Veteran Affairs

Financial Aid Information for Veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States

Veterans benefit information can be found at www.va.gov/education.

Veterans with active military service, selected reservists and dependents of veterans may be eligible for federal payments of education benefits while attending Trinity Valley Community College. The veterans affairs officer is responsible for assuring the proper handling of VA educational benefits and applications for qualifying veterans and dependents of veterans.

Educational objectives: The Department of Veterans Affairs requires that each student receiving VA educational benefits is enrolled for courses which lead to their approved educational objective (degree or certificate). VA students may not receive benefits for courses for which they have already received credit; for courses that are in excess of degree requirements; or for courses which do not apply to a planned, approved program.  A college academic counselor is available to help a prospective student determine if courses meet the requirements for the student’s VA approved program of study.

****REVIEW***TVCC does not participate in the Advance Payment program. Therefore, VA students are required to pay tuition and fees at registration if ineligible for financial aid (i.e. scholarship, Pell Grant, student loan). While enrolled, students with VA educational benefits receive a monthly payment varying in amount, depending upon the chapter program and class load. Note: Allow four to eight weeks for a VA application or any paperwork submitted to be processed by the Department of Veterans Affairs regional office in Muskogee, OK (toll-free number: 1-888-442-4551).

VA Student Checklist

What you must do before your enrollment can be certified: 
1. Apply to Trinity Valley Community College.  Applications can be completed by visiting www.applytexas.org. Contact the Admissions Office for deadline dates. 

  •  Trinity Valley Community College requires military transcripts for all veterans applying for admission.  Veterans and service members can order a military transcript from the branch in which you served: 
    • Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corp, & Navy (JST): https://jst.doded.mil 
    • Air Force (CCAF): https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Barnes/CCAF/Display/Article/803247/community-college-of-the-air-force-transcripts/

Send All Transcripts to the Following Address: 
Trinity Valley Community College 
Attention:  Registrar’s Office 
100 Cardinal Drive
Athens, TX 75751

2. If you do not have a copy of your DD214, you may order one at: http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/get-service-records.html 

3. Create an eBenefits account to access your military personnel file at: https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits-portal/ebenefits.portal.

  • If your benefits have never been used or applied for, submit your application (VA Form 22-1990/5490) to Veterans Administration as early as possible. Visit https://www.va.gov/education/how-to-apply/ for information. 

4. Meet with an academic advisor for degree plan advisement, enroll in a degree program approved for VA benefits, and then register for courses that apply toward that degree. 
 
5. Provide all supporting documentation to the TVCC Veterans Office as shown below. 

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR VA CERTIFICATION

***ALL REQUIRED DOUCMENTS MUST BE TURNED IN AT THE SAME TIME FOR CERTIFICATION.***

INCOMPLETE PAPERWORK WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

 Chapter 33 (Post 9/11):
  • Certificate of Eligibility VA Form 22-1990 (va.gov)
  • DD-214 Member 4
  • VA Form 22-1995 (If you’ve used your GI Bill® before)
  • TVCC Request for VA Certification Form – Must be submitted every semester
  • Military and All Academic Transcripts Submit to Registrar’s or VA office
Chapter 33 (Post 9/11 Transfer of Entitlement or Fry Scholarship):
  • Certificate of Eligibility
  • VA Form 22-5495 (If you’ve used your GI Bill® before)
  • TVCC Request for VA Certification Form – Must be submitted every semester
  • Military and All Academic Transcripts Submit to Registrar’s or VA office
Chapter 30 (MGIB):
  • Letter of Eligibility (We can certify enrollment without this)
  • DD-214 Member 4
  • VA Form 22-1995 (If you’ve used your GI Bill® before)
  • TVCC Request for VA Certification Form – Must be submitted every semester
  • Military and All Academic Transcripts Submit to Registrar’s or VA office
Chapter 35 (DEA):
  • Letter of Eligibility (We will not certify enrollment without this)
  • VA Form 22-5495 (If you’ve used your DEA benefits before)
  • TVCC Request for VA Certification Form - Must be submitted every semester
Chapter 31 (VR&E):
  • VA Form 28-1905 (Sent to TVCC from VR&E Case Manager)
  • TVCC Request for VA Certification Form – Must be submitted every semester
  • Military and All Academic Transcripts Submit to Registrar’s or VA office
Chapters 1606/1607 (REAP):
  • For 1606: Notice of Basic Eligibility (NOBE)
  • For 1607: DD-214 Member 4
  • Letter of Eligibility
  • VA Form 22-1995 (If you’ve used your GI Bill® before)
  • TVCC Request for VA Certification Form - Must be submitted every semester
  • Military and All Academic Transcripts Submit to Registrar’s or VA office

**Documents are available at https://www.tvcc.edu/Veterans**

VA Changes that must be Reported

It is the responsibility of the VA student to report any changes in enrollment immediately(reduction or termination of attendance or training) to the school’s certifying official and ensure the changes are reported promptly to the VA regional office. The student will be responsible for any overpayment resulting from these changes. Any change of address or phone number should also be reported to the school VA officer. When changing a degree or certificate program, the student must notify the TVCC certifying official and complete any required forms to avoid a delay in receiving educational benefits payments. If transferring from or to another school, the student should complete the following:

  1. Veterans and Reservists: VA Form 22-1995 Request for Change of Program or Place of Training.
  2. Spouse or Child of Veteran: VA Form 22-5495 Request for Change of Program or Place of Training Survivors’ and Dependents’ Education Assistance.

VA Satisfactory Academic Progress 

Please review TVCC Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy in the Financial Aid section of this catalog. 

Hazlewood Act Exemption

The Hazlewood Exemption Act is a Texas benefit that provides qualified veterans, spouses and dependent children with an education benefit of up to 150 hours of tuition exemption and required fee charges at Texas public institutions of higher education. The exemption does not include living expenses, books, supplies, travel, and non-tuition related fees. The information below lists the ways you may qualify for the Hazlewood Exemption along with the documentation you must submit in order to be considered for the benefit. For more information on the Hazlewood Act and eligibility requirements, please visit the Texas Veterans Commission website.

All documentation must be on file prior to the census date of the term for which the student is applying for the Hazlewood Act exemption. In order to be eligible to receive a Hazlewood Act exemption, a veteran will demonstrate that he or she:

  1. at the time of entry into the U.S. Armed Forces, was a citizen of the United States and a resident of Texas;
  2. has received an honorable discharge from active service, general discharge under honorable conditions or an honorable separation from service;
  3. has served at least 181 days of active military duty, excluding training;
  4. has resided in Texas at least 12 months or otherwise been classified as a Texas resident by the institution for the term or semester for which the veteran applies for the Hazlewood Act exemption;
  5. is not in default on an education loan that was made or guaranteed by State of Texas;
  6. has attempted fewer than 150 credit hours of college courses using the Hazlewood Act Exemption, beginning with fall of 1995; and is enrolled in an eligible program of study.

Transferability of Benefits (Legacy Program)

Eligible veterans may assign unused hours of exemption eligibility to a child under certain conditions.  To be eligible, the child must:

  1. be a Texas resident;
  2. be the biological child, stepchild, adopted child or claimed as a dependent in the current or previous tax year;
  3. be 25 years 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
  4. make satisfactory academic progress in a degree, certificate or continuing education program** as determined by the institution.

If a child to whom hours have been delegated fails to use all of the assigned hours, a veteran may reassign the unused hours that are available to another dependent child.

Veterans’ spouses are not eligible to receive a transfer of unused hours.

Applying for Hazlewood Act Exemption

When applying for the first time for the Hazlewood Act exemption, a veteran shall provide to the institution the following supporting documentation:

  1. Hazlewood Application
  2. A copy of the veteran’s Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214); and/or DD215 if necessary
  3. VA Certificate of Eligibility for GI Bill® benefits (required if Veteran served on or after 9/11/2001)
  4. For legacy recipients: Birth Certificate,  Marriage Certificate, Death Certificate (for deceased Veteran) or Adoption Documentation, or IRS Transcript of Tax Return (https://www.irs.gov/Individuals/get‐transcript) from current or previous year indicating dependency of child, and identification of designee if applicable
  5. Required for Spouse or Child (other than Legacy), Letter from VA indicating the Veteran’s death was service‐related

For additional information, contact the Office of Student Financial Aid, the TVCC website, TVCC Veterans Benefits, College for all Texans, or Texas Veterans Commission.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.