The Hazlewood Act is a state benefit that provides qualified Veterans with up to 150 hours of tuition exemption, including most fee charges, at public institutions of higher education in Texas.
Hazlewood Eligibility
Students can fall into 3 categories (Veteran, Dependent, or Legacy). See below for eligibility details for each category. In addition to meeting the eligibility criteria below, students must continue to meet the GPA requirement of UTSA’s Satisfactory Academic Progress and turn in a complete application, with supporting documents, by the last day of the term in which they intend to use the exemption.
Hazlewood Act benefits do not cover
- Online degree programs
- Correspondence and extension study courses or programs
- Third party study abroad courses or programs
- Teacher certification fee
- Student services fee
Veterans
Veterans seeking to use the Hazlewood exemption must meet all the following:
- Be a resident of Texas at the time the veteran entered the service.
- The veteran has served at least 181 days of active duty service (excluding initial entry training).
- The veteran has been discharged under honorable conditions.
- The veteran has attempted fewer than 150 credit hours using the Hazlewood Exemption.
- The veteran meets GPA requirements of the institution’s satisfactory academic progress policy in a degree or certificate program.
- The veteran provided a completed Hazlewood Act Exemption Application and the supporting documentation no later than the last class date of the semester or term in which you intend to use the exemption.
» more info on Veteran eligibility
DEPENDENTS (veteran 100% disabled or deceased)
Spouse or child of a veteran seeking to use Hazlewood exemption must meet all the following:
- Be a spouse/child of a veteran who meets all of the eligibility requirements for veterans described above and
- your veteran is totally and permanently disabled or meets the eligibility requirements for individual unemployment or;
- your veteran died as a result of service-related injuries in the US. Armed Forces or Texas National Guard or;
- your veteran died while in service since January 1, 1946 while on active duty either in the service of Texas or the United States; or
- your veteran is missing in action; or
- your veteran’s death is documented to be directly caused by illness or injury related to service in the armed forces of the United States.
- The spouse/child has no federal veterans education benefits, that cover tuition and fees (such as Chapter 33 or 31) for the term or semester enrolled.
- The spouse/child has attempted fewer than 150 credit hours using the Hazlewood Act Exemption.
- The spouse/child is not in default on a student loan made or guaranteed by the State of Texas.
- The spouse/child meets the GPA requirement of the institution’s satisfactory academic progress policy in a degree or certificate program.
- The spouse/child is classified by their institutions as residents of Texas for the term or semester for which they claim the Hazlewood Act Exemption.
LEGACY (passing benefit to child)
Children of a veteran seeking to use Hazlewood exemption must meet all the following:
- Be a child of a veteran who meets all of the eligibility requirements for veterans described above and veteran assigns their unused hours of exemption to them
- The child is classified by their institution as a resident of Texas.
- The child meets the GPA requirement of the institution’s satisfactory academic progress policy.
- The child is 25 years of age or younger on the first day of the semester.
- The child must use exemption only for classes that are on degree plan.
For an eligible veteran to assign their unused hours to a dependent child through the Hazlewood Legacy Program, they must:
- Reside in Texas; or
- Demonstrate that they are out of state only because of their (or a spouse’s) current military orders and provide the orders and most recent three months’ Leave and Earnings Statements (LES) showing Texas to be the person’s home of record.
Please note: Only one person can use these benefits at a time. Eligible veterans can use it themselves OR assign benefits to one dependent per semester. Two people cannot use the Legacy benefit from the same veteran in the same semester.
Add/Drop Policy
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. If a student drops a class before the census date then they will be responsible for fees as a result of the time they were in the class but their hours will not be reported to the Texas Veterans Commission.
Stacking Hazlewood + GI Bill®
“Stacking” state and federal veterans education benefits is permitted in some cases. The Hazlewood Act statute requires individuals who are eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) to use those benefits before using the Hazlewood Act.
Hazlewood Exemption Process
Veterans and family members who are enrolled at UTSA and would like to request a Hazlewood Exemption, please follow the following steps:
Obtain a copy of your DD214 – Service 2 or Member 4
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”. Please note the Member 1 or “short form” DD214 is not sufficient to determine eligibility.
If the veteran did not receive a DD214 or lost your copy, you can request a replacement or member 2, copy through Milconnect, Ebenefits or VA.gov.
Obtain a copy of your Verification of No Remaining Chapter 33 GI Bill® Benefits
For Veteran applicants if the veteran’s service occurred before September 11, 2001, you can skip this step.
For Dependent or Legacy applicants if the veteran’s service occured before August 1, 2009, you can skip this step.
You’ll need to submit your application with the US Department of Veterans Affairs:
- VA Form 22-1990 for Service Members and Veterans
- VA Form 22-1990E for Dependents
You can “find your education benefits form” from va.gov, then follow the on-screen instructions to apply for Chapter 33 benefits.
After the VA receives your application, they will review it and determine your eligibility and mail you a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) detailing your eligibility (usually within 6-8 weeks).
Obtain a copy of your Hazlewood Hours
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. Users are required to register in the database and keep track of the number of hours used.
Important Note: If you exhaust your Hazlewood exemption during or before a term, you will be responsible for any unpaid tuition and fees.
Complete the Hazlewood Exemption Application
First Time: For first time users, please complete and submit the First Time Hazlewood Exemption Form.
Continuing: If you have used the Hazlewood exemption at UTSA previously complete and submit the Continuing Hazlewood Exemption Form.
Obtain copies of additional documentation
If you fall into the “Dependent” Eligibility: If you are a dependent of a 100% disabled veteran, we will also need the following documents:
- Proof of Dependency (birth certificate, tax transcript, marriage license, or adoption paperwork)
- VA Decision rating letter that shows proof of 100% permanent and total disability rating
- DD Form 1300, Report of Casualty (if applicable)
If you fall into the “Legacy” Eligibility: If you are a legacy child, we will also need the following documents:
- Proof of Dependency (birth certificate, tax transcript, marriage license, or adoption paperwork)
Upload all Documents and Application in the UTSA Document Uploader
Once you’ve gathered all the documents and completed the correct Hazlewood Exemption Application, please submit each document through the Document Uploader.
- Select the department “CMAS”
- Select the term you are requesting the exemption
- Select the category “Hazlewood”
- Select the document “First time application/supporting document”
- Choose your file and upload your document
Either you bundle up all the documents into one pdf or each document will have to be uploaded separately.
Receiving Your Hazlewood Exemption
Once your application and accompany document(s) are received, our certifying officials will review your exemption request. They will also verify that each class you are registered for is on your approved degree plan, or that we have a statement from your advisor authorizing a class that does not appear on your degree plan.
Our certifying officials nearly 5,000 benefit certification requests each semester, so this may take 15-30 business days to complete.
Student veterans (those who wore the uniform) will continue to see a balance on their account, but will not be dropped or charged late fees (from the time the certification request is received) pending processing of the exemption.
Non-student veteran and or students who were not able to submit your Hazlewood application by the priority deadline, you may need to explore payment options, including temporary tuition loans through Fiscal Services, to ensure you will not be charged late fees or dropped for non-payment.
Additionally, please note the following:
- UTSA reports the amount of Hazlewood hours used to the Texas Veterans Commission within 30 days of the end of each semester. If there are not sufficient hours of eligibility remaining, the student will be responsible for paying the balance of any tuition and fees.
- Any refunds can be disbursed only after the exemption is applied.
- Please note: If using Hazlewood in conjunction with financial aid, any aid awarded will be adjusted (reduced) to reflect the lower cost of attendance.
Submit a 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. Please note scholarships that are “tuition specific” will reduce the amount of tuition covered by the Hazlewood exemption.
For more information on the Hazlewood exemption process, visit our YouTube channel!
