Military Employment Preference

Military Employment Preference

Houston Community College complies with applicable state and federal statutes regarding the employment of veterans.  In this section, "veteran" means an individual who has served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard of the United States or the United States Public Health Service under 42 U.S.C. Section 201 et seq., as amended, the Texas National Guard, the Texas State Guard, or any other military force organized under state law, or an auxiliary service of one of those branches of the armed forces, and who has been honorably discharged from the branch of the service in which the person served.  

Eligibility
By law, veterans are generally entitled to a preference in employment with or appointment to a state agency over other applicants for the same position who do not have greater qualifications.

When a non-veteran applies for the same position as a veteran, veteran status alone does not automatically entitle the veteran to preference in the hiring process.  Similarly, a veteran working in a position who possesses lesser qualifications than a non-veteran in a similar or the same position does not, due to veteran status alone, retain that position during reductions in force.

A veteran's surviving spouse who has not remarried or an orphan of a veteran also may qualify for Military Employment Preference if the veteran was killed while on active duty; the veteran served during a national emergency declared in accordance with federal law; and the spouse or orphan is competent.  

A state agency shall provide to an individual entitled to a Military Employment Preference, in the following order of priority:

1. A veteran with a disability (as defined under Chapter 657.001);
2. A veteran;
3. A veteran's surviving spouse who has not remarried; and
4. An orphan of a veteran if the veteran was killed while on active duty.

Important:     Military Employment Preference laws do not guarantee employment or continued employment to veterans, but provide eligible veterans with a preference in the hiring and retention processes.

Applicants (both internal and external to Houston Community College) who qualify to receive a Military Employment Preference must select Military Employment Preference on the HCC application and provide a copy of their service discharge form (DD214) or other separation documentation and, if applicable, a DD1300, birth and/or marriage certificate to confirm their status as an eligible veteran.  

FAQs for Applicants

If you are a Veteran, you may be entitled to a Military Employment Preference in the hiring process.