As a veteran in the state of Texas, you are entitled to a number of Texas veteran grants. These grants are designed to help make life easier for you post-military service and you should know how to apply to every single one of them.
The state of Texas, also known as the Lone Star State is home to nearly 1.7 million veterans, with many of them are eligible for benefits and programs that can help with everything from housing and healthcare to education and employment. So, if you’re a veteran in Texas, make sure you know about all the grants available to you!
These grants are provided by several bodies across Texas. The Texas Veterans Commission offers a number of programs to help veterans in the state, including the Veterans Housing Assistance Program, which provides grants to help with mortgage payments, and the Veterans Entrepreneurship Program, which offers business start-up assistance to veterans.
The federal government also offers a number of benefits for veterans, including the GI Bill, which can help with education and training costs, and the VA Home Loan program, which helps eligible veterans finance the purchase of a home.
So, if you’re a veteran in Texas, there’s no reason you shouldn’t take advantage of all the Texas veteran grants and programs available to you! Just make sure you do your research to know all the grants and benefits you’re eligible for and apply for everyone of them.
Some Texas veteran grants
There are a number of grants for veterans in the state of Texas, some of them are:
1. The Veterans Housing Assistance Program
The Veterans Housing Assistance Program (VHAP) is a grant program that provides funding to eligible veterans for the purchase of a home. The VHAP can be used to buy a home, make repairs to an existing home, or pay for rent.
To be eligible for the Texas VHAP, veterans must:
- Be a resident of Texas
- Be a veteran of the United States Armed Forces
- Have been honorably discharged from active duty
- Demonstrate financial need
The first step to applying for the Veterans Housing Assistance Program is to find out if you qualify for the program.
Find out if you qualify for a VA home loan here
2. The GI Bill
You can attend college, graduate school, and training programs with the aid of GI Bill funds. Since 1944, the GI Bill has provided eligible Veterans and their families with financial aid to help pay all or a portion of the costs of attending school or receiving training. Below, find out more about the GI Bill’s advantages and how to apply for them.
Your GI Bill Statement of Benefits will indicate how much of your Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits you have already utilized and how much is still available to you if you applied for and were approved for the program.
Post-9/11 GI Bill
Find out if you qualify for education benefits under the Post-9/11 GI Bill if you need assistance paying for school or job training and you served on active service after September 10, 2001.
Transfer your spouse and dependents’ Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits.
Find out if you can transfer any unused Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to your spouse or dependent children.
3. The Texas Hazlewood Act
The Hazlewood Act is a Texas veteran grants that offers qualified veterans, spouses, and dependent children a maximum 150-hour tuition exemption at public institutions of higher learning in Texas, including the majority of fee charges. This excludes living costs, textbooks, and supply costs.
Eligibility for the Texas Hazlewood Act?
The Texas Hazlewood Act provides financial assistance for tuition and fees at public colleges and universities to eligible veterans, their spouses, and their dependent children. To be eligible, a person must:
- Be a resident of Texas
- Have been discharged from the military with an honorable discharge
- Have served at least 180 days of active duty service (excluding training)
- Not be in default on any student loans
- Not have used all 150 hours of benefits under the act
An applicant for benefits under the Hazlewood Act Statute and Section 461 of the 40 Texas Administrative Code must also satisfy all of the following criteria:
A Veteran requires:
- (DD Form 214 needed) and (40 TAC 461.40) designated Texas as Home of Record at the time of admission into active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces; or entered the service in Texas; or was a resident of Texas;
- Have served at least 181 days on active duty (excluding training), have received an honorable discharge, separation, or general discharge under honorable conditions, as indicated on the veteran’s certificate of release or discharge from active duty;
- Live in Texas right now; (40 TAC 461.40) & (40 TAC 461.70)
- Have no federal benefits for veterans’ education, or only have federal benefits (such as Chapter 33 or 31; for terms or semesters enrolled that do not exceed the value of Hazlewood benefits) that are used to pay for tuition and fees;
- Not be in arrears on a student loan provided by the State of Texas or guaranteed by it;
- Unless the institution’s governing board has decided to let Veterans to get the benefit while taking unfunded courses
- Enroll in classes for which the college receives tax funding (i.e. a course that does not primarily rely on student tuition and fees to cover its cost); and
- The institution’s financial aid policy-defined GPA requirement must be met in a degree- or certificate-granting program, and undergraduate students must not be deemed to have tried an excessive number of credit hours.
How many times can you use the Hazlewood Act?
The Hazlewood Act is a Texas state law that provides educational benefits to veterans of the armed forces. The act allows eligible veterans to receive up to 150 hours of tuition exemption at state-supported institutions of higher education. Veterans may also transfer unused hours of tuition exemption to certain family members.
However, Hazlewood benefits are only available to one child at a time.
Does the Hazlewood Act pay for housing?
The Hazlewood Act is a state program that helps veterans with the cost of education. And under the program, you receive up to 150 hours of tuition and fees at public colleges and universities in Texas. However, the Hazlewood Act does not pay for housing.
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4. The Paydirt Promise grant
The Paydirt Promise grant is a new initiative from the Texas Veterans Commission that provides up to $5,000 in grant funding to eligible veterans. The grant can be used for a variety of expenses, including housing, education, transportation, and more. To be eligible for the grant, veterans must have served in the military for at least two years and be a resident of Texas.
How do you apply for the Paydirt Promise grant?
No separate application is required. The Paydirt Promise Program will be automatically considered for all accepted students who have completed and submitted their FAFSA.
Eligibility for the Paydirt Promise Grant
To be eligible for the Paydirt Promise grant, you must:
- Be a resident of Texas
- Be accepted to UTEP, and by March 15th, submit your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and other necessary paperwork.
- Possess a family’s adjusted gross income of little more than $75,000 and be in need of money
- Be enrolled full-time (12 credits or more) in order to pursue your first bachelor’s degree during the fall and spring semesters.
- Maintain a 2.0 GPA or better, finish 24 credits a year (fall, spring, summer4), and be in good academic standing to be renewed.
General eligibility criteria for Texas veteran grants
Texas veteran grants have different eligibility criteria depending on the funder. However, there are general baseline eligibility criteria that could apply to almost all the grants. So, if you are looking to get grants in the state of Texas, you must:
- Be a resident of Texas
- Be a veteran of the United States Armed Forces
- Have been honorably discharged from active duty
- Be enrolled in an accredited institution of higher learning in Texas
- Demonstrate financial need
When will you find out if you are receiving the grant?
Knowing if you are eligible for Texas veteran grants takes anything from four weeks starting from the moment you apply. During this period, the concerned grant sponsor collects data regarding your previous earnings, employment history, and general eligibility.
Do you have to pay back the Texas grant?
If you are a veteran living in Texas, you may be eligible for several Texas veteran grants. These grants are available to help veterans with housing, education, and other needs.
However, many continue to raise one common question about these grants and that’s regarding whether or not they have to be repaid. The answer is that it depends on the specific grant program. Some programs may require that you repay in kind, while others may not.
If you are unsure about whether or not you will need to repay a grant, you should contact the organization that administers the program. They will be able to give you more information about the specific requirements of the program.
Conclusion
If you are a US veteran living in Texas, you may be eligible for a number of Texas veteran grants. These grants can help you pay for things like education, housing, and business start-ups. However, each grants has its own eligibility criteria, which is why you need to research and settle on the one that best fits your need.
So, start researching today, and you will surely get the funding that you need. Good luck!
