Texas Hazlewood Act: Veteran & Dependent Applications

At a glance

Free if eligible

What it covers: Up to 150 credit hours of tuition exemption and most fees at Texas public higher-education institutions for qualifying veterans or qualifying family branches. Living expenses, books and supply fees are excluded; the college makes the final eligibility decision.
As of Oct 16, 2026 · Texas Veterans Commission ↗
Income / financial rules: Check the service, Texas residency, federal-benefit and student-status rules for your branch. Legacy transfer and disability/death-related dependent benefits have different conditions; household income alone does not establish eligibility.
As of Oct 16, 2026 · Texas Veterans Commission ↗
Who to check first: Veteran branch: meet the Texas-at-entry/home-of-record requirements, have at least 181 days of active duty excluding initial entry training, an Honorable or General–Under Honorable Conditions discharge, and current Texas residence. Supply evidence if the DD214 does not show the Texas connection.
As of Oct 16, 2026 · Texas Veterans Commission ↗
Application timing: Institution-specific packet and continued-enrollment deadlines. Use the college’s own steps and timing.
As of Oct 16, 2026 · Texas Veterans Commission ↗

Read official guidanceYou’ll leave FreeCheapEdu. The program makes the eligibility decision.

Check your eligibility

Some items describe alternative routes rather than requirements for everyone. Use the route that applies to you as a preparation checklist; the program makes the eligibility decision.

Veteran branch: meet the Texas-at-entry/home-of-record requirements, have at least 181 days of active duty excluding initial entry training, an Honorable or General–Under Honorable Conditions discharge, and current Texas residence. Supply evidence if the DD214 does not show the Texas connection.The veteran branch also checks dedicated federal tuition benefits, Texas state-loan default, eligible tax-supported or governing-board-approved classes, SAP and undergraduate excessive-hours conditions. Ask the college to apply the correct federal-benefit interaction rather than assuming full duplicate tuition coverage.Legacy-child branch uses the eligible veteran’s unused hours. The child must meet relationship/dependency and Texas-resident classification rules and normally be 25 or younger on the first day of the term, with the stated illness/debilitating-condition exception. The veteran must also currently reside in Texas while sharing the benefit. Additional loan, federal-benefit, course and academic rules apply.A qualifying spouse/dependent disability/death branch is separate from Legacy transfer. The official rules specify the veteran’s Texas connection and qualifying VA disability, unemployability, service-death or missing/killed-in-action status, including stated Texas National Guard cases; the applicant must meet that branch’s resident and student conditions.

As of Oct 16, 2026 · Texas Veterans Commission ↗

How to apply

1
Be admitted to a Texas public college/university. Contact its veterans/Hazlewood office for the correct veteran, Legacy or spouse/dependent packet and the institution’s submission deadline.
As of Oct 16, 2026 · Texas Veterans Commission ↗
2
Register for a Hazlewood account through the TVC student-hours database and check remaining/assigned hours. Legacy transfer must use available unused hours; confirm which child is assigned for the term.
As of Oct 16, 2026 · Texas Veterans Commission ↗
3
Submit the college’s application packet, the veteran’s DD214, a VA Certificate of Eligibility when applicable, and any additional documents the institution requires. Ask the office to confirm branch-specific residence, relationship and federal-benefit evidence.
As of Oct 16, 2026 · Texas Veterans Commission ↗
4
Obtain the college’s eligibility decision and confirm which term charges and hours it exempted. Follow the college’s continued-enrollment process and deadlines for later terms; the TVC page links a continued-enrollment form.
As of Oct 16, 2026 · Texas Veterans Commission ↗

What to watch for

Legacy transfer does not create another 150 hours for each child: only one eligible child can use transferred hours at a time, and total transferred use cannot exceed the veteran’s 150 hours. The separate qualifying disability/death branch can provide a dependent’s own entitlement; have the college identify the branch.

As of Oct 16, 2026 · Texas Veterans Commission ↗

This tuition exemption does not cover living expenses, books or supply fees, and federal tuition benefits may affect the available exemption. The institution decides eligibility; a veteran/dependent label alone does not qualify the applicant.

As of Oct 16, 2026 · Texas Veterans Commission ↗

Common questions

What is the main benefit?

Up to 150 credit hours of tuition exemption and most fees at Texas public higher-education institutions for qualifying veterans or qualifying family branches. Living expenses, books and supply fees are excluded; the college makes the final eligibility decision.

As of Oct 16, 2026 · Texas Veterans Commission ↗

Is there an income limit?

Check the service, Texas residency, federal-benefit and student-status rules for your branch. Legacy transfer and disability/death-related dependent benefits have different conditions; household income alone does not establish eligibility.

As of Oct 16, 2026 · Texas Veterans Commission ↗

When should I apply?

Institution-specific packet and continued-enrollment deadlines. Use the college’s own steps and timing.

As of Oct 16, 2026 · Texas Veterans Commission ↗

Sources & verification

Source summaries checked by automated research on the dates below. No human professional review is claimed.

Hazlewood Act

Texas Veterans Commission

Checked Oct 16, 2026