Child and Spouse Benefits

A number of benefits are available to the children and spouses of veterans and active military service members:

• Chapter 33:  Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008
• Hazlewood Act
• Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) Financial Assistance

 Chapter 33:  Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008

Description
The Post-9/11 GI Bill is for veterans with at least 90 days of total service on or after Sept. 11, 2001, or individuals discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days. They must have received an honorable discharge to be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Benefits may also be transferred to children or spouses.

Benefits
Based on your length of active duty service, you are entitled to a percentage of the following:

• Cost of tuition and fees, not to exceed the most expensive in-state undergraduate tuition at a public institution of higher education (paid to the school)
• A monthly housing allowance* equal to the basic allowance for housing payable to a military E-5 with dependents, in the same zip code as your school
• An annual books and supplies stipend of up to $1,000 paid proportionately based on enrollment**
• A one-time $500 payment to certain people relocating from highly rural areas

This benefit is payable only for training at an institution of higher learning (IHL). It provides up to 36 months of education benefits, and benefits are generally payable for 15 years following your release from active duty.

*If you are enrolled exclusively in online training, you will not receive the housing allowance.
**If you are on active duty, you will not receive the housing allowance or books and supplies stipend.

Transfer of Benefits Option
Service members enrolled in the Post-9/11 GI Bill Program are able to transfer unused educational benefits to their spouses or children. For more information, visit the Transfer of Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits to Dependents (TEB) page on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website.

Application
To apply for Chapter 33 benefits, fill out this electronic application and contact the ASU Veterans Affairs Office once you have completed it. If you would prefer not to use the electronic form, submit the application for VA Educational Benefits (form 22-1990) along with a copy of your discharge papers (DD214) to the ASU Veterans Affairs Office in Room 100 of the Hardeman Building.

More Information
To learn more, visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website or contact the ASU Veterans Affairs Office at (325) 942-2159 or va@angelo.edu.

 Hazlewood Act

Description
The Hazlewood Act Exemption provides an education benefit to honorably discharged or separated Texas veterans and to eligible dependent children and spouses of Texas veterans.

Eligibility Requirements

(Veterans must meet the requirements listed above before children and spouses can qualify.)

• Is the spouse of, or has a parent who is a veteran of the U. S. Armed Forces, Texas National Guard or Texas Air National Guard who died as a result of service-related injuries or illness, is missing in action, or became totally disabled for purposes of employability as a result of service-related injury or illness
• Have no federal veterans education benefits, or have federal veterans education benefits dedicated to the payment of tuition and fees only, such as Chapter 33, for the term or semester enrolled that do not exceed the value of Hazlewood benefits (Pell and SEOG Grants are not relevant)
• Are residents of Texas as of the term or semester in which they enroll

The benefit may not be used for correspondence courses unless the courses are part of the student’s degree plan.

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:

• Be a Texas resident
• Be the biological child, stepchild, adopted child or claimed as a dependent in the current or previous tax year
• Be 25 years old 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)
• 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 re-assign the unused hours that are available to another dependent child.

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

Award Amount
Eligible veterans, their children and spouses may receive an exemption from the payment of all tuition, dues, fees and other required charges, including fees for correspondence courses, but excluding deposit fees, student service fees and any fees or charges for books, lodging, board or clothing for up to 150 semester credit hours. 

Application
To learn more about the application process and contact information, visit ASU’s Hazlewood Act Web page.

 Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) Financial Assistance

Description 
The Department of Defense Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) program provides up to $4,000 of financial assistance for military spouses who are pursuing ASU degree programs or licenses.

Eligibility 
Spouses of active duty service members and federally activated members of the National Guard and Reserve components are eligible. The period of eligibility for spouses of Guard and Reserve members is from the date of the Alert or Warning Order for Military Recall or Mobilization, through activation and deployment until 180 days following de-mobilization.

The Defense Eligibility and Enrollment Reporting System (DEERS) is used to determine if a spouse is eligible. Military spouses who are legally separated by state law or court order are not eligible. Spouses who are active duty or activated Guard or Reserve members themselves are not eligible because they have their own education benefit programs. Unfortunately, Public Law 110-417 Sec. 582 does not allow MyCAA to provide education benefits to Coast Guard spouses.

Award
MyCAA financial assistance pays for ASU tuition and fees. MyCAA will pay the cost of books, supplies or equipment if they are not billed separately. The program also pays for high school completion courses, GED tests and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes.

Application
Eligible spouses can establish a MyCAA Account by visiting the MyCAA website.  Once spouse profile information is provided, MyCAA will verify spouse DEERS eligibility.

Spouses will be allowed to create a career and training plan and request financial assistance when they are within 90 days of course start dates.

For assistance from ASU, contact:

Lynette S. Wheeler
Student Accounts/Bursar’s Office
ASU Station #11046
San Angelo, TX 76909-1046

Location: Mayer Administration Building, Room 100
Phone: (325) 942-2008 or 1-877-942-2008
Fax: (325) 942-2701
E-mail: LWheeler2@angelo.edu