What are Veteran Education Benefits in Texas?

One way in which our society can thank its veterans for their selfless service to our country is by offering veteran education benefits. What are veteran education benefits? They include any type of assistance – whether it comes in the form of financial or informational assistance – provided to veterans as a way to help them further their education.

This opens up the number of opportunities available to veterans in their post-military careers. Veterans in the state of Texas may be wondering what opportunities are available to them in the form of state assistance. There are numerous benefits they can take advantage of, including veteran education benefits. 

Is Texas a Veteran-Friendly State? 

One of the most important decisions a veteran can make, after settling down post service is to find out how friendly  a particular state is to veterans. That means finding out which state has programs in place to help veterans transition to post-military civilian life. When looking at Texas as a potential landing spot, it makes sense for that group to examine how veteran-friendly it is. 

Texas is absolutely a veteran-friendly state. A 2019 study found that Texas ranked as the 15th best state for military retirees. Texas has a body known as the Texas Veterans Commission. According to the Texas Veterans Commission, its mission is to “advocate for and provide superior service to veterans that will significantly improve the quality of life for all Texas veterans, their families, and survivors.”

But while that’s a worthy objective, that doesn’t explain how exactly it helps veterans. What kind of benefits does it offer?

What Benefits Do Veterans Get in Texas? 

On top of the benefits Texas state veterans receive from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Texas Veterans Commission offers a number of assistance benefits and programs that aim to provide veteran support in Texas. These include: 

• Claims -Making a claim through the VA can be a challenging and complicated road to navigate alone. They offer assistance with making claims.
• Education – More on this below. 
• Employment – The Texas Veterans Commission also assists veterans with job placement services. 
• Entrepreneurship – This is to help veterans looking to start their own company or business. 
• Healthcare Advocacy – The Texas Veterans Commission also advocates on behalf of veterans as a liaison regarding legal matters involving the VA. 
• Grant Assistance – For veterans looking to apply for government grants, the Texas Veterans Commission offers information on how to do so.
• Mental Health – The Veterans Mental Health Department (VMHD) provides mental health support and assistance to veterans, their families, and mental health providers. 
• Women’s Veterans Assistance – Women veterans face a unique set of challenges, which the Texas Veterans Commission can offer support of. 

How To Get Started With Education Benefits

While it’s clear that Texans have plenty of options for how to get veterans benefits, what about the educational benefits veterans can receive in the state of Texas? And what about answering questions about VA education benefits? 

Our nation’s veterans are a diverse, talented group of individuals with varying interests and talents. When their service is complete, they have a wide range of abilities they can use in the workplace. Using veteran education benefits puts them in a better position to capitalize on that and change their educational or vocational goals.

To get started with veteran education benefits, veterans must be aware of the resources that are publicly available to them. There are several military benefits assistance programs veterans can use to further their education. Those include: 

• The Hazelwood Act
• The Montgomery GI Bill
• ROTC Scholarships

Let’s take a closer look at how each of these applies to Texas state veterans. 

The Hazelwood Act in Texas 

The Hazelwood Act is a piece of Texas state legislation that enables veterans and their families to receive up to 150 hours of tuition exemption in educational benefits. This can apply to most types of fee charges at educational institutions in the state. It does not apply to books, supplies, or room and board. 

Who qualifies for the Hazelwood Act? Veterans and their families looking to continue their education at an approved Texas public institution of higher learning. A list of public institutions the Hazelwood Act applies to is available online. Eligibility requirements for veterans looking to apply include: 

• Must have honorable discharge
• Must reside in Texas 
• Must have served at least 181 days
• Must have no federal veterans education benefits
• Cannot default on any student loans in the state of Texas
• Cannot enroll in any classes for which the school receives tax assistance
• Must meet the school’s GPA requirements for “satisfactory academic progress policy”
• Must have Texas as their home of record, entered service in Texas, or resided in the state upon entering into active duty. 

Montgomery GI Bill And ROTC Scholarships

Military veterans of the five armed service branches including the Air Force, U.S. Armed Forced, Coast Guard, and Navy are all eligible to receive assistance from the Montgomery GI Bill. 

The Montgomery GI Bill provides for “up to 36 months of education benefits.” These benefits can be used towards a number of different training programs and academic courses. A veteran can receive these benefits for up to 10 years following their release from active duty. 

You can qualify as a veteran for educational assistance for the following types of programs and/or courses: 

• College/university
• Trade programs and technical/vocational courses
• Correspondence courses
• Apprenticeships
• On-the-job training
• Flight courses
• Selected entrance exams
• Licensing/certification exams
• Entrepreneurship training

Interested in determining whether you can use the GI bill with your ROTC scholarship? Then identify a trusted partner who has experience assisting Texas veterans to navigate military financial education programs: the Southern Career Institute. 

Military Veteran Trade Programs

Finding a trade school for veterans in Texas is all about discovering programs that are compatible with the veteran education benefits available to you. Southern Careers Institute trade programs accept veteran benefits. Our programs are approved for VA funding. We also have funding specialists available to help you with the monotonous VA paperwork veterans qualified for education assistance will need to fill out. 

SCI doesn’t just offer career training, we give you the tools to transition from the military to the career of your dreams. If you’re a veteran or service member, contact Southern Careers Institute so we can help you transform yourself into the new you! 

Sources

https://www.tvc.texas.gov/education/

https://www.tvc.texas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/TVC-Vets-Benefits-Book-BW-Apr-10-2018.pdf

https://wallethub.com/edu/best-states-for-military-retirees/3915/

https://www.tvc.texas.gov/education/hazlewood-act/

http://www.collegeforalltexans.com/index.cfm?ObjectID=D57D0AC5-AB2D-EFB0-FC201080B528442A

https://www.tvc.texas.gov/education/montgomery-gi-bill/

Blog Disclaimer: Information stated in this blog is for general information purposes only. SCITexas.edu not assume or guarantee income earning potential or salary expectations based on the programs offered at Southern Careers Institute.