by My name is Jessica Mitchell and I am the TJC Veteran Benefits and Education Services Specialist. While my title is a mouth full, my purpose is simple: help veterans, active military members, and their families navigate the world of higher education. There are a variety of benefits available so it can be difficult to discern what benefit you qualify for and how to set it up. With this blog post, I hope to clear up a few of those general questions and give you a place to start.
At TJC there are five federal VA benefits and one state benefit that we accept. The federal benefits are Chapter 30 Montgomery G.I. Bill, Chapter 1606 Select Reserve and Guard G.I. Bill, Chapter 31 Veteran Readiness and Employment, Chapter 33 Post 9/11 G.I. Bill, and Chapter 35 Dependents Education Assistance. The State of Texas offers one education benefit called the Hazlewood Exemption Act. There is also tuition assistance for active-duty members that you set up through your branch of the military. Each is a little different from the next. While one benefit may pay for tuition and fees, books, and a housing stipend, others will only pay a stipend and nothing to tuition and fees. Additionally, you may qualify for more than one depending on your situation. So, how do you decide?
I am happy to discuss what each benefit does and help you whittle down what you may or may not qualify for, but the VA is the ultimate authority on eligibility for the federal benefits. Visiting VA.gov or calling the GI Bill Hotline (1-888-GIBILL1) will help you make a well-informed decision on what to apply for. The Hazlewood Exemption approval can be done by submitting the Hazlewood application and discharge/retirement documentation to the TJC VA office. I can provide all applications and forms or links to the forms from the VA. Just researching these benefits can seem daunting but getting them set up is usually as simple as applying and submitting a couple of documents.
My goal is to be the person you can come to if you have any questions about college. I, of course, will help you set up benefits, provide forms, and send your enrollment to the VA, but I also am happy to help with any other obstacles you run into throughout your time at TJC. I love that my job gives me the opportunity to guide veterans, service members, and their families from application to graduation so please reach out if there is any part of the process you need more insight on!
