BRIEF: Veteran students granted temporary Hazlewood benefits

With classes changing into one of several synchronous or asynchronous online, hybrid or bimodal formats this fall, the Office of Veteran Services is changing how resident, or face-to-face, coursework hours are processed. 

“Under the temporary special authority granted by Senate Bill 3503, courses converted to an online modality specifically due to COVID-19 precautions are able to be certified as resident hour courses,” said Natashia Pilling, assistant director of the Office of Veteran Services. “SB 3503 grants this special authority through 12/21/2020, so as it stands now it will last through the upcoming Fall 2020 term.”

Under SB 3503, face-to-face classes that are now bimodal or online because of COVID-19 will count as face-to-face classes through December 21 and count toward Hazlewood tuition exemptions. A list of fall semester online and bimodal classes that count toward Hazlewood benefits can be found on the Veteran Services webpage.

The Hazlewood Act is a benefit giving up to 150 hours of tuition exemption to qualifying student veterans, their spouses, and dependent children at public, higher education institutions in Texas. Under the act, for hours to apply toward exemption, classes must be funded by the state of Texas, taken through at a public learning institution, and whose tuition is paid to the college or university instead of third parties.

“It [the Hazlewood Act]  exempts tuition and fees for formula funded [state-funded] coursework for eligible students,” Pilling said. “The major recurring fee that Hazlewood does not exempt is the Student Service Fee, which is currently capped at $240.00/semester.”

“Having at least 1 credit hour as resident is of importance to students on VA benefits because it allows for higher stipend payments under their benefits.” Pilling said. “Take for example, the Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) stipend for Ch.33 Post 9/11 GI Bill students: exclusively online training cuts the MHA rate a student receives by roughly 50%. Under SB 3503, we are able to protect the stipend rates/payments of students who enrolled in resident coursework for fall, but whose courses were converted to online due to CV-19.”

August 14 is a courtesy deadline to submit Hazlewood applications. The last day to pay and process Hazlewood applications without late fees is August 22.