Veteran's Preference
What is veteran's Preference?
Pursuant to Chapter 657 of the Texas Government Code, Texas State University is proud to provide preference in employment to:
- veterans, including veterans with disabilities;
- veterans’ surviving spouses who have not remarried; and
- orphans of veterans who were killed on active duty
Individuals who qualify for veteran’s employment preference are entitled to a preference in employment with or appointment to the University over other applicants for the same positions who do not have greater qualifications.
Who is a "Veteran"?
Section 2308.251 of the Texas Government Code defines a veteran as a person who:
- An individual who served in
- the army, navy, air force, coast guard, or marine corps of the United States or the United States Public Health Service under 42 U.S.C. Section 201 et seq., as amended;
- the Texas military forces as defined by Section 437.001; or
- an auxiliary service of one of those branches of the armed forces; and has been honorably discharged from the branch of the service in which the person served.
- has been honorably discharged from the branch of the service in which the person served.
How does the veteran’s employment preference impact the hiring process?
Eligible applicants who meet the minimum qualifications for a position will be shown preference in multiple aspects of the hiring process:
- Interviews
- If the total number of individuals interviewed for the position is six or fewer, the state agency is required to interview at least one individual qualified for veteran's employment preference.
- If the total number of individuals interviewed for the position is more than six, the state agency is required to interview at least 20% of total applicants that qualify for veteran's employment preference. (i.e. if you are interviewing 10 applicants at least 2 applicants are required to have veteran's preference)
- * If the applicant pool does not have any applicants who self-identify as eligible for Veteran’s Preference, this interview requirement does not apply.
| # of individuals Selected for Interview | Minimum # of individuals to interview with Veteran's Preference (required)* |
|---|---|
| 1-6 | 1 |
| 7+ | 20% |
- Employment Decisions
- If two applicants are finalists for a position, and both are equally qualified for the position in every way except that one is eligible for veteran’s preference and the other is not, then the applicant eligible for veteran’s preference will be selected for hire.
Does the veteran’s employment preference guarantee that I will be interviewed or hired?
No, it does not. For an eligible individual to be interviewed, the individual must meet the same required qualifications for the position as every other applicant. If the individual does not meet the required qualifications, then the individual will not be interviewed.
For an eligible applicant to be hired, the applicant must be the best qualified applicant for the position as determined by the hiring manager. If the applicant is not the best applicant for the position, then s/he will not be hired.
How do I apply for jobs using veteran’s employment preference?
Eligible applicants should apply for faculty and staff positions via the Texas State Job Opportunities applicant tracking system.
Applicants will be asked questions as part of the online application process that will be used to determine their eligibility for the veteran’s hiring preference. Applicants that are determined to be eligible will have a special designator attached to their applicant profile.