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EVENTS
NEWS & INPUT
VETERAN GUIDE
Hazlewood Act
Up to 150 hours of tuition exemption at Texas public colleges for veterans, spouses, and dependent children: a Texas benefit, separate from the federal GI Bill.
Overview
Texas offers its own education benefit for veterans and their families. Hazlewood covers tuition and most fees at any public college or university in Texas, for up to 150 credit hours. It doesn't cover books, supplies, or living expenses.
Hazlewood pays only when federal benefits don't cover your tuition, so most veterans use their GI Bill first and Hazlewood after. Your school makes the final decision on eligibility.
How to get started
Check your eligibility
You lived in Texas when you entered the service, or entered the service in Texas; you served at least 181 days of active duty, not counting initial entry training; your discharge was Honorable or General (Under Honorable Conditions); you live in Texas now; and you're not in default on a Texas student loan.
Check your federal benefits first
Hazlewood pays only if you have no federal benefits that pay tuition for that term (like Chapter 33 or 31), or if they don't cover full tuition. Request your GI Bill Certificate of Eligibility, or a letter showing you're not eligible, from VA.gov.
Register with the Texas Veterans Commission
Create an account in the Hazlewood database. It tracks your used and remaining hours at every Texas public school you attend.
Apply through your school
Once you're accepted, send the school's Hazlewood application with your DD-214 and Certificate of Eligibility before its deadline. If your paperwork is delayed, ask for a deferment of up to 60 days so you aren't dropped from classes.
Track your hours each term
Log into the TVC Hazlewood database each semester to see your remaining hours.
Spouses and children
Passing hours to a child (Legacy)
An eligible veteran can pass unused hours to a child who is a Texas resident and 25 or younger at the start of the term. The child must also use any federal tuition benefits first.
Families of veterans who died or are 100% disabled
Spouses and children may get their own 150 hours if the veteran died from a service-related cause, is missing in action, or is rated 100% or individually unemployable by VA.