Veteran Services

All current SWTJC students must use Office 365 to access all correspondence in regard to Veterans Affairs. Enrollment certifications and status updates for your VA file will only be sent to Office 365 email accounts so please make sure that you have access to this e-mail service at all times.

If you have any questions please direct all inquiries to my email which is listed in the contact information.

Prospective students who have not yet applied or been accepted to SWTJC may use their personal e-mail accounts such as Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail, etc. to contact me and ask any questions. Upon acceptance to SWTJC, it will be your responsibility to make sure you have access to the Office 365 email service.

Applications and supporting documentation for VA Educational Benefits may be dropped off at any of the Admissions Offices at the Uvalde, Eagle Pass, or Del Rio campuses during regular office hours. Documents may also be scanned and emailed to Steve Martinez (srmartinez@swtjc.edu) or mailed.

1. VA Eligibility Letter: To apply for Federal VA Educational Benefits visit the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs web page at this link: https://benefits.va.gov/gibill/
   
   If you have trouble with the application process, you can call a VA Education Case Manager at 1-888-GIBILL -1 (1-888-442-4551) to ask for help. After submitting the application to the VA, you will receive an Eligibility Letter.
   
   
2. Copy of DD-214: Required of all veteran applicants. Applicants who are dependents of veterans are exempt from this requirement.
   
   
3. Official academic transcripts from all colleges previously attended: The VA requires that schools evaluate transcripts from all previously attended colleges for possible credit toward the current program of study.
   
   
4. Official Military Transcript: Required of all veteran applicants. Applicants who are dependents of veterans are exempt from this requirement. The following links are provided to assist veterans in obtaining official military transcripts.
      • Army, Coast Guard, Navy & Marine Corps: https://jst.doded.mil/jst/
      • Air Force (CCAF Transcript): https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Barnes/CCAF/Display/Article/803247/
   
   
5. Southwest Texas Junior College VA course selection form: This form is required of all applicants each semester. The form must be signed by an SWTJC academic advisor.
   
   Since the VA will not pay for classes outside of the applicant’s stated degree objective, it is very important that you ensure all of your transcripts, including military transcript, have been received and evaluated by the Southwest Texas Junior College Registrar’s Office before your academic advisor signs off on your Course Selection Form. (Please download the form, save to the computer, fill out the form, save changes and send it to your Academic Advisor.)

The Hazlewood Exemption is an exemption of tuition and fee charges offered by the State of Texas to eligible Veterans and eligible dependents. Information and application forms are available on the Texas Veterans Commission web page.

Veterans Crisis Line 1-800-273-8255 Press 1

Getting Started with Services for LGBTQ+ Veterans