Strama & Van De Putte File Bill To Help Veterans Afford College

[Press Release from State Rep. Mark Strama and State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte]

State Representative Mark Strama today filed HB 1300, legislation that would make higher education more affordable for military veterans in Texas. Senator Leticia Van de Putte, the chair of the Veterans Affairs and Military Installations Committee and a member of the Senate Committee on Education, filed companion legislation in the Senate (SB 516).

The legislation corrects a problem in state law that prevents Texas veterans from accessing their state Hazelwood benefits until they have exhausted their federal Montgomery GI Bill benefits. The Hazelwood Act waives tuition and fees at Texas public colleges and universities, enabling veterans to use their GI Bill benefits to pay for living expenses, books, and other supplies. Six other states, including New York and Illinois, provide state support to veterans concurrently with federal benefits.

“After World War II, America provided universal access to higher education for returning military veterans. It was a debt we owed our veterans for their service, but also created the most prosperous economy in the world,” Rep. Strama said. “Today we continue to honor that debt, and in a global economy, a college degree is the best way we can support our troops.”

Tom Peterson, a veteran of the Iraq war, noticed the problem while attending Austin Community College and struggling to provide for his family.  Peterson, a native Texan, and his wife, Sarahi, moved to Austin at the end of his third deployment in Iraq. Peterson has taken the lead on drafting HB 1300 while serving as an intern in Strama’s office.

“After serving my country, I needed more options to help pay for college,” said Peterson.  “The decision to go back to school was a difficult one because with the rising cost of higher education, it’s tough to fulfill family responsibilities while working toward a degree.”

“This legislation maintains our great state’s dedication to those who serve us, by allowing veterans to take advantage of the higher education benefits, which they have earned,” Van de Putte said. “We must strive to honor and reward the sacrifices made by those who fight on behalf of our freedom.”