Texarkana College Student Handbook & Catalog

Veterans Benefits

Texarkana College is approved by the Texas Veterans Commission under the provisions of Title 38, U.S. Code for VA educational benefits to train veterans and other eligible persons for approved programs and courses required for those programs. Students requesting the Montgomery GI Bill®, Post 9/11 GI Bill®, or Veteran Readiness and Employment educational benefits must complete an application and provide additional forms to the Texarkana College Veteran Services representative. Applications can be picked up in the Financial Aid Office or completed online at: https://www.va.gov.

Students seeking veteran’s education benefits should contact our VA Certifying Official at least six weeks prior to their registration period. All benefit recipients (excluding Chapter 31, Chapter 33, and Hazlewood) are normally required to pay their educational costs up front; however, a tuition deferment for up to 60 days is an option for students using these benefits. Please contact the TC Financial Aid Office for more information or to apply. Certification of enrollment is made by a VA Certifying Official once the student notifies the verifying official that they have finalized their schedule for the semester. Funding from the Veteran’s Administration will be paid directly to students by the Veteran’s Administration Office.

The Department of Veteran Affairs requires that students who receive veteran’s benefits make due progress toward the completion of a degree or certificate in order to continue receiving benefits. At Texarkana College, students receiving VA benefits must maintain all requirements listed in the Financial Aid Standards of Academic Progress (FA-SAP). These requirements can be found at: https://www.texarkanacollege.edu/admissions-aid/tuition-financial-aid/financial-aid/.

Certification Requirements

  • Students must follow a Texarkana College degree plan. Only courses that apply to their declared degree plan at Texarkana College will be approved for benefits.
  • Students must provide an official transcript from all previously attended post-secondary schools. This includes non-accredited institutions and the student’s military transcript (if not a spouse/dependent).
  • Students must notify the Texarkana College Veteran Services Advisor or representative upon registration each semester in order to request certification. Certification is not automatic.
  • Students should allow 4-6 weeks for processing paperwork by the Texarkana College Veteran Services representative and additional processing time for the VA Regional Office.

Note: Please refer to https://www.va.gov/education/ or call 1-888-GIBILL for additional requirements, updates, information, and other resources for your educational benefits.

Eligible veterans receive monthly payments for their entitlement based on the coursework for which they enroll. Students should make certain that each course meets the requirements for graduation in the veteran’s declared degree program or completion of a certificate program. A course for audit credit will not be certified for payment. Please note that the following is also reviewed by the Veteran’s Administration:

  • All withdrawals, enforced withdrawals and reductions in class loads will be reported to the Veteran’s Administration Office, and may result in a debt to the VA, Texarkana College, or both.
  • Repeats of classes where Ds or above were earned will not be covered for veteran’s benefits.

VA Delayed Payment Policy

Texarkana College strives to ensure that students will not be penalized by any undue delay in payment from the Department of Veterans Affairs in accordance with our values and guidance set out in the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018, section 3679(e) of Title 38, United States Code as amended.

We allow students using VA educational benefits that pay tuition directly to the college (VA Veteran Readiness and Employment or Post-9/11 GI Bill® at the 100% rate) to attend their course of study without further payment requirements from the date they submit documentation of their eligibility for benefits to 90 days after the student’s tuition and fees are certified or until the VA makes payment, whichever comes first. “Documentation of eligibility” is defined as confirmation from your VA counselor for Veteran Readiness and Employment, a certificate of eligibility or eBenefits printout for Post-9/11 GI Bill®, and a “new student packet” for both types of beneficiaries (available on our website or in the Financial Aid Office) to ensure accurate certification.

It is our practice to “hold” these students’ classes without further expectation of payment once documentation of eligibility is received, count the full amount of their eligible tuition and fees “paid” once the student’s information is certified to the VA and reported to our Business Office, and ensure that payment is made by the Department of Veterans Affairs on the back end through our weekly and monthly reconciliation processes. We will not impose any penalties or denial of services on a student – such as late fees or denial of access to classes, libraries, or institutional facilities – on the basis of delayed VA payments, nor will we require students to borrow loan funds to cover tuition and fee costs we know will eventually be paid by the VA. (Please note that it is still possible for these students to incur late fees, but only on the basis of waiting until the late registration period to enroll, not as a consequence of delayed payment by the VA.)

Isakson and Roe / Principles of Excellence Compliance

Pursuant to the Isakson and Roe Act of 2020, Texarkana College affirms that we adhere to the federal government’s Principles of Excellence regarding veteran benefits administration. Moreover, we prohibit automatic renewal of a VA educational benefits recipient or other covered individual in courses and programs without their express consent, and ensure that each of these individuals approve of their enrollment in a course prior to registering them in classes or certifying their hours to VA. We also encourage all students using VA educational benefits to also apply for federal or state financial aid, and we always offer students grant (non-loan) aid if they qualify for it prior to packing or arranging any student loans or alternative financing.  

VA Beneficiary In-State Tuition Policy

In accordance with the Isakson and Roe Act of 2020, students using Chapter 30, 31, or 33 VA educational benefits (a.k.a. the Post-9/11 GI Bill®, the Montgomery GI Bill® for Active Duty, or Veteran Readiness and Employment) qualify for in-state tuition as long as they physically reside in the state of Texas, regardless of how long they have lived in-state. If a student has questions about this provision, or if they believe they qualify for in-state tuition as a result of it and are not currently receiving tuition at the in-state rate, they should contact the TC Financial Aid Office at financial.aid@texarkanacollege.edu.  

The Montgomery GI Bill®

The Montgomery GI Bill® (Chapter 30)-Active Duty program provides up to 36 months of education benefits. These benefits may be used for degree and certificate programs, apprenticeship/on-the-job training, and correspondence courses. Remedial deficiency and refresher course may be approved under certain circumstances. Generally, benefits are payable for 10 years following your release from active duty. The Montgomery GI Bill® (Chapter 1606)-Selected Reserve Program may be available to you if you are a member of the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Coast Guard Reserve, the Army National Guard, and the Air National Guard. Students may use this education assistance program for degree programs, certificate or correspondence courses, cooperative training, independent study programs, or apprenticeship/on-the-job training. Remedial, refresher, and deficiency training are available under certain circumstances.

Eligibility for this program is determined by the selected reserve components. The student is normally responsible for paying tuition and fees at the time of registration; however, a tuition deferment for up to 60 days is an option for students using these benefits. Please contact the TC Financial Aid Office for more information or to apply. The VA makes the payments to the student for this program upon verification of enrollment certification which must be completed each semester. The student may be entitled to receive up to 36 months of education benefits. Their benefit enrollment entitlement ends 10 years from the date of eligibility for the program or on the day the individual left the selected reserve component. The following documents are needed to apply for the Montgomery GI Bill® benefits:

  • Copy of DD-214 for Active Duty Program
  • Letter of eligibility form Selected Reserve Unit for Selected Reserve Program
  • All prior academic transcripts
  • Military transcripts (these can be requested online for each military branch)

Post 9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33)

The Post 9/11 GI Bill® is program developed by the VA that went into effect August 1, 2009. This program is for individuals who serves at least 90 aggregate days (or at least 30 continuous days with a discharge due to a service-connected disability) of active duty from 9/11/2001 to the present. Veterans applying for this program may be eligible for a housing allowance and books/supplies stipend in addition to payments covering tuition and fees up to the highest undergraduate rate for a public institution of higher learning in the state. To check your eligibility and get further information on this program, please visit http://www.gibill.va.gov or contact the VA at 1-888-4551. Required documents for Chapter 33 benefits are the same as those listed above for the Montgomery GI Bill® (Chapter 30).

Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program (DEA-Chapter 35)

Dependent’s Educational Assistance provides education and training opportunities to eligible depended of certain veterans. The program offers up to 45 months of education benefits. These benefits may be used for degree and certificate programs, apprenticeship, and on-the-job training. Remedial, deficiency, and refresher courses may be approved under certain circumstances. The following documents are needed to apply for DEA benefits:

  • Copy of DD-214 for qualifying veteran
  • Copy of marriage certificate for spouse and birth certificate for children
  • All prior academic transcripts

Veteran Readiness and Employment (Chapter 31)

Veteran Readiness and Employment counselors employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs determine eligibility for this veterans’ benefit. Information on how to contact a Veteran Readiness and Employment counselor can be obtained in the Financial Aid Office. Additional information regarding Veterans’ benefits may be obtained by visiting the VA web site at www.benefits.va.gov/vocrehab

Hazlewood Exemption for Texas Veterans

Veterans who are citizens of Texas, who were residents of Texas at the time of enlistment, who received an “honorable” or “general – under honorable conditions” discharge, and who are not eligible for VA educational benefits that provide for direct and full payment of tuition and fees, may be eligible for the Hazlewood Exemption. This exemption covers all tuition and most fees related to enrollment, but not books, supplies, or housing deposits. In certain cases, this benefit may also be extended to the veteran’s children or spouse. Students wishing to obtain this exemption status should contact the veteran services representative in the Financial Aid Office for an application, or they can visit www.tvc.texas.gov. The completed application and supporting documentation should be submitted to the TC Financial Aid Office for evaluation. Please allow 2-3 weeks for processing.

Children of veterans using transferred Hazlewood hours through the “Legacy” provision are required by state law to follow a degree plan, and the exemption is not to be used to pay for classes that are not needed for graduation. According to guidance from the Texas Veterans Commission:

Rule §461.70(e) mandates that a Legacy child is only allowed to use exemption for the number of hours required to receive a degree or certificate. This requirement, commonly referred to as the “degree-certified hours rule” essentially means that, unlike other categories of Hazlewood students, a Legacy child must be on a degree plan and can only use the exemption for the minimum number of credits required for the degree or certificate. Legacy children should therefore not receive the exemption for classes not on the degree plan or repeated degree plan classes.

To comply with this guidance, Texarkana College follows the school policies listed below for all students using Legacy Hazlewood:

  • Degree Plan Applicability – For all regular degree-seeking students, Legacy Hazlewood will only exempt tuition for uncompleted degree requirements. This means that if a student takes a non-required elective, Hazlewood cannot be used to cover it. For Continuing Education classes that receive formula funding, the course or program is considered its own “degree plan” until completed, and students will not be allowed to pursue a separate credit-hour degree plan concurrently.
  • Transient or Undeclared Students – For each semester they wish to use the exemption, transient students using Legacy Hazlewood must submit written confirmation from an academic advisor or VA School Certifying Official at their home college that classes taken at Texarkana College are transferrable degree requirements for their declared major at that college. If a Legacy Hazlewood recipient is an “Undeclared” major and not pursuing a degree at another college, their major will be assumed to be “AA – General Studies” for purposes of the Hazlewood exemption, and all transfer credit from prior colleges must be articulated prior to using the exemption at Texarkana College.
  • Dual Credit / High School Students – Dual credit students’ majors will be assumed to be “AA – General Studies” for purposes of the Hazlewood exemption unless they are taking a workforce class like welding or cosmetology, in which case that workforce certificate program will be their assumed degree plan. 
  • If a Legacy Hazlewood recipient changes majors, they must notify the Hazlewood administrator in the TC Financial Aid Office. Because Legacy Hazlewood only pays for required classes, the student must notify the TC Financial Aid Office if their degree plan changes.
  • Legacy Hazlewood will not pay for repeats of classes. Once a Legacy Hazlewood recipient attempts a class and earns a letter grade that counts as a completion for purposes of graduation (A, B, C, or D), Hazlewood cannot be used to pay for that class a second or third time.
  • Hazlewood will not pay for a course that has been attempted more than twice (a.k.a. “three-peat”). Classes attempted more than twice incur a “three-peat” penalty fee because the college does not receive any head-count (“formula”) funding assistance from the state for that class. Since the college receives no funding assistance from the State of Texas for a “three-peated” class, a state exemption like Hazlewood cannot be used to pay for it. This is different from the previous rule about repeats because it still holds true even if the grades received the first two times are not passing or don’t satisfy completion (W or F grades).

Additional Resources and Information Regarding VA Benefits

  • The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Education Service – the source of information concerning your educational benefits: http://www.gibill.va.gov
  • VA.gov – the governments one-stop-shop for all veteran education benefits: https://VA.gov
  • Veteran Readiness and Employment (Chapter 31) Benefits – Information about VR&E for veterans with a documented service-related disability who want to pursue training to enter a suitable career: https://benefits.va.gov/vocrehab/

SELECTIVE SERVICE STATUS

An individual may not receive certain state grants and tuition waivers funded by state revenue or receive a student loan guaranteed by the state or the Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation, unless the individual files a statement of the individual’s selective service status with the institution or other entity granting or guaranteeing the financial assistance as required by this section (FEA Legal)

This section does not apply to:

  • A female individual if females are not subject to general selective service registration under federal law; or
  • Individuals who immigrated to the US after the maximum age at which an individual is permitted to register with the selective service system under federal law.

The statement of an individual’s selective service status required by this section must require the individual to certify that the individual:

  • Has registered with the selective service system as required by federal law; or
  • Is exempt from selective service registration under federal law.