FAFSA + Hazlewood Act only giving $250/semester in Texas with SAI 20565?

The Hazlewood Act and FAFSA work separately, but there can be interactions that affect your total aid package. With an SAI of 20565, she would typically qualify for some aid, but not necessarily a large amount. The Hazlewood Act covers tuition and some fees at Texas public institutions, which means your daughter's main expenses are already covered. Federal aid through FAFSA is then calculated based on remaining need. Since Hazlewood is covering the bulk of her expenses, the financial aid office likely determined she only needed $250 additional per semester. This is actually common - when one form of aid covers most costs, other aid sources may be reduced accordingly to avoid 'over-awarding.

same thing happened with my son last yr!! his SAI was 19000-ish and after hazlewood he got like $300 in pell grants. its because hazelwood covers most of the tuition already so they dont give u more fed money. annoying but thats how it works

I work in financial aid at a Texas community college, and this is actually standard practice. When a student receives Hazlewood benefits, their "need" for federal aid is significantly reduced because tuition and fees are already covered. With an SAI of 20565, your daughter would qualify for minimal Pell Grant funding anyway (current Pell eligibility generally cuts off around 6900 SAI for full Pell, with partial amounts up to about 21000). What you should do: 1. Check if she's been awarded any state grants (TEXAS Grant, etc.) 2. Look into institutional scholarships specific to veterans' dependents 3. Make sure she's actually been awarded the Hazlewood Act benefits correctly 4. Consider a special circumstances review if your financial situation has changed since filing taxes

My brother went thru this last year too. Make SURE that the financial aid office actually processed the Hazlewood correctly. Sometimes they mess up and then blame the fed aid. What school is she at? Some Texas schools are better with Hazlewood than others.

I've been dealing with this EXACT situation for two years with my son at Texas State. The $250 is probably a partial Pell Grant based on her SAI. One thing to keep in mind - while Hazlewood covers tuition and most fees, it doesn't cover everything like housing, books, meal plans, etc. So that $250 plus any other resources will still help. Have you tried calling the Federal Student Aid office directly? They could explain exactly why her aid package is so low. I spent WEEKS trying to get through to someone who could explain our situation last year.

UGH THE FINANCIAL AID SYSTEM IS SO BROKEN!!!! When my daughter started at Texas A&M two years ago, we had the EXACT same situation with Hazlewood and minimal FAFSA aid. They act like if you get one benefit you don't deserve others! Meanwhile kids from wealthier families who don't qualify for either are getting merit scholarships!!! Make noise and complain to the financial aid office. Sometimes they magically find other funds.

also make sure ur using the hazelwood exemption right - does ur husband still have hours left? did he transfer them properly? bcuz u only get 150 credit hours total for the whole family

One more thing to consider - if your EFC/SAI is 20565, that means the formula determined your family can contribute about $20,565 per year toward educational costs. Since Hazlewood is covering tuition and fees, and the total cost of attendance minus that coverage might be close to that EFC/SAI figure, there simply isn't much "need" left for federal grants to fill. For the 2025-2026 year, I'd recommend: 1. File the FAFSA as early as possible (October) 2. Check if your state or institution requires the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA 3. Contact the financial aid office about need-based institutional grants 4. Look into private scholarships for veterans' dependents

One last suggestion - have your daughter talk to the Veterans Affairs office at her school, not just Financial Aid. They often know about veteran-specific scholarships and other programs that the regular financial aid counselors might miss. They helped my son find an additional $2000 scholarship specifically for dependents using Hazlewood.

Hey there! I'm new to navigating this whole financial aid process, but I wanted to share what I've learned from talking to other military families in similar situations. One thing that really helped us was requesting a "professional judgment review" from the financial aid office. Sometimes they can make adjustments if your family's financial situation doesn't accurately reflect what the FAFSA calculations show - like if your husband's disability compensation makes your income look higher than your actual disposable income. Also, don't forget to check if your daughter qualifies for work-study programs! Even though Hazlewood covers tuition, work-study can help with those other expenses like books, housing, and meal plans. The income limits are usually pretty generous, and it's a great way for her to earn money while focusing on school. Good luck with everything - the system is definitely confusing but you're asking all the right questions!

As a newcomer to this community, I'm learning so much from reading everyone's experiences! My sister is going through something similar with her son at UT Dallas - they have Hazlewood benefits but were surprised by how little additional federal aid he received. One thing that really stood out to me from this discussion is how the different aid programs interact with each other. It sounds like the key is understanding that when Hazlewood covers the big expenses, the federal aid calculation sees less "need" to fill. But there are still so many other avenues to explore that I hadn't thought of - like institutional scholarships, work-study, and even reaching out to the Veterans Affairs office on campus. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread to share with my sister. The advice about filing FAFSA early and considering a professional judgment review could really help their situation too. Thanks everyone for sharing your knowledge - it's incredibly valuable for families trying to navigate this complex system!

Hi there! As someone new to this community, I'm really grateful for all the detailed information everyone has shared here. I'm currently helping my nephew navigate a similar situation - he's a veteran's dependent starting at Texas Tech next fall, and we've been trying to understand how Hazlewood and FAFSA work together. Reading through this thread has been incredibly eye-opening! I had no idea about the professional judgment review option or that the Veterans Affairs office on campus might have different resources than the regular financial aid office. The explanation about how SAI calculations work when you already have tuition covered by Hazlewood really clarifies why the federal aid amounts seem so low. One question I have after reading all this - for those of you who have been through this process, what's the typical timeline for getting responses when you request reviews or appeal decisions? We want to make sure we start early enough to have everything sorted before the semester begins. Thanks again to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is such a valuable resource for families trying to figure out this complex system!

Hi everyone! I'm new to this community and just wanted to say how incredibly helpful this entire discussion has been. My daughter will be starting her freshman year at UT San Antonio in the fall, and we're in almost the exact same situation - my husband is a disabled veteran, we qualified for Hazlewood, but her FAFSA aid was surprisingly low. After reading through all these responses, I feel like I finally understand how the system actually works rather than how I thought it should work! The explanation about SAI calculations and how Hazlewood affects federal aid eligibility makes so much sense now. I had been frustrated thinking we were somehow being penalized for my husband's service, but I see it's really about the need-based calculation after tuition is already covered. I'm definitely going to follow the advice here about contacting both the Veterans Affairs office and requesting a professional judgment review. The timeline information is also super valuable - I'll make sure to start these processes well before the semester begins. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and expertise. It's reassuring to know there are other military families navigating this same confusing system, and that there are still options to explore even when the initial aid package seems disappointing!

Hi there! As someone new to this community, I'm finding this discussion incredibly informative. My son will be starting at Texas A&M Commerce next year, and we're also navigating the Hazlewood/FAFSA combination. What really strikes me from reading everyone's experiences is how much the individual school's financial aid office seems to matter in this process. Some schools appear to be more helpful than others in explaining the interactions between different aid programs and finding additional resources. I'm curious - for those of you who have successfully gotten additional aid beyond that initial small federal amount, what was the most effective approach? Was it the professional judgment review, finding institutional scholarships, or working with the Veterans Affairs office? I want to make sure I'm focusing my efforts in the right direction when we start this process. Thanks to everyone who has shared their experiences - it's so valuable to learn from families who have actually been through this rather than just trying to decode the official websites!

Hi everyone! I'm new to this community and just stumbled across this thread while researching financial aid for my own daughter who will be starting at University of Houston next fall. We're in a very similar situation with Hazlewood benefits and a surprisingly low FAFSA offer. Reading through all of these responses has been absolutely enlightening! I had no idea about the professional judgment review process or that the Veterans Affairs office might have different resources than the regular financial aid office. The explanation about how SAI calculations work when you already have major expenses covered by Hazlewood finally makes the whole system make sense. I'm taking notes on all the suggestions here - filing FAFSA early, checking with the VA office on campus, looking into work-study programs, and definitely requesting that professional judgment review since my husband's VA disability compensation probably makes our finances look more robust than they actually are. It's so reassuring to find a community of military families who understand these unique challenges. Thank you all for sharing your experiences and knowledge - it's going to make such a difference as we navigate this process!

Hi there! I'm new to this community and this thread has been absolutely invaluable as I'm helping my younger sister navigate financial aid for next year. She'll be starting at Texas State and we're dealing with the exact same Hazlewood/FAFSA situation - low federal aid offer despite what seemed like it should qualify for more. What I'm realizing from everyone's experiences here is that I need to completely shift my expectations about how these programs work together. I was thinking of them as additive benefits, but it sounds like they're really calculated as a comprehensive package where one affects the other. The advice about contacting the Veterans Affairs office separately from financial aid is something I definitely wouldn't have thought of on my own. And the professional judgment review option could be huge for us since my brother-in-law's VA disability compensation might be skewing their financial picture. I'm curious though - for those who have been through appeals or reviews, do you recommend doing them before the semester starts, or is it possible to adjust aid after classes begin if you discover issues? We're trying to plan out our timeline for all these steps. Thanks so much to everyone who has shared their knowledge here - this community is such a lifesaver for military families trying to figure out this complex system!