Veterans Benefits
The Office of Veterans Affairs is available to assist all eligible veterans and their dependents in making application for educational benefits. Students who plan to receive veterans' benefits must satisfy HCC admission requirements. The Veterans Administration requires that prior credits be evaluated from all colleges or universities that the student has attended. Therefore transcripts from all colleges or universities previously attended must be provided to the Office of Veterans Affairs at HCC.
Students receiving veterans benefits must at all times have a definite major declared with the Office of Veterans Affairs. In order to comply with this requirement, the Office of Veterans Affairs requires the student to see a counselor in order to complete a Program Planning Sheet prior to the beginning of each enrollment period. For more information on Hinds Community College's policies concerning Veterans Benefits, see the College Catalog. More information on educational benefits for veterans is available at http://www.gibill.va.gov/.
VA provides educational benefits under the following programs:
Chapter 35
Chapter 35 provides financial aid for the education of dependent sons, daughters and spouses of:
Veterans who died or are permanently and totally disabled as the result of a service-connected disability. The disability must arise out of active service in the Armed Forces.
Veterans who died from any cause while such service-connected disability was in existence.
Service persons who are missing in action or were captured in line of duty and who are currently being held by a hostile force.
Service persons who are currently being forcibly detained or interned in line of duty by a foreign government or power.
VEAP
Chapter 32 (VEAP) provides educational assistance to eligible persons who contributed to the program while on active duty and did not receive a refund. You may be eligible for VEAP benefits if:
You entered active duty for the first time after December 31, 1976 and before July 1, 1985.
You contributed money to VEAP while on active duty and before April 1, 1987.
You served for a continuous period of 181 days or more. You may be eligible if you were discharged from a shorter period of active duty for a service-connected disability.
Your discharge or release from service was under conditions other than dishonorable.
Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty
Chapter 30 (Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty) provides educational assistance to eligible persons who meet the following criteria:
You entered active duty for the first time after June 30, 1985, and served continuously for three years and have had your military pay reduced by $100 a month for the first 12 months of active duty.
Had remaining entitlement under the Vietnam Era Veterans' Educational Assistance program (Chapter 34), on December 31, 1989.
Montgomery GI Bill
Chapter 1606 (Montgomery GI Bill) - Selected Reserve provides educational assistance to selective reserve of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and the Army and Air National Guard. You may be eligible for Chapter 1606 benefits if you:
Have a six-year obligation to serve in the Selected Reserve. If you are an officer, you must agree to serve six years in addition to your current obligation.
Complete IADT(initial active duty for training).
Meet the requirement to receive a high school diploma or equivalency certificate before you compete IADT.
Serve in a drilling Selected Reserve unit and remain in good standing.
Disabled Veterans
Chapter 31 (Disabled Veterans) provides educational assistance to disabled veterans. A veteran must be at least 20% disabled and meet any other requirements specified by a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor. For more information contact the Veterans Regional Office nearest you.