Hazlewood Act vs. GI Bill®: A Texas Veteran's Order of Use

If you joined the military from Texas, you may hold two education benefits: the federal Post-9/11 GI Bill® and the Texas Hazlewood Act, which can cover up to 150 credit hours of tuition and most fees at Texas public colleges. A common piece of advice is to use Hazlewood first and save your GI Bill months. For most veterans who served after September 11, 2001, Texas rules don't allow that order. This guide explains who qualifies for Hazlewood, what it covers, how it works with the GI Bill, an order of use that fits the rules, and how to apply.

1. The Hazlewood Act at a Glance

The Hazlewood Act is a Texas benefit, not a VA benefit. It is a tuition exemption: the school waives the charges, and no check is mailed to you. The Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) runs the program, and each college applies it.

Source: Texas Veterans Commission, Hazlewood Act (checked September 2026), which cites Texas Education Code §54.341 and 40 Texas Administrative Code §461.

Hazlewood works for undergraduate and graduate study, including law school. Online classes can count if the course receives state formula funding and the charges aren't paid to a third party; your school decides which courses qualify. Continuing education courses are not eligible.

2. Hazlewood Act Eligibility Requirements: Who Qualifies

As a veteran, you qualify for your own hours if you meet all of TVC's requirements. You must:

• Have entered the service in Texas, listed Texas as your home of record, or lived in Texas when you entered active duty. Your DD214 usually shows this.
• Have served at least 181 days of active duty, not counting initial entry training.
• Have an honorable or general (under honorable conditions) discharge.
• Live in Texas now.
• Have no VA benefit that pays only tuition and fees for the term, such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill or VR&E, unless it doesn't cover your full tuition. Section 3 explains this rule.
• Not be in default on a student loan made or backed by the State of Texas.
• Meet your school's grade point average (GPA) rules for academic progress and, as an undergraduate, its limit on excessive credit hours.

Family members can qualify in two different ways:

One detail trips up many families. For the spouse and child category, a 100% rating must be permanent and total (or an individual unemployability rating). If VA plans to re-examine the condition, the rating is not permanent yet. These families may also qualify for VA's Chapter 35 (DEA) payment; our Chapter 35 guide covers the rates, and Section 3 explains why DEA and Hazlewood can be used together. Live in California instead? The CalVet fee waiver is the closest match there.

3. How Hazlewood Works With the GI Bill®

The key rule is simple. Hazlewood steps in only when no VA benefit is already paying your tuition. If you have a VA benefit that pays tuition and fees directly to the school, such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill or Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E), and it covers your full tuition for the term, Hazlewood does not apply that term. If your VA benefit pays you a monthly amount instead, TVC says you may use both at the same time.

Sources: Texas Veterans Commission, Hazlewood Act FAQ (checked September 2026); University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and University of North Texas Hazlewood pages (checked September 2026).

So "use Hazlewood first and save your GI Bill" works only in narrow cases, such as a veteran with no Post-9/11 entitlement. If you served after September 11, 2001, your school will ask for your VA Certificate of Eligibility to see which benefit applies.

Going GI Bill first is not a loss. At a Texas public school, the Post-9/11 GI Bill also pays a monthly housing allowance and a books stipend, and Hazlewood pays neither. Our guide to what the GI Bill® covers shows how those payments add up. If you have the Montgomery GI Bill, read our Montgomery vs. Post-9/11 comparison before you make any election, because the choice changes how Hazlewood fits.

4. A Texas Veteran's Order of Use: GI Bill® First, Hazlewood Second

Texas sets the order for you, so the real planning question is where each benefit goes furthest. The two benefits reach very different schools:

Source: VA.gov, Post-9/11 GI Bill rates for August 1, 2026 – July 31, 2027; Texas Veterans Commission (checked September 2026).

One way to line them up:

1. Use the GI Bill on the program Hazlewood can't pay for. A private school or a hybrid graduate program is where Post-9/11 does work Hazlewood never could. In Texas, Westcliff University's Dallas campus, which opened in 2026, hosts its Professional Weekend format: coursework online through the semester and one three-day residency per semester, for the MBA, DBA and master's degrees in computer science, information technology and engineering management. Westcliff takes part in the Yellow Ribbon Program.
2. Keep your 150 Hazlewood hours for later. Once your GI Bill months are used, the hours can pay for a second degree, a graduate or law degree, or a certificate at a Texas public school.
3. Or pass them to your child. Legacy depends on your Texas entry, service, discharge and residence, not on the federal-benefits rule, so your own remaining GI Bill months don't block it. The child needs no tuition-only VA benefit that term: if you transferred Post-9/11 months to the same child, those would generally be used first.

Two cautions. First, the housing allowance: a hybrid program with an in-person component may qualify you for the resident rate for the campus ZIP code, generally when you are enrolled more than half-time, but that certification is the school certifying official's decision, program by program. Our hybrid vs. online housing allowance guide explains the rules. Second, timing: a Legacy child must be 25 or younger, so decide early whether the hours are for you or for them. If you plan to use VR&E rather than the GI Bill, start with your VR&E counselor and confirm the school with them before you apply.

5. How to Apply for the Hazlewood Act

Each college runs its own Hazlewood process, but TVC describes the same general steps:

1. Get accepted at a Texas public college or university.
2. Register in TVC's Hazlewood database (both the veteran and any Legacy child register). It shows the hours already used. If TVC has no record of past use, the school starts from the full 150 hours.
3. Send the application packet to your school: the Hazlewood Act Exemption Application (or the school's own form), the veteran's DD214, and a VA Certificate of Eligibility if the veteran served after September 11, 2001. Spouses and children in the disability category also need the VA rating letter. Schools often ask for proof of Texas residence as well.
4. Meet the deadline. TVC's rule is the last class day of the term, but many schools set earlier dates.
5. Ask for a deferment if paperwork is late. TVC's Deferment Request Form can hold tuition and fees for up to 60 days from the first day of the semester.
6. Renew each term. Returning students usually file TVC's Application for Continued Enrollment; ask your school what it needs.

Forms are on the TVC Hazlewood page. Before you choose any program, public or private, check that it is VA-approved with our six-step school check.

6. FAQ

Can I use the Hazlewood Act and the GI Bill at the same time?

Only in some cases. If you have the Post-9/11 GI Bill or VR&E, which pay tuition directly, Hazlewood applies only when that benefit does not cover your full tuition, for example at an eligibility tier below 100%. If your VA benefit pays you a monthly amount instead, such as the Montgomery GI Bill or Chapter 35, TVC says you may use both at the same time.

Do I have to use my GI Bill before Hazlewood?

If your Post-9/11 GI Bill covers your full tuition and fees at a Texas public school, yes. Hazlewood does not apply that term. Your Hazlewood hours become available once your GI Bill entitlement runs out, and at a partial eligibility tier they may cover what the GI Bill leaves unpaid.

Does the Hazlewood Act cover families of 100% disabled veterans?

Yes. If the veteran entered service from Texas and VA rates them 100% permanent and total service-connected, or individually unemployable, each spouse and child may receive their own 150 hours, with no age limit. The student must be a Texas resident at the school and must not have a VA benefit that already pays their full tuition.

What is the age limit for Hazlewood Legacy?

A Legacy child must be 25 or younger on the first day of the term and must stop using the hours at 26, unless TVC grants an extension for a qualifying illness or debilitating condition. Spouses and children who have their own hours under the disability category have no age limit.

Can I use Hazlewood at a private school or an online college?

Hazlewood works only at Texas public colleges and universities. Private schools and out-of-state schools are not eligible. Online classes at a Texas public school may be covered if the course receives state formula funding and the charges are not paid to a third party; the school decides.

Can I use Hazlewood for graduate school?

Yes. TVC says Hazlewood can be used for graduate study, including law school, at Texas public institutions. You still need to meet the school's GPA rules for academic progress. Continuing education courses are not eligible.

Want to talk it through? A VeteranDegrees Navigator can help you line up your GI Bill®, your Hazlewood hours and your family's options, and shortlist programs that fit your schedule. Book a free Navigator call. No cost, no obligation to enroll anywhere. For the full picture of federal benefits, start with our GI Bill® benefits guide, and before you commit to any school, run the program through our six-step check with VA's official GI Bill Comparison Tool and WEAMS.