Hazlewood Act: Free Tuition for Texas Veterans and Families

The Hazlewood Act is a State of Texas benefit that gives qualified veterans, spouses and dependent children an exemption of up to 150 credit hours of tuition, including most fees, at Texas public colleges and universities.

Who may qualify

• Veterans: must meet the Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) rules on Texas residency, service, discharge and the Texas residency requirement while using the benefit.
• Spouses and children of certain disabled or deceased veterans may each receive up to 150 hours.
• Hazlewood Legacy: an eligible veteran may assign unused hours to a child under certain conditions. Spouses cannot receive transferred hours.

Good to know

• Only one person can use the exemption in a given semester, and all recipients draw from the same pool of hours.
• It does not cover everything, so some fees and student service fees may still apply.
• If you are eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, colleges generally require you to use it first.
• Courts have reviewed parts of the residency rules, so requirements can change. Confirm the current rules.

How to apply

1. Contact your college's veterans or financial aid office and ask for its Hazlewood application and deadlines.
2. Gather your DD-214 and any required documents.
3. Check your used hours in the TVC Hazlewood database.

Official info: TVC Hazlewood page · hazlewood@tvc.texas.gov