Hazlewood Act
Texas education benefit for qualified Veterans, spouses, and dependent children
The Hazlewood Act is a State of Texas education benefit that provides qualified Veterans, spouses, and dependent children with up to 150 credit hours of tuition exemption, including most required fees, at Texas public colleges and universities.
❌Does not cover living expenses, books, or supply fees
✅Eligibility decisions are made by the Institution of Higher Education (IHE)
- • Up to 150 semester credit hours
- • Tuition and most mandatory fees
- • Applies only to Texas public institutions
- Apply and be accepted to a Texas public college or university
- Provide DD214 showing military service and discharge type
- Provide proof of GI Bill eligibility or ineligibility
- Complete the Hazlewood Exemption Application
- Submit the application, DD214, and VA letter to your school's financial aid office
🔔 Important:
If paperwork is delayed, you may request a 60-day tuition deferment to avoid late fees or being dropped.
Hazlewood Links & Resources
Manage and track your Hazlewood hours:
Eligibility Requirements
A Veteran must:
- • Have designated Texas as Home of Record, entered service in Texas, or been a Texas resident at entry
- • Have an honorable discharge or general under honorable conditions
- • Have served 181+ days of active duty (excluding training)
- • Currently reside in Texas
- • Have no federal VA education benefits dedicated solely to tuition/fees that exceed Hazlewood
- • Not be in default on a Texas student loan
- • Enroll in state-funded courses
- • Meet institutional GPA and academic progress requirements
Eligible Veterans may transfer unused hours to one child at a time.
A Legacy child must:
- • Be classified as a Texas resident
- • Be a biological, step, adopted child, or claimed IRS dependent
- • Be 25 or younger at the start of the term (extensions possible)
- • Have no conflicting federal VA tuition-only benefits
- • Meet GPA and academic progress standards
🔔 Unused hours may be reassigned to another child if available.
Spouses or dependents may qualify if the Veteran:
- • Is 100% totally and permanently disabled, individually unemployable, MIA, or KIA
- • Designated Texas as Home of Record, entered service in Texas, or was a Texas resident
Each eligible spouse or dependent may receive up to 150 credit hours under qualifying conditions.
- • Hazlewood applies only to Texas public colleges and universities
- • Private institutions do not qualify
- • Schools submit student usage and DD214 reports each term
Submission deadlines:
- • Fall: January 31
- • Spring: June 30
- • Summer: September 30
Texas Education Code §54.341 (Hazlewood Act)
View Statute →Texas Education Code §54.2001 (GPA & Excessive Hours)
View Statute →40 TAC §461 (Administrative Rules)
View Rules →📅 Page Last Updated: September 26, 2025