Understanding Hazlewood Act Eligibility: GPA and Academic Requirements

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 article will delve into the GPA and academic requirements for maintaining eligibility for the Hazlewood Act, particularly focusing on cumulative GPA, excessive credit hours, and other crucial factors.

Key Application Deadlines

To ensure the exemption is in place before the Full Term Census Day as noted in the Academic Calendar, aim to submit all required documentation by the priority deadline, which is July 15 for the upcoming academic year. While late applications are processed in the order they are received, applicants who submit documentation after the start of the term are strongly encouraged to consider making alternate payment arrangements with the Bursar’s Office in order to meet the payment deadline. Late submission of documents may result in late fees and/or cancelled enrollment. Applications and all supporting documentation may be submitted no later than the last day of class for any given term.

General Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for the Hazlewood Act, several requirements must be met:

Military Service: Provide proof (DD214) from the Department of Defense regarding military service and the nature of discharge. The DD Form 214 verifies a service member’s proof of military service. The Member 4 Copy is what’s provided by the branch of service and given to the service member upon discharge. It’s also known as the “long form”.
Residency: Armed Forces, (DD Form 214 required) & (40 TAC §461.40)designated Texas as Home of Record;or entered the service in Texas;or was a Texas resident;
Discharge Status: 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. Veteran received an Honorable or Under Honorable Conditions discharge. If you do not have a permissible DD214: Create an account via VA.gov and request a DD214 or request a Service Verification Letter.
Active Duty Service: Served at least 181 days of active duty service (excluding training).
Current Residency: Currently reside in Texas.
Federal Benefits: 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;
Loan Status: Not be in default on a student loan made or guaranteed by the State of Texas.
Eligible Courses: 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.
GPA and Credit Hours: Meet the GPA requirement of the institution’s satisfactory academic progress policy in a degree or certificate program as determined by the institution’s financial aid policy and, as an undergraduate student, not be considered to have attempted an excessive amount of credit hours.

GPA Requirements for Hazlewood Recipients

All undergraduate and graduate Hazlewood recipients (Veteran, Legacy, and Dependent of 100% Disabled Veteran) must meet cumulative GPA requirements as defined by the Office of Financial Aid. The specific GPA requirement is determined by the institution's financial aid policy regarding satisfactory academic progress. It's crucial to consult the financial aid office at the institution you plan to attend to understand their specific GPA criteria.

Excessive Credit Hours

In addition to GPA, undergraduate students must not have completed a number of semester credit hours that is considered to be excessive as outlined in Texas Education Code 54.014. The definition of "excessive" is determined by state law and institutional policies, so it's essential to understand how this applies to your specific situation.

Impact of Dropped or Withdrawn Courses

If you drop a course before Census Day but remain enrolled in at least one other course, the hours related to the dropped course will not be charged toward your Hazlewood eligibility. However, if you drop or withdraw from a course(s) after Census Day, the hours related to the course(s) dropped will be deducted from your Hazlewood eligibility. If a student earns a “W” as a grade by withdrawing from a class after the census date then they will not be responsible for any tuition or fees for that course and the hours for that course will be reported to the Texas Veterans Commission.

Legacy Program Age Restrictions

In order to maintain eligibility for the Legacy Program under the Hazlewood Exemption, a student must be 25 years or younger on the first day of the term for which the exemption is claimed (unless granted an extension due to a qualifying illness or debilitating condition).

Using Hazlewood with Other Benefits

A student may use Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill®) or Chapter 31 (Vocational Rehabilitation) with Hazlewood during the same term if the combination of benefits does not exceed the total amount of tuition and fees. In either case, Hazlewood benefits may cover eligible tuition and fees that are not covered by Ch. 33 or Ch. 31 tuition and fees payments. Students must exhaust ALL 100% Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits before Hazlewood can be utilized. If veteran served before September 11, 2001, no denial letter is needed.

While the Hazlewood exemption may be used in conjunction with some other forms of financial aid, such as federal grants, outside scholarships, loans, and work-study, it must fit within your Cost of Attendance (COA) and contribute to your financial need, if applicable. Certain institutional scholarship and grant funds (such as the Educational Assistance Grant) are intended for tuition and fees only. Consequently, those funds may not be received in addition to the Hazlewood Exemption. If financial aid is already disbursed or awarded at the time your Hazlewood exemption is approved, adjustments may be made to your financial aid to allow for the exemption.

Legacy Act Eligibility for Children

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 §461A Child (Legacy Act) must:

Texas Residency: Be classified by the institution as a Texas resident; (40 TAC §461.70)
Relationship: Be the biological child, stepchild, adopted child, or claimed as a dependent in the current or previous tax year.
Age: 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
Federal Benefits: 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; (40 TAC §461.70) & (40 TAC §461.90)
Loan Status: Not be in default on a student loan made or guaranteed by the State of Texas;
Eligible Courses: 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
GPA and Credit Hours: Meet the GPA requirement of the institution’s satisfactory academic progress policy in a degree or certificate program as determined by the institution’s financial aid policy and, as an undergraduate student, not be considered to have attempted an excessive amount of credit hours.

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.

Spouse/Dependent Eligibility

A Spouse / Dependent must:

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. Armed Forces or the Texas National Guard whodied as a result of service-related injuries or;became totally and permanently disabled or meets the eligibility requirements for individual unemployability according to the disability ratings of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as a result of a service-related injury, orMissing in action (MIA), orKilled in action (KIA). DD1300 for KIA, MIA, or Service-Related Death (ONLY IF APPLICABLE): Upload a Report of Casualty (Killed in Action or Missing in Action Report) in place of DD214 if applicable.
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;
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 requirement of the institution’s satisfactory academic progress policy in a degree or certificate program as determined by the institution’s financial aid policy and, as an undergraduate student, not be considered to have attempted an excessive amount of credit hours.

Application Process

Apply for Admission: Go to www.applytexas.org to apply or use your institution’s application for admission.
Provide Military Service Documentation: Provide proof (DD214) from the Department of Defense regarding military service and the nature of discharge.
GI Bill® Eligibility: Provide proof of eligibility or ineligibility for GI Bill® benefits by requesting a certificate of eligibility for federal education benefits from VA.gov (if veteran has active duty service after 9/11/2001). A Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is an official correspondence from the VA stating your federal education benefits status. The certificate will state whether you have exhausted your eligibility for GI Bill® benefits (Chapters 31, 33 [Post-9/11]).
Complete the Application: Fill out the Hazlewood Exemption application form. Complete & submit a Hazlewood Initial Exemption Application via the MVP Forms Portal for the semester they intend to use benefits at TTU for the very first time.
Submit Documentation: Turn in the Hazlewood Exemption application form, a copy of your letter of eligibility / ineligibility, and a copy of your DD214 to the financial aid office of the institution you will be attending.
Check Deadlines: Check with your school on application deadline policies.

Additional Considerations

Program of Study: Students should ensure that the Program of Study they intend to use benefits for is eligible for Hazlewood. You can view your Program of Study on DegreeWorks.
Enrollment Requirements: There are no minimum or maximum enrollment requirements for Hazlewood. Students utilizing Hazlewood benefits may take courses as an undeclared or exploratory student.
Course Repetition: You cannot receive Hazlewood benefits for taking a previously passed course. Courses may be repeated if you have not earned a passing grade previously, however third repeat enrollment charges and excessive credit hour fees will not be covered.
Stacking Benefits: “Stacking” state and federal veterans education benefits is permitted in some cases.
Common Law Marriage: if the veteran and the spouse are Common law married, Per section FAMILY CODE CHAPTER 2.
VA Disability Rating: You must have a current (within one year) disability ratings decision letter from the VA.
Automatic Renewal: Continuing: If you have used the Hazlewood Exemption at UT San Antonio in the previous three semesters your Hazlewood Exemption will automatically renew.
FAFSA: Although you might be receiving benefits, we encourage everyone to fill out a FAFSA, even if you think you are not eligible for additional aid. FAFSA information is often used to determine eligibility for scholarships and used to determine eligibility for certain types of emergency aid.
Texas Veterans Commission: TexVet strongly recommends that you check with the Texas Veterans Commission before acting on the information below.
Hours Used: Log into the Texas Veterans Commission’s Hazlewood Database and print out the number of hours previously used, if any. If you don’t have an account, please register for one.
Review Process: Once your application and accompany document(s) are received, our certifying officials will review your exemption request. UT San Antonio reports the amount of Hazlewood hours used to the Texas Veterans Commission within 30 days of the end of each semester.

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