The Hazlewood Act, Explained

What the Hazlewood Act is

The Hazlewood Act is a State of Texas education benefit, run by the Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) and set out in Texas Education Code §54.341 and 40 Texas Administrative Code §461. It gives qualified veterans, spouses and dependent children an exemption of up to 150 credit hours of tuition, including most fee charges, at public institutions of higher education in Texas.

What it does and doesn't cover:

• Covered: tuition and most fees at Texas public colleges and universities.
• Not covered: living expenses, books and supply fees.
• Not eligible: private (independent) colleges and universities, even if they are in Texas.

It is a tuition exemption: the school does not charge the covered tuition and fees, rather than paying you money, so it will not help with rent or other living costs.

Veteran eligibility

According to TVC, a veteran must:

• Have Texas as home at entry. You lived in Texas when you entered active duty, entered service in Texas, or designated Texas as home of record. Your DD214 usually shows this in the "Home of Record at Time of Entry" or "Place of Entry into Active Duty" block; if not, you need other evidence that you lived in Texas at the time.
• Have served at least 181 days of active duty, not counting initial entry training, as shown under "Net Active Service This Period" on the DD214.
• Have an honorable or general (under honorable conditions) discharge.
• Live in Texas now.
• Not have federal veteran education benefits that pay tuition and fees only (such as Chapter 33 or Chapter 31) for that term, unless the federal tuition benefit for the term does not cover the full cost of tuition.
• Not be in default on a student loan made or guaranteed by the State of Texas.
• Take eligible courses: classes the college receives tax support for, or non-funded courses approved by the college's governing board.
• Meet the school's GPA and satisfactory progress rules and, as an undergraduate, not have attempted an excessive number of credit hours.

Hazlewood Legacy: passing hours to a child

A veteran who meets the first four requirements above can share unused hours with a qualifying child under the Legacy program. The child must:

• be classified as a Texas resident by the school;
• be the veteran's biological child, stepchild or adopted child, or claimed as a dependent in the current or previous tax year;
• be 25 or younger on the first day of the term (extensions exist for a qualifying illness or debilitating condition);
• meet the same rules on federal benefits, Texas student loans, eligible courses and academic progress.

Only one child can use Legacy hours at a time. If a child doesn't use all the assigned hours, the veteran can reassign the unused hours to another child.

Spouses and dependents of disabled or fallen veterans

Spouses and dependent children can qualify for their own 150 hours, separate from Legacy, when the veteran entered service from Texas and:

• is rated by VA as 100% service-connected total and permanent, or
• is awarded individual unemployability, or
• died as a result of service-related injuries, or is missing in action or killed in action.

Spouses and dependents of certain Texas National Guard members (killed on active duty, or rated 100% total and permanent or individually unemployable) may also qualify. The spouse or dependent must be a Texas resident and meet the federal-benefit, loan, course and academic rules, though the academic rule does not apply to families of MIA, KIA or service-connected deceased veterans. If you're checking whether a rating qualifies, the 2026 VA disability rates page explains ratings and pay, and the VA combined rating calculator shows how ratings combine.

How to apply

Your college sets the exact steps and deadlines, but TVC describes this general process:

1. Get accepted as a student at a Texas public college or university.
2. Register for a Hazlewood account in TVC's online Hazlewood database.
3. Submit an application packet to your college: the Hazlewood application (use the school's form if it has one), the veteran's DD214, a VA Certificate of Eligibility for federal education benefits if applicable, and anything else the school requires.

If your paperwork is delayed, you can ask for a deferment of tuition and fees for up to 60 days with TVC's Deferment Request Form, so you aren't charged late fees or dropped from classes. The TVC database also shows how many hours you have used.

Remember that the school makes the final eligibility decision. For questions, TVC lists hazlewood@tvc.texas.gov and 512-463-3168.

Hazlewood vs. the GI Bill

The two usually work in sequence rather than together. Hazlewood can't be used for a term in which a federal benefit dedicated to tuition and fees, such as Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill) or Chapter 31, already covers your full tuition, so it pays to plan which benefit you use for which term or degree. Unused Hazlewood hours can also go to a child through Legacy. Talk to your school's veterans office before you enroll, and see the veteran benefits guide for the federal education programs.

Sources

Texas Veterans Commission, Hazlewood Act, checked October 9, 2026. Basepass is independent and not affiliated with the Texas Veterans Commission, VA or any government agency. Rules can change and your college decides eligibility; TVC and the school are the final word.