Texas Veterans Benefits in 2026: State Programs and How to Apply
For Texas veterans and families. Your VA disability, health care, GI Bill, and VA home loan are federal. Texas adds some of the strongest state benefits in the country — property-tax exemptions (including a total exemption for 100% disabled veterans), the Hazlewood Act education benefit, hiring preference, license fee help, state veterans homes, and free burial. The Texas Veterans Commission and your County Veterans Service Officer offer free help. Updated for 2026. We are an independent information site, not a government agency.
Not sure which benefits you and your family can get?
VA benefits sit alongside the ordinary ones, not instead of them — a VA pension can also qualify a household for help with food, energy bills and health costs in Texas. Answer a few questions and see which of 14 programmes are worth applying for.
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Federal VA benefits (handled nationally)
These come from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Start or manage them here, then use your state’s programs below:
Texas Veterans Commission (TVC)
The Texas Veterans Commission is the state agency for Texas veterans, families, and survivors. Its VA-accredited counselors help you file federal VA disability, pension, and survivor claims and appeals — for free — and it runs Texas’s education, employment, and assistance programs. Statewide line 1-800-252-8387. tvc.texas.gov.
Property-tax exemptions
Texas offers two disabled-veteran property-tax breaks, both filed with your county appraisal district:
- 100% disabled veteran total exemption: a veteran rated 100% disabled — or determined by the VA to have individual unemployability — pays no property tax on their residence homestead. Surviving spouses may keep it. File Form 50-114. Comptroller: 100% exemption.
- Partial exemption by rating (Tax Code §11.22): a flat dollar amount off your property’s value — $5,000 (10–29%), $7,500 (30–49%), $10,000 (50–69%), or $12,000 (70–100%). File Form 50-135. Comptroller: partial exemption.
Hazlewood Act (education)
The Hazlewood Act provides eligible Texas veterans up to 150 credit hours of tuition and most-fee exemptions at Texas public colleges and universities (it does not cover living costs or books). Under the Legacy Act, a veteran can transfer unused hours to one eligible child. Spouses and dependent children of veterans who are 100% permanently disabled, killed in action, or who died of a service-connected condition may receive their own 150 hours. Apply through the veterans/financial-aid office at your Texas public college. TVC Hazlewood Act.
Jobs & licensing
- Veterans employment preference: Texas law gives qualified veterans (and some spouses/orphans) a hiring preference for state and public jobs. Claim it when you apply, and get one-on-one help from a TVC employment representative at a Texas Workforce Solutions center. TVC employment.
- License fee waivers: Texas waives certain occupational-license application fees for veterans and may exempt you from re-testing if you held the same license within the last five years. TDLR military licensing.
Veterans homes, burial & assistance
- Texas State Veterans Homes: affordable skilled-nursing care for qualified veterans, spouses, and Gold Star parents, run by the Veterans Land Board. VLB/GLO Veterans Homes (1-800-252-8387).
- Texas State Veterans Cemeteries: no-cost dignified burial at state cemeteries in Killeen, Corpus Christi, Mission, and Abilene. VLB/GLO Cemeteries.
- Emergency assistance: the Fund for Veterans’ Assistance funds local organizations that provide emergency financial, housing, and transportation help — it does not pay veterans directly. Call 2-1-1 or your County Veterans Service Officer for a local provider. TVC Fund for Veterans’ Assistance.
Note: some newer Texas veterans homes and cemeteries have been announced as opening later — confirm current status before you travel.
Free accredited veterans help
Start with the Texas Veterans Commission above. If you want someone to prepare and file your VA claim with you, use an accredited representative. Help from an accredited veterans service organization representative is always free. An accredited attorney or claims agent may charge a fee, but only after VA has decided your initial claim, and only with a signed fee agreement and VA Form 21-22a on file. VA warns that someone who is not recognized by VA cannot legally help you with a VA benefit claim — so check accreditation before you share personal or military records.
Services and eligibility can vary by county. Confirm current hours and service areas before visiting, and verify VA accreditation before authorizing anyone to represent you. In crisis? Dial 988, then press 1.
Texas veterans program details
Keep going
See also: Texas’s disabled veteran property tax exemption and our full guide to Texas disabled veterans benefits.
GlobalBenefits.org is an independent information website. We are not a government agency and are not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or any state agency. We link to official government sites so you can apply directly and for free. Rules and amounts change — confirm on the official page before you apply. In crisis? Call the Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988, then press 1.
Official sources: Texas Veterans Commission (tvc.texas.gov), Texas Comptroller (comptroller.texas.gov), Texas General Land Office / Veterans Land Board (glo.texas.gov), TDLR (tdlr.texas.gov), and VA.gov for federal benefits. Reviewed July 2026. Property-tax partial-exemption tiers are set by Texas statute; confirm details with your county appraisal district.