected injury or illness;
• Have no federal Veterans education benefits, or have no federal Veterans education benefits dedicated to the payment of tuition and fees only (such as Chapter 33 or 31; for term or semester enrolled that do not exceed the value of Hazlewood benefits;
• Be classified by the institution as a Texas resident; and
• Meet the GPA and undergraduate excessive hours requirements of Texas Education Code Sec. 54.2001 (see link at bottom of page). This requirement does not apply to the child of a MIA, KIA, or service connected deceased Veteran.

Application process for Spouse/Child

A spouse or child of a Veteran whose death was service connected, is MIA, or is/was 100% permanently disabled must:

• Apply and be accepted to a Texas public college or university. Go to www.applytexas.org or use your institution's application for admission;
• Provide a DD214 and a disability rating letter or a DD1300 Report of Casualty regarding the Veteran's death;
• Provide proof of eligibility or ineligibility for GI Bill benefits (Chapter 31, 33/Post/9-11) by requesting an education benefits letter from the VA at eBenefits. You will need to create a username and password to request your certificate of eligibility;
• Fill out the Hazlewood Exemption application form.

Applications and all supporting documentation must be received by the institution no later than the last day of class of a term in order to be evaluated for that semester or term.

For additional information on the Hazlewood Act :

• Texas Education Code §54.341
• Texas Education Code §54.2001
• Texas Veterans Commission Rules, Chapter 461
• Information for Institutions

The Montgomery GI Bill program (MGIB)

Active Duty (MGIB-AD)

$600 Buy-up Program

Some service members may contribute up to an additional $600 to the GI Bill to receive increased monthly benefits. For an additional $600 contribution, you may receive up to $5400 in additional GI Bill benefits. The additional contribution must be made while on active duty. For more information contact your personnel or payroll office.

The Montgomery GI Bill - Active Duty, provides up to 36 months of education benefits to eligible Veterans for:

• College
• Technical or Vocational Courses
• Correspondence Courses
• Apprenticeship/Job Training
• Flight Training
• High-tech Training
• Licensing & Certification Tests
• Entrepreneurship Training
• Certain Entrance Examinations

Who is eligible?

You may be an eligible Veteran if you have an Honorable Discharge AND you have a High School Diploma or GED or in some cases 12 hours of college credit and you must meet ALL requirements of one of the categories below:

CATEGORY I

• Entered active duty for the first time after June 30, 1985
• Had military pay reduced by $100 a month for first 12 months
• Continuously served for 3 years, OR 2 years if that is what you first enlisted for, OR 2 years if you entered the Selected Reserve within a year of leaving active duty and served 4 years ("2 by 4" Program)

CATEGORY II

• Entered active duty before January 1, 1977
• Served at least 1 day between 10/19/84 and 6/30/85, and stayed on active duty through 6/30/88, (or 6/30/87 if you entered the Selected Reserve within 1 year of leaving active duty and served 4 years)
• On 12/31/89, you had entitlement left from Vietnam-Era GI Bill

CATEGORY III

• Not eligible for MGIB under Category I or II
• On active duty on 9/30/90 AND separated involuntarily after 2/2/91,
• OR involuntarily separated on or after 11/30/93,
• OR voluntarily separated under either the Voluntary Separation Incentive (VSI) or Special Separation Benefit (SSB) program
• Before separation, you had military pay reduced by $1200

CATEGORY IV

• On active duty on 10/9/96 AND you had money remaining in a VEAP account on that date AND you elected MGIB by 10/9/97
• OR entered full-time National Guard duty under title 32, USC, between 7/1/85, and 11/28/89 AND you elected MGIB during the period 10/9/96 through 7/8/97
• Had military pay reduced by $100 a month for 12 months or made a $1200 lump-sum contribution
• When in doubt, check with the VA on final approval on qualifications.

How much does VA pay?

The monthly benefit paid to you is based on the type of training you take, length of your service, your category, and if DOD put extra money in your MGIB Fund (called "kickers"). You usually have 10 years to use your MGIB benefits, but the time limit can be less, in some cases, and longer under certain circumstances.

How to apply

Online Application: 

Go to the VONAPP Veterans Application website to submit your application. You will need to create a login and password in order to complete this process.

You may be asked to provide some additional forms if you apply on-line. If you have access to a scanner, you can scan these forms and submit them on-line.

If you have trouble with the application process, you can call a VA Education Case Manager (1-888-GIBill1) to ask for help.

Paper Application:

You can submit a paper application called Form 22-1990 . Once this is filled you need to mail it to:

VA Regional Processing Office

PO Box 8888

Muskogee, OK

74402-8888

You will need to send the application (Form 22-1990) along with a copy of your Certificate of Release of Discharge from the service (DD form 214).

Once you have submitted your application either on-line or by mail, three things will happen:

• The Regional Processing Office will process the application and determine your eligibility. If you are certain of your eligibility, do not delay in enrolling in classes;
• You will then need to contact the certifying official at your school to have your enrollment certified with the VA;
• Your monthly benefit payment will come directly to you.

Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR)

The MGIB-SR program may be available to you if you are a member of the Selected Reserve. The Selected Reserve includes the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve and Coast Guard Reserve, and the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard.

You may use this education assistance program for degree programs, certificate or correspondence courses, cooperative training, independent study programs, apprenticeship/on-the-job training, and vocational flight training programs. Remedial, refresher and deficiency training are available under certain circumstances.

Eligibility for this program is determined by the Selected Reserve components. VA makes the payments for this program.

You may be entitled to receive up to 36 months of education benefits. 

Your eligibility for the program normally ends on the day you leave the Selected Reserve.

One exception to this rule exists if you are mobilized (or recalled to active duty from your reserve status); in this case, your eligibility may be extended for the amount of time you are mobilized PLUS four months. For example, if you are mobilized for 12 months your eligibility period is extended for 16 months (12 months active duty PLUS 4 months.) So even if you leave the reserves after mobilization, you may have additional eligibility to the MGIB-SR.

Eligibility

To qualify, you must meet the following requirements:

• Have a six-year obligation to serve in the Selected Reserve signed after June 30, 1985. If you are an officer, you must have agreed to serve six years in addition to your original obligation. For some types of training, it is necessary to have a six-year commitment that begins after September 30, 1990;
• Complete your initial active duty for training (IADT);
• Meet the requirement to receive a high school diploma or equivalent certificate before completing IADT. You may not use 12 hours toward a college degree to meet this requirement;
• Remain in good standing while serving in an active Selected Reserve unit. You will also retain MGIB - SR eligibility if you were discharged from Selected Reserve service due to a disability that was not caused by misconduct. Your eligibility period may be extended if you are ordered to active duty.

How to apply

Your unit will give you a DD Form 2384-1, Notice of Basic Eligibility, when you become eligible for the program. Your unit will also code your eligibility into the Department of Defense personnel system so that VA may verify your eligibility.

You should then make sure that your selected program is approved for VA training. If you are not clear on this point, VA will inform you and the school or company about the requirements.

Obtain and complete VA Form 22-1990, Application for Education Benefits. Send it to the VA regional office with jurisdiction over the state where you will train.

If you have started training, take your application and your Notice of Basic Eligibility to your school or employer. Ask them to complete VA Form 22-1999, (not available on-line) Enrollment Certification, and send all the forms to VA.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill:

The Post-9/11 GI Bill provides financial support for education and housing to individuals with at least 90 days of aggregate service on or after September 11, 2001, or individuals discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days. This benefit provides up to 36 months of education benefits, generally benefits are payable for 15 years following your release from active duty.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill includes graduate and undergraduate degrees, vocational/technical training, on-the-job training, flight training, correspondence training, licensing and national testing programs, entrepreneurship training, and tutorial assistance. All training programs must be approved for GI Bill benefits.

Qualifications

• Veteran must have at least 90 days aggregate service on or after September 11, 2001 or;
• Individuals discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days; and
• Must have received an honorable discharge.

What the Post-9/11 GI Bill may include:

Your full tuition & fees directly to the school for all public school in-state students. For those attending a private or foreign school, tuition & fees are capped at the national maximum rate of $18,077.50.

• If you are attending a private Institution of Higher Learning in TX, AZ, MI, NH, NY, PA, or SC, you may be eligible for a higher tuition reimbursement rate.
• A Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA). MHA is generally the same as the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents. Remember to drop the pay grade down to E-5. One half of the BAH national average is given for students training solely by distance learning and the MHA is not payable to individuals on active duty or those enrolled at half the time or less;
• An annual books and supplies stipend;
• A one-time rural benefit payment.
• Break (or interval pay) will no longer be payable under Post-9/11 GI Bill except during periods your school is closed as a result of an Executive Order of the President or an emergency (such as natural disaster or strike). For example, if your Fall term ends on December 15th and your Spring term begins January 10th, your January housing allowance will cover 15 days in December and your February housing allowance will cover 21 days in January.

Veteran Applying for Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits

On-line Application:

Go to the VONAPP Veterans Application website to submit your application. You will need to create a login and password in order to complete this process.

You may be asked to provide some additional forms if you apply on-line. If you have access to a scanner, you can scan these forms and submit them on-line.

If you have trouble with the application process, you can call a VA Education Case Manager (1-888-GIBill1) to ask for help.

Paper Application:

You can submit a paper application called Form 22-1990 . Once this is filled you need to mail it to:

VA Regional Processing Office

PO Box 8888

Muskogee, OK

74402-8888

You will need to send the application (Form 22-1990) along with a copy of your Certificate of Release of Discharge from the service (DD form 214).

Once you have submitted your application either online or by mail, four things will happen:

• The Regional Processing Office will process the application and determine your eligibility. If you are certain of your eligibility, do not delay in enrolling in classes;
• You will need to go to your certifying official at your school to have your enrollment certified;
• The tuition and fees will be paid directly to the school;
• Other benefits that you receive, like a monthly housing allowance, books & supplies stipend, or rural benefit payment, will be paid directly to you through direct deposit to your bank account.

Veteran transferring to Spouse/Child

You are eligible to transfer benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill if you meet one or more of the following program start date requirements:

• You are a member of the Armed Forces (active duty or Selected Reserve, officer or enlisted) and were in the service on 1 August 2009 or joined after that date;
• You are a uniformed service member of the Public Health Service (PHS) and were in the service on 1 August 2011 or joined after that date;
• You are a uniformed service member of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and were in the service on 1 September 2011 or joined after that date.

If you meet one of the above program start date requirements, you must also meet one or more of the following requirements:

• You have at least six years of service on the date you elect to transfer the Post-9/11 GI Bill program and agree to serve an additional four years from that date;
• You have at least ten cumulative years of service (active duty and/or Selected Reserve) on the date of election, are precluded by standard policy (service or DoD) or statute from committing to four additional years and agree to service for the maximum amount of time allowed by policy or statute;
• You have become or will become retirement eligible during the period from 1 August 2009 through 31 July 2012 and agree to serve an additional period of service as outlined in sub-paragraphs (a) through (d) below. A service member is considered to be retirement eligible if he or she has completed 20 years of active Federal service or 20 qualifying years as computed pursuant to section 12732 of title 10 U.S.C Requirement #3 and its associated sub-paragraphs (a) through (d) will no longer be in effect on 1 August 2013. On or after that date, all service members must comply with requirement 1 or 2 above.
  1. For individuals eligible for retirement on 1 August 2009, no additional service is required;
  2. For individuals eligible for retirement on or after 1 August 2009, and before 1 August 2010, 1 year of additional service is required;
  3. For individuals eligible for retirement on or after 1 August 2010, and before 1 August 2011, 2 years of additional service is required;
  4. For individuals eligible for retirement on or after 1 August 2011, and before 1 August 2012, 3 years of additional service is required.

Spouse/Child Qualifications

Post-9/11 Benefits may be transferred by the individual's service member to:

1. The service member's spouse
2. One or more of the service member's children
3. Any combination of the spouse and children
   • Children must be enrolled in DEERS to receive benefits. Children prior to the age of 21 are eligible to receive benefits as are children who are 21 or 22 years old and enrolled in a full-time course of education.
   • Children age 21 or 22 years old, who are attending school less than full time, or enrolled in on-the-job training, apprenticeships or non-college degree programs, may still be eligible to receive transferred benefits though TEB may display them as ineligible.
   • Children may be not use the benefit after age 26. The new TYA program does not extend the age by which the benefit must be transferred. Additional questions and answers can be found on milConnect under the Education Tab.
   • A child's subsequent marriage will not affect his or her eligibility to receive the educational benefit; however, after an individual has designated a child as a transferee under this section, the individual retains the right to revoke or modify the transfer at any time.
   • A subsequent divorce will not affect the transferee’s eligibility to receive educational benefits; however, after an individual has designated a spouse as a transferee under this section, the eligible individual retains the right to revoke or modify the transfer at any time.
   • If you are currently serving on active duty, then your spouse is eligible for the books and supplies stipend, but not the monthly living stipend. Only children are eligible for the monthly living stipend and/or books and supplies stipend while the member is serving on active duty. If you are not currently serving on active duty, then both your spouse and children are eligible for the monthly living stipend and/or the books and supplies stipend.

Apply to transfer to Spouse/Child

The Department of Defense determines whether or not you can transfer benefits to your family members. To apply to transfer your benefits please visit: https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect/public/faq/Education_Benefits-How_to_Transfer_Benefits

Upon approval, family member may apply to use the transferred benefits with the VA by competing VA Form 22-1990e. VA form 22-1990e should only be completed, and submitted to VA by the family member after DoD has approved the request to transfer the education benefits. Do not use VA Form 22-1990e to apply for TEB.

Students who have certain physical disabilities may receive assistance for college expenses through the Vocational Rehabilitation Division of the State Board for Vocational Education. For information and application for assistance, students should contact the Texas Rehabilitation Commission.

Texas State - Rehabilitation Commission- District Office is a business providing services in the field of Rehabilitation Services. Vocational Rehabilitation Assistance

Rehabilitation Services

www.dars.state.tx.us

313 W Village Blvd Ste 113, Laredo, TX, US, 78041 • (956) 523-8050

The Department of Assistance and Rehabilitative Services, or DARS, administers programs that ensure Texas is a state where people with disabilities, and children who have developmental delays, enjoy the same opportunities as other Texans to live independent and productive lives.

DARS has four divisions, each with its own programs:

• Rehabilitation Services
• Blind Services
• Early Childhood Intervention Services
• Disability Determination Services

DARS administers programs that help Texans with disabilities find jobs through vocational rehabilitation, ensure that Texans with disabilities live independently in their communities, and assist families in helping their children under age 3 with disabilities and delays in development to reach their full potential.

It is a fundamental value of DARS to listen, to learn, and to be responsive to our stakeholders and our consumers in an ongoing effort to make programs and services even better. If you have suggestions or comments, please call the DARS Inquiries Unit at 1-800-628-5115, or email DARS.Inquiries@dars.state.tx.us