NEWS
The Battalion
3
The Corps takes on Bloody Cross
Tim Lai —THE BATTALION
The annual Corps competition, Bloody Cross, took place Saturday. Cadets ran 2.6
miles with their units. Results should be announced later this week.
OPINION CONTINUED
The Hazlewood Act is a Texas benefit
providing veterans, their spouses or their
dependent children with up to 150 hours of
tuition exemption at public Texas institu
tions. To qualify, the veteran must have
served at least 180 hours of service, received
honorable discharge and must have lived in
Texas at the time of entry into active duty.
On Jan. 26, the District Court for the
Southern District of Texas ruled unconsti
tutional the requirement that veterans must
have lived in Texas when they enlisted. The
judge, Ewing Werlein Jr., argued the provi
sion violated the 14th Amendment’s Equal
Protection Clause.
The state’s appeal is pending, but in
the meantime the eligibility requirements
remain the same.
Public university leaders in Texas are
concerned in particular with one ramifica
tion of this court ruling — money.
The Hazlewood Act brings with it
significant economic implications for public
universities in Texas. More than $169 mil
lion were waived in tuition and fees due
to the Hazlewood Act in 2014, covering
around 39,000 recipients, according to the
Legislative Budget Board.
Texas university officials argue that if the
benefit were to be available to people who
were not Texas residents at the time of ac
tive duty enrollment, it would cost universi
ties much more than it already does, and
it already costs a lot. And that cost grows
more each year, even with the residence
requirement.
But Werlein Jr. doesn’t think that’s what
matters. In his ruling, he wrote, “Texas may
not discriminate against its more recent resi
dents in favor of more established residents
simply to control costs.”
And I concur. Keith Harris, the plaintiff
in this case, joined the army at 18 when
he was living in Georgia, but he moved to
Texas in 2004 and received his bachelor’s
degree from the University of Houston in
2011. He’s been in Texas for more than 10
years. That length of residence, along with
his service, should justify him to be more
than deserving of receiving the educational
benefits Hazlewood has to offer. And I
would put my money on the fact that Keith
Harris, like my dad, wouldn’t hesitate to be
ready to go if called.
The Hazlewood Act was not created to
benefit universities. It was created to benefit
the people who serve the country. And if
benefiting our veterans by allowing them to
get an education nearly free of charge means
costing public Texas universities some
money, so be it.
HAZLEWOOD CONTINUED
January, however, ruled this part of the act un
constitutional, stating that veterans and depen
dents should be able to qualify no matter what
state they were in when they enlisted.
So far the ruling only applies to plaintiff
Keith Harris’ individual case for the payment of
his tuition at the University of Houston. Har
ris enlisted in the military in 1996 while living
in Georgia, but has been a Texas resident since
2004. Harris’ argument said under the Equal
Protection Clause of the U.S., Constitution’s
14th Amendment, the line restricting the Hazle
wood Act to Texas-enlisted veterans should be
unconstitutional.
If the decision is upheld it could lead to an
expansion on the act that would make the ex
emption more expensive for Texas universities.
The state’s appeal is pending, most likely until a
federal appellate court weighs in.
Joe Pettibon, associate vice president for aca
demic services in the Office of the Provost, said
no money from Hazlewood goes to the univer
sity, unlike a scholarship. Those who qualify for
Hazlewood simply don’t have to pay for tuition
and fees.
“With some programs, there’s money that
would be appropriated for them, like with Texas
Grant, we get the money from the state and then
we actually award that to the students in the
form of financial aid,” Pettibon said. “In the case
of Hazlewood, there’s no money coming from
the state, it’s just no revenue.”
Pettibon said universities have tracked the ap
pellate case since the ruling, because if the ruling
stands, veterans from other states who move to
Texas could be eligible for tuition exemptions.
In 2014, Texas public universities spent $169
million in Hazlewood benefits. The Houston
Chronicle predicted that the new exemption
policy would jump that figure to $750 million
per year, and if veterans began to move to T exas
from out of statp, the number could rise to as
high as $2 billiojii annually. Pettibon said A&M
is in a state of waiting for a ruling.
Pettibon saicj universities and legislators are
always looking for better ways to sustain the
Hazlewood exemptions. The Texas Legislature
granted $30 million in the 83rd session toward
Hazlewood, although Pettibon said this was a
one-time fix to help offset a small portion of
the cost.
Psychology junior Ashley Girod qualifies as a
dependent of her stepfather, who served in the
Navy and Army.
Girod said the sacrifice made by the veteran
in her life should not go unnoticed.
“I can confidently say that the hard work that
my stepfather put into the military deserves to
be rewarded, and as he says, seeing me go to
one of the best colleges without worry of pay
ing for tuition is the best reward he could get,”
Girod said.
Andrew Liu, an out-of-state student veteran
from California, said he liked the idea of the new
policy, as it would open new resources to stu
dent veterans. He said he did not think the cost
would have a negative effect in the long term.
“It may drive up the cost in the short term,
but I think it would level out over their years,”
Liu said.
Jeremy Williams, graduate student at the Bush
School, is receiving benefits under Hazlewood.
He served three tours in Iraq from 2003 to 2006
in the Marine Corps. He said he disagrees with
the potential new policy change.
“I think it is an asinine approach because the
regulation explicidy states and enumerates that
you must have served honorably for a minimum
of 180 days and enlist as a bonafide Texas resi
dent,” Williams said. “How much more clear
can the law state?”
Even with the appellate case in process, Wil
liams said those who use the Hazlewood exemp
tion will continue to receive benefits.
Joshua Sutton, an out-of-state student vet
eran from Pennsylvania, also expressed concern
with the new policy.
“The Hazlewood Act is a piece of Texas
legislation meant to benefit those of Texas resi
dence or origin,” Sutton said. “As an out-of-
state student veteran, never once have I thought
the Llazlewood Act is unfair because I’m ineli
gible for it. ”
Liu disagreed, stating all student veterans in
Texas, whether from out-of-state or in-state, are
pursuing similar goals of gaining an education
from Texas.
“All veterans attending schools in Texas
should have the same access to these benefits as
the Texas veterans because we’re all veterans,
and we’re all trying to get the same education
from the same institution,” Liu said.
Sutton said if the new policy is established
there will likely be an influx of out-of-state stu
dent veterans coming to Texas, something he is
concerned may lead some to label student vet
erans as “freeloaders.”
“Regardless of their own state loyalty [or]
affiliation, I feel the benefit of free tuition and
fees would be too big of one to pass by,” Sutton
said. “I feel that Texas would see an increase in
the number of veterans that return to instimtions
of higher education because there would essen
tially no longer be a consequence of failing.”
Smith said, for now, the university is provid
ing the answers it can and keeping an eye on the
appellate case.
Place an Ad
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Suite L400,
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Texas A&M University
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Katy Stapp is an English junior and assistant
news editor for The Battalion.
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i The Association
^ OF FORMER STUDENTS'"
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Newsday Crossword
BIG BOATS by Gail Grabowski
Edited by Stanley Newman
www.stanxwords.com
ACROSS
1 Couch or bench
5 California
wine valley
9 Honking bird
14 Medal of Honor
recipient
15 Poems of praise
16 Cupid’s weapon
17 Neck of the
woods
18 Fluctuate
19 Movie excerpt
20 Large sailing
vessel
23 Large pigs
24 Tenant’s
contract
25 Look without
blinking
27 Black paving
material
30 The deal’s off!”
34 Medical
insurance grps.
38 Letter after cee
40 Neighbor of
Lithuania
41 Large military
vessel
44 Rise in anger
45 Use scissors
46 Calculates a
total
47 Join the military
48 Lion of the
zodiac
50 Cab-fare
calculator
53 Slight odor
58 Unwanted email
61 Large passenger
vessel
64 From the
neighborhood
66 Apex
67 Husband or wife
68 Expenditure
69 Feels sorry
about
70 Change for a
$5 bill
71 Makes an
attempt
72 Minor fender
damage
73 Netlike fabric
DOWN
1 Sleeveless
shoulder wrap
2 Spooky
3 Sports complex
4 Frog cousins
5 Scotia,
Canada
6 Dad of Cain
and Abel
7 Long-lasting
hairdos
8 So far
9 Car-tank fuel
10 Philharmonic
music group
11 Three-layer
cookie
12 Vocal tune
13 Lambs’ moms
21 Boeing 787,
for one
22 Was behind
schedule
26 Lion sound
28 Learn to live
with
29 Touchdown
caller, for short
31 Enthusiastic
32 Wasn’t honest
33 Portions of corn
34 Rabbit relative
35 Demeanor
36 Word-of-mouth
37 Line of
(football locale)
39 List-shortening
abbr.
42 Sneaky tactic
43 -de-sac
49 Supposedly
wise bird
51 Online birthday
greeting
52 Signal again,
as an actor
54 Athlete’s
televised
greeting
55 Silly
56 Elaborate
parties
57 Straight from
the garden
58 Piggy-bank
opening
59 Rain hard
60 First part of
‘ a play
62 Prayer
conclusion
63 Sparrow’s home
65 Angeles, CA
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THIS
WEEK
walk in to have
your free portrait
taken for Texas
A&M University's
2015 Aggieland
yearbook.
ALL CLASSES:
9 a.m-5 p.m.
Monday -Thursday
in MSC Suite L400.
Feb. 23-March 12
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Be in it.