Veterans Benefits

VA Education Benefit Opportunities:

Chapter 30: Montgomery GI Bill^® Active Duty
This program assists those who served at least two years on active duty. 

Chapter 31: Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program

This program may give benefits relating to a service-connected disability, beneficiaries must be found eligible and entitled in order to qualify.  These benefits may be used 12 years from separation of active military service or from the date which the VA notified the beneficiary of a service-connected disability rating. This program is handled by a VA case manager.  To determine eligibility contact the nearest Veteran’s Administration Office at 800-827-1000.

Chapter 33: Post 9/11 GI Bill^®

This program is to assist 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. 

Chapter 35: Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA)

Benefits for this program are given to students with a 100 percent service-related disability or dependent of the disabled veteran.  This program offers up to 45 months of education benefits.  

Chapter 1606: Montgomery GI Bill^® Selected Reserve

Selected Reserve benefits are offers up to 36 months of education benefits to those who qualify within the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Coast Guard Reserve, Army National Guard or Air National Guard. 

Certain restrictions and eligibility requirements apply to all programs. To find out how to apply for VA educational benefits and check your eligibility please visit the va.gov website.

The Hazelwood Act is a State of Texas benefit that provides qualified veterans, spouses, and dependent children with an education benefit of up to 150 credit hours of tuition and fee exemptions, including most fee charges.  This does not include living expenses, books, or supply fees.

Eligibility Requirements

In addition to other eligibility requirements, the Hazlewood Exemption is for qualified Veterans, their spouses and dependents, who at the time of entering active duty of the U.S. Armed Forces, they designated Texas as their home of record, was a Texas resident, or entered the service in Texas, served a minimum of 181 days of active duty service, and currently lives in Texas. To review all eligibility requirements please see the Texas Veterans Commission webpage.

How to Apply:

To apply for the Hazlewood Exemption you must provide the following documentation to HSC:

• Register for the TVC Hazlewood Database
• Submit a Texas Hazlewood Act Exemption Application
• Provide a copy of the Veteran’s DD214, Certificate of Release, or Discharge Paperwork
• Provide a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility/Ineligibility for Federal GI Bill^® Benefits
  • This is not required if the Veteran was discharged prior to September 11, 2001.
• If the Veteran is Deceased:
  • A Veteran’s Death Certificate for transfer of hours to Legacy dependent will be required.
  • or
  • If the death occurred during service: A Report of Casualty Form (DD Form 1300)
• If the Veteran is totally disabled or unemployable due to military service-related injuries:
  • Please provide a copy of the current (within 1 year) disability ratings decision letter received from the VA.
• If you are not the Veteran you will need to provide a relationship document stating your connection to the servicemember.
  • Examples: Marriage Certificate, Birth Certificate, Adoption papers, or Recent IRS Tax Transcript showing dependent status. 

Once all required documents have been gathered please submit the to your School Certifying Official via the Registrar and Student Records Office for review.

To use any VA Educational Benefit at HSC:

Students must be accepted to the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth and enrolled in classes for an approved degree-seeking program.

What documentation must be provided?

Chapter 30: Montgomery GI Bill^® Active Duty

1. You must have applied for benefits with the VA.

Application for Benefits Form (VA Form 22-1990)

1. Certificate of Eligibility
2. Form 22-1995* – Request for Change of Program or Place of Training

Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program

1. Apply for Chapter 31 benefits with VA Form 28-1900 and meet with a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor. 
2. Copy of DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty
3. Form 22-1995* – Request for Change of Program or Place of Training

Chapter 33: Post 9/11 GI Bill^®

1. You must have applied for benefits with the VA Application for Benefits Form (VA Form 22-1990)
2. Certificate of Eligibility
3. DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty
4. Form 22-1995* – Request for Change of Program or Place of Training
5. JST – Joint Services Transcript

Chapter 35: Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA)

1. Application for Survivor’s and Dependents’ Educational Assistance must be submitted to the VA: Form 22-5490 
2. Certificate of Eligibility
3. Copy of DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty

Chapter 1606 Montgomery GI Bill^® Selected Reserve

1. You must have applied for benefits with the VA.

Application for Benefits Form (VA Form 22-1990)

1. Certificate of Eligibility
2. DD-214
3. Form 22-1995* – Request for Change of Program or Place of Training

General Policies and Procedures:

General policies and procedures, including Transfer Credit, Withdrawal for Active Military Service Policy and more, can be found in our current HSC Catalog. 

Program specific policies can be found within the programs College specific catalog home page. 

Pending Payment Compliance 

In accordance with Title 38 US Code 3679(e), University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth (HSC) adopts the following additional provisions for any students using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post-9/11 G.I. Bill^® (Ch. 33) or Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (Ch. 31) benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from VA.

HSC will not:

• Prevent the student’s enrollment;
• Assess a late penalty fee to the student;
• Require the student to secure alternative or additional funding;
• Deny the student access to any resources (access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities) available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution.

However, to qualify for this provision, such students may be required to:

• Produce the VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE) by the first day of class;
• Provide a written request to be certified;
• Provide additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment as described in other institutional policies and procedures.

HSC abides by the Texas Education Code 54.006 (f) indicating, “Beginning with the summer semester of 1990, if a student withdraws from an institution of higher education because the student is called to active military service, the institution, at the student’s option, shall:

1. Refund the tuition and fees paid by the student for the semester in which the student withdraws;
2. Grant a student, who is eligible under the institution’s guidelines, an incomplete grade in all courses by designating ‘withdrawn-military’ on the student’s transcript; or
3. As determined by the instructor, assign an appropriate final grade or credit to a student who has satisfactorily completed a substantial amount of course work and who has demonstrated sufficient mastery of the course material.”

In order to be eligible for options under this law, an HSC student must produce a copy of their orders. Withdrawal may or may not require that the student talk with each instructor depending on timing in the semester; however, the latter two options do require that the student talk with his or her instructors and come to a decision as to which solution is best for each class given timing and circumstances. A student called to active duty may consider the following options:

1. Withdrawal with a full refund of appropriate tuition/fees;
2. Incomplete grades with the one-year I (Incomplete) removal time limit starting with the end of active duty; and/or
3. A final grade if the course is essentially over and the course material has been sufficiently mastered (determined by the instructor).

For assistance don’t hesitate to contact the Registrar and Student Records Office at registrar@unthsc.edu or at (817) 735-2201.

Helpful Links:

Federal Benefits:

VA Education & Training Benefits Information

Apply for Benefits

GI Bill® Comparison Tool

VA Rate Tables Determine your benefit rate by program.

Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) Rates:

MHA Rates are dependent on the location of HSC. The link above will allow you to view HSC’s current MHA Rate via the VA GI Bill® Comparison Tool. 

Verifying your Enrollment:

• For Chapters 30, 1606, 1607, and VRAP
  • Web Automated Verification of Enrollment (WAVE)
• For Chapter 33: Post 9/11 GI Bill^® please text of call the Education Call Center at 1-888-442-4551

Hazlewood Exemption:

Hazlewood Database Student & Veteran Login

Texas Veterans Commission

Documentation Requests:

Joint Services Transcript Request

DD 214/Separation Documentation

The Department of Defense has announced the launch of the Postsecondary Education Complaint System which provides a centralized online reporting system for service members and their families to report problems and lodge complaints against education institutions for unfair or misleading practices. The new complaint system is directly in line with the President’s Executive Order establishing the Principles of Excellence for educational institutions serving Service Members, Veterans, Spouses and their family members. For more information or to submit a complaint, please visit the  Postsecondary Education Complaint System webpage.

HSC is here for you! 

Financial Aid: 

The Financial Aid Office is here to assist you with any questions regarding financial assistance opportunities outside of your VA Educational Benefits. 

Tuition and Fees:

The Student Finance Office is able to provide information regarding tuition and fees, bills, payment options, Third Party Contract billing, processing student refunds and 1098T Tax information. 

Below are additional DSAA Resources available to you:

• Office of Disability Access
  • The Office of Disability Access is committed to assisting students with disabilities and providing academic accommodations to ensure equal access.
• Center for Academic Performance
  • The CAP Office is here to assist all HSC Students through academic consultations, learning assessments, and self-management. 
• Career Readiness Center
  • Professional Attire Resource Closet
  • Student Business & HSC Note Cards
  • and other Professional Essential Resources!
• Office of Care and Civility
  • 24/7 Hotline: 817-735-2740
  • OCC@unthsc.edu
• Student Food Pantry
  • Anonymous and Free!
  • Located in the Student Services Center Room 180 (Monday – Friday 8am-5pm) and in the Library Room 450 (24/7)

About Us:

To learn more information about our graduation rates and program specific statistics please view our current HSC Viewbook!

Federal VA Benefits | Hazlewood and Hazlewood Legacy