The Hazlewood Act: Free Texas College Tuition for Veterans and Their Children

Texas veterans get a benefit most other states don’t offer at all: up to 150 credit hours of tuition exemption at Texas public colleges and universities, and it can pass down to your children. The Hazlewood Act is often misunderstood as a GI Bill substitute, but it actually works alongside your federal education benefits, filling gaps the GI Bill doesn’t cover. Here’s how it actually works.

What the Hazlewood Act Covers

The Hazlewood Act exempts eligible veterans, spouses, and dependent children from tuition and most fees at Texas public colleges, universities, and technical schools — up to 150 credit hours total. It does not cover living expenses, books, or supply fees, so it’s a tuition-and-fees benefit specifically, not a full cost-of-attendance benefit the way Post-9/11 GI Bill housing allowance is.

Basic Veteran Eligibility

To qualify as a veteran under Hazlewood, you generally need:

• Texas residency at the time you entered service, or you’re currently a Texas resident meeting the statute’s requirements.
• An honorable or general (under honorable conditions) discharge, documented on your DD-214 (Member 4 copy).
• Enrollment in a degree-seeking program at a Texas public institution, in state-funded courses.
• Satisfactory Academic Progress as defined by your institution.

The exact statutory requirements are detailed in Texas Administrative Code §461 and can vary slightly in interpretation by institution — your school’s veterans affairs or registrar’s office administers the actual eligibility determination.

It Works Alongside the GI Bill — You Don’t Have to Exhaust It First

This is the detail that trips up the most people: you do not need to use up your GI Bill before Hazlewood applies. You can use Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill) or Chapter 31 (Vocational Rehabilitation) together with Hazlewood in the same term, as long as the combined benefits don’t exceed your actual tuition and fees — Hazlewood essentially fills in whatever gap Chapter 33 or Chapter 31 doesn’t cover. If you’re using the Montgomery GI Bill (Chapter 30) or the Selected Reserve GI Bill (Chapter 1606) instead, you can generally receive the full amount of those federal benefits in conjunction with Hazlewood without an offset, since those chapters pay you directly rather than paying the school. See our GI Bill comparison guide if you’re not sure which chapter you’re using.

The Legacy Act: Passing Hours to Your Children

If you don’t use all 150 hours yourself, the Legacy Act lets you transfer your unused exemption hours to one or more of your children. Legacy recipients must be enrolled in a degree program and can’t exempt more hours than their specific degree plan requires. Your child will need to provide proof of the parent-child relationship (birth certificate or adoption papers) as part of the application. Exact transfer mechanics and hour-splitting rules between multiple children are set by the Texas Veterans Commission and your specific institution — confirm the current process with your school’s veterans office before assuming a specific split.

Spouses and Children of 100% Disabled Veterans

Spouses and children of veterans rated 100% service-connected, total and permanent, have a separate eligibility path under Hazlewood — each qualifying spouse or child can receive their own 150 hours, independent of transferring the veteran’s own unused hours. This is a meaningfully larger benefit for families of severely disabled veterans than the standard Legacy Act transfer, so don’t assume the rules are the same if your sponsor is rated 100%.

Application Deadlines and Process

Applications, along with your DD-214 and any required proof-of-relationship documents, are typically due by 5:00 p.m. on the last class day of the relevant semester — but apply as early as possible rather than waiting, since processing takes time and you’ll want the exemption in place before tuition is due. Each Texas institution handles Hazlewood applications through its own registrar or veterans affairs office, so check your specific school’s process and deadlines directly rather than assuming they’re identical everywhere.

Key Takeaways

• The Hazlewood Act exempts up to 150 credit hours of tuition and most fees at Texas public colleges for eligible veterans — it does not cover housing, books, or supplies.
• You don’t need to exhaust your GI Bill first: Hazlewood can be used alongside Chapter 33 or Chapter 31 in the same term to cover gaps, and generally stacks fully with Chapter 30 or Chapter 1606.
• Unused hours can transfer to your children under the Legacy Act, and each child must be in a degree program and stay within their degree plan’s required hours.
• Spouses and children of veterans rated 100% service-connected, total and permanent, each get their own separate 150-hour eligibility — not just a share of the veteran’s unused hours.
• Applications are typically due by the last class day of the semester, filed directly with your Texas institution — apply early since processing takes time.

How Hazlewood Fits With Your Other Education Benefits

Hazlewood is designed to work alongside the GI Bill, not replace it — many veterans use their federal GI Bill benefit first and cover remaining Texas tuition with Hazlewood once GI Bill months run out. If you’re weighing which program to draw down first, see how Chapter 1606 compares to the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and check how GI Bill transfer to dependents works if you’re also planning to pass benefits to your children the way Hazlewood’s Legacy Act provision allows. Texas schools participating in the Yellow Ribbon Program can sometimes cover costs Hazlewood doesn’t reach, so it’s worth checking both.

FAQ

Do I have to be a current Texas resident to qualify?
Generally you need to show Texas residency at time of entry into service, or meet current residency requirements under the statute — the exact rule can depend on your specific circumstances, so confirm with your institution’s veterans office if your residency history is complicated.

Can I use Hazlewood at a private Texas university?
No, Hazlewood applies to Texas public colleges, universities, and technical/state colleges — it does not cover private institutions.

What happens if I don’t use all 150 hours and don’t have children to transfer them to?
Unused hours simply go unused — there’s no cash value or refund for hours you don’t use, and they can’t be transferred to anyone other than your own children under the Legacy Act provisions.