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Supporting transitioning service members across all U.S. states and federal sectors

Texas Veteran Benefits 2026: Property Tax, GI Bill, VA

Updated: 9 hours ago

By Matthew Poch · Published May 5, 2026

Texas has one of the largest veteran populations in the country, over 1.4 million strong. Yet thousands of Texas veterans miss out on benefits they've earned every year. Here's the 2026 guide to claiming every Texas state benefit you qualify for, written by veterans, not lawyers.

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At a Glance: Texas Veteran Benefits in 2026

  • Disabled Veterans Property Tax Exemption: Tiered savings from $5,000 up to a full homestead exemption for 100% disabled veterans.

  • Hazlewood Act: Up to 150 hours of tuition exemption at Texas public colleges, transferable to a child via the Legacy program.

  • Texas Veterans Land Board (VLB) Loans: Below-market financing for land, homes, and home improvements.

  • No state income tax: Texas does not tax military retirement, VA disability, or any other income.

  • Veterans Preference for state employment plus the Texas Veterans Commission's free claims, employment, and entrepreneur programs.

Texas Disabled Veterans Property Tax Exemption

The Texas Disabled Veterans Property Tax Exemption is the single most valuable state-level benefit for the average Texas veteran. It reduces the appraised value of property you own, and for 100% disabled veterans, it can wipe out the property tax bill on your home entirely.

Who Qualifies

You qualify if you are a Texas resident veteran with a service-connected disability rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The exemption tier is set by your VA disability percentage. Surviving spouses of qualifying veterans (and surviving spouses of service members killed in action) can also claim the exemption, provided they have not remarried. The 100% exemption on a residence homestead also extends to surviving spouses of veterans who were 100% disabled at the time of death.

How Much You Save

Texas uses a tiered system that reduces the assessed value of any property you own (not just your home):

  • 10% to 29% disability rating: $5,000 reduction in assessed value

  • 30% to 49% disability rating: $7,500 reduction

  • 50% to 69% disability rating: $10,000 reduction

  • 70% to 99% disability rating: $12,000 reduction

  • 100% disabled or unemployable: Full exemption on the residence homestead (no property tax owed on your primary home)

The 100% disabled veterans exemption is the biggest single state benefit available in Texas. For a home assessed at $350,000 in a county with a 2.2% effective property tax rate, that's roughly $7,700 saved every year, for life.

How to Apply

Applications go through your county appraisal district, not the state. File Form 50-135 (Application for Disabled Veteran's or Survivor's Exemption) with the appraisal district where the property is located. You'll need:

  • A copy of your VA disability rating letter

  • Proof of Texas residency

  • A copy of your DD-214

Most counties accept the form online. The deadline is generally April 30 of the tax year, but late filings are often accepted up to five years back. Find your county appraisal district through the Texas Comptroller's directory at comptroller.texas.gov.

Texas Education Benefits, The Hazlewood Act

The Hazlewood Act is one of the most generous state-level education benefits in the country, and it stacks with the federal GI Bill.

Who Qualifies

To qualify for Hazlewood, you must:

  • Have entered military service from Texas, declared Texas as your home of record, or have been a Texas resident for at least one year before entering service

  • Have served at least 181 days of active duty (excluding training)

  • Have received an honorable discharge or general discharge under honorable conditions

  • Have exhausted, or be ineligible for, federal education benefits dedicated to tuition (such as Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition payments) for the term in question

  • Not be in default on any state-guaranteed student loan

  • Be classified by the institution as a Texas resident

What You Get

Hazlewood provides up to 150 credit hours of tuition exemption at any Texas public college or university. That covers tuition and most mandatory fees, but not books, supplies, room, or board. At a school like the University of Texas, that's tens of thousands of dollars in savings.

The Hazlewood Legacy Act is the killer feature. If you don't use all 150 hours yourself, you can transfer unused hours to one biological, adopted, or stepchild who is 25 or younger. Many veterans use Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits for their own degree, then pass Hazlewood hours to a kid.

How to Apply

Apply directly through the veteran services office at the Texas public college or university you plan to attend. You'll need your DD-214, proof of Texas residency, and (for Legacy transfers) documentation of the dependent relationship. The Texas Veterans Commission (tvc.texas.gov/education) maintains the official Hazlewood eligibility tool and forms.

If you're still working through the broader picture of post-service life, our veteran career transition guide walks through how to combine Hazlewood with apprenticeships and certification programs.

Employment & Entrepreneurship for Texas Veterans

Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) Employment Services

The Texas Veterans Commission runs the largest state-level veteran employment program in the country. Services are free and include:

  • One-on-one career counseling with veteran employment representatives in Texas Workforce Solutions offices statewide

  • Job placement and direct employer matchmaking

  • Resume and interview coaching

  • Funding for industry certifications (CDL, IT, welding, healthcare) through the Veterans Education Program

Texas also grants Veterans Preference for state agency jobs. Qualified veterans, surviving spouses, and orphans of veterans receive preference in hiring and retention.

Veteran Entrepreneur Program (VEP)

The TVC's Veteran Entrepreneur Program helps veterans start, grow, or scale a business. VEP advisors provide free one-on-one consulting on business planning, financing, government contracting, and certification as a veteran-owned business. Texas certifies eligible firms as Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs), which opens doors to state procurement contracts.

Hire a Hero / VetBiz Programs

The Texas Workforce Commission's Hire a Hero initiative connects veterans with private-sector employers committed to veteran hiring. The state's VetBiz directory lists certified veteran-owned businesses for procurement opportunities. Both programs are free to register.

If you also want federal-side support, pair these with VA Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (Chapter 31) where eligible.

Major Military Installations in Texas

Texas has the largest active-duty military presence of any state, with 15 active-duty installations across all branches. Veterans transitioning from these bases stay local at high rates, meaning they remain eligible for Texas state benefits and continue feeding into the 1.4M+ veteran population.

  • Fort Hood (Killeen, Bell County), U.S. Army. Home of III Armored Corps and the 1st Cavalry Division. One of the largest military installations in the world at 335 square miles. Briefly renamed Fort Cavazos (2023–2025) before being redesignated Fort Hood in June 2025. (home.army.mil)

  • Fort Bliss (El Paso), U.S. Army. The Army's premier ground combat maneuver and air defense artillery training center. Roughly 1,700 square miles spanning Texas and New Mexico. (home.army.mil/bliss)

  • Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA): Largest joint base in the Department of Defense, covering JBSA-Lackland, JBSA-Randolph, JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, and Camp Bullis. The Air Force is the lead agency. JBSA hosts more than 80,000 personnel and 266 mission partners. (jbsa.mil)

  • Sheppard AFB (Wichita Falls), U.S. Air Force. Home of the 82nd Training Wing and the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program. (sheppard.af.mil)

  • Dyess AFB (Abilene), U.S. Air Force. 7th Bomb Wing operates B-1B Lancers; 317th Airlift Wing operates C-130J Super Hercules. (dyess.af.mil)

  • Goodfellow AFB (San Angelo), U.S. Air Force. Joint intelligence and firefighting training for all five branches. (goodfellow.af.mil)

  • Laughlin AFB (Del Rio), U.S. Air Force. Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training; the Air Force's largest pilot-training base by graduates. (laughlin.af.mil)

  • NAS Corpus Christi: U.S. Navy. Primary pilot training for Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard aviators. Co-located with Corpus Christi Army Depot, the Army's helicopter repair center of excellence. (cnic.navy.mil/cccs)

  • NAS Kingsville: U.S. Navy. Strike pilot training (T-45 Goshawk) for Navy and Marine Corps. (cnic.navy.mil/kingsville)

  • NAS Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth: Multi-service reserve installation hosting Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force Reserve, Texas Air National Guard, and Army Reserve units. (cnic.navy.mil/jrbftworth)

  • Red River Army Depot (Texarkana), U.S. Army. Heavy combat vehicle remanufacture and the Defense Department's primary tactical wheeled vehicle hub. (rra.army.mil)

  • Camp Bullis (Bexar County), JBSA training annex used by all services for medical readiness training and field exercises. (gov.texas.gov/military/installations)

2026 Updates & Recent Texas Veteran Legislation

Texas voters and the 89th Legislature passed several measures in 2025 that take effect for the 2026 tax year and beyond:

  • Proposition 7 (passed November 4, 2025, with ~72% voter approval): Establishes a homestead property tax exemption for surviving spouses of veterans who died from a service-connected disease presumed under federal law (including PACT Act–covered conditions like burn-pit toxic exposure). Closes the gap left by the 2022 federal PACT Act for spouses whose veteran spouse passed before the Act's recognition. The exemption is portable to a new homestead. (Ballotpedia, Texas Proposition 7))


  • Proposition 11 / SB 23 (passed November 4, 2025): Increased the over-65 and disabled-persons additional homestead exemption from $10,000 to $60,000 of market value. Texas veterans 65+ or who qualify as disabled can stack this with the disabled veterans exemption. (Ballotpedia, Texas Proposition 11))

  • General Homestead Exemption raised to $140,000 (SB 4, 2025): While not veteran-specific, the mandatory school-district homestead exemption rose from $100,000 to $140,000, layering on top of veteran exemptions for further savings. (Texas Comptroller, Property Tax Law Changes)

  • Hazlewood Act: Core eligibility (181 days active duty, 150 hours of tuition exemption, Legacy transfer to one child age 25 or younger) remains unchanged in 2026. The Texas Veterans Commission continues to administer the program. (tvc.texas.gov/education/hazlewood)

  • Tuskegee Airmen Texas State Veterans Home opened in Fort Worth in March 2025, bringing the state's total to ten state veterans homes. (Texas General Land Office)

If you filed for a partial disabled-veteran exemption before 2026 and your VA rating has since increased, file an updated Form 50-135 with your county appraisal district, exemptions are not automatically re-tiered.

Health Care & Housing Resources for Texas Veterans

VA Medical Centers in Texas

Texas's VA medical centers anchor four regional Veterans Health Administration networks (VISN 17 plus parts of VISN 16 and 19). Major facilities include:

  • Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center: Houston. Serves the 27-county Southeast Texas catchment, the largest VA medical center by volume in the U.S. (va.gov/houston-health-care)

  • Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans' Hospital: San Antonio (VA South Texas Health Care System). Serves South and Central Texas. (va.gov/south-texas-health-care)

  • Dallas VA Medical Center: VA North Texas Health Care System. Serves 38 counties across North Texas and southern Oklahoma. (va.gov/north-texas-health-care)

  • Olin E. Teague Veterans' Medical Center: Temple (VA Central Texas Health Care System). Primary catchment includes Bell, Coryell, McLennan, and surrounding counties. (va.gov/central-texas-health-care)

  • Doris Miller VA Medical Center: Waco. Sister facility of Olin E. Teague within the Central Texas system. (va.gov/central-texas-health-care)

  • VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System: Harlingen-based. Serves the Rio Grande Valley and Coastal Bend (20 South Texas counties). (va.gov/texas-valley-health-care)

  • El Paso VA Health Care System: Serves El Paso, Hudspeth, Culberson counties and southern New Mexico. (va.gov/el-paso-health-care)

  • George H. O'Brien, Jr. VA Medical Center: Big Spring (West Texas VA Health Care System). Serves 33 counties of West Texas and southeastern New Mexico. (va.gov/west-texas-health-care)

  • Thomas E. Creek VA Medical Center: Amarillo. Serves the Texas Panhandle, eastern New Mexico, and the Oklahoma Panhandle. (va.gov/amarillo-health-care)

  • Kerrville VA Medical Center: Kerrville. Long-term care and outpatient facility within the South Texas system. (va.gov/south-texas-health-care)

Plus dozens of community-based outpatient clinics. Find your nearest facility at va.gov/find-locations.

Texas State Veterans Homes (10 locations)

Operated by the Texas Veterans Land Board through the General Land Office, these homes provide subsidized skilled-nursing and long-term care for eligible veterans, spouses, and Gold Star parents. Daily room-and-board rates are typically less than half the Texas private-pay average. (Texas GLO, Veterans Homes)

  • Ussery-Roan Texas State Veterans Home, Amarillo

  • Lamun-Lusk-Sanchez Texas State Veterans Home, Big Spring

  • Clyde W. Cosper Texas State Veterans Home, Bonham

  • Ambrosio Guillen Texas State Veterans Home, El Paso

  • Frank M. Tejeda Texas State Veterans Home, Floresville (San Antonio area)

  • Tuskegee Airmen Texas State Veterans Home, Fort Worth (opened March 2025)

  • Richard A. Anderson Texas State Veterans Home, Houston

  • Alfredo Gonzalez Texas State Veterans Home, McAllen

  • William R. Courtney Texas State Veterans Home, Temple

  • Watkins-Logan Texas State Veterans Home, Tyler

Texas Veterans Land Board (VLB), Land, Home, and Home Improvement Loans

The VLB offers three loan programs no other state matches at this scale, all bond-funded (self-sustaining) and aimed at honorably discharged Texas veterans:

  • Land Loans: Up to $150,000 for tracts of one acre or more in Texas, with fixed rates typically below conventional land financing.

  • Home Loans: Used in conjunction with the federal VA Home Loan benefit, up to the conforming loan limit, often at rates below standard VA loan rates.

  • Home Improvement Loans: Up to $50,000 unsecured (or up to $25,000 with shorter terms), no equity requirement, for upgrades on a primary Texas residence.

Eligibility requires Texas residency at application, an honorable discharge, and at least 90 days of active duty (or qualifying National Guard / Reserve service). Apply through a VLB-participating lender; full details at vlb.texas.gov.

For mental health support beyond the VA, the Texas Veterans + Family Alliance funds community mental health programs statewide (tvc.texas.gov/grants/mental-health-grant-program), and the Veterans Crisis Line (988, press 1) is available 24/7.

Texas Veteran Hubs: Major Cities & Their Resources

Almost half of Texas's 1.4M+ veterans live in just ten counties. Here's what's on the ground in each major hub.

Houston Veterans

Greater Houston (Harris and surrounding counties) hosts roughly 200,000+ veterans, the largest concentration in the state. Anchor resources:

  • Combined Arms: Houston-headquartered nonprofit network of 50+ veteran-serving organizations, also operating the statewide Texas Veterans Network. (combinedarms.us)

  • Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center: the highest-volume VA hospital in the U.S.

  • Harris County Veteran Services: county CVSO providing free claims help. (cjo.hctx.net/veteran-services)

San Antonio Veterans

Bexar County has the single largest county-level veteran population in Texas (~140,000+). "Military City, USA" is fed by JBSA's active-duty pipeline. Key resources:

  • Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans' Hospital and South Texas Veterans Health Care System

  • Brooke Army Medical Center / SAMMC at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, the DoD's only stateside Level I trauma center

  • Bexar County Department of Veterans Services: CVSO support. (bexar.org/271/Veterans-Services)

Dallas-Fort Worth Veterans

The Metroplex has roughly 250,000 veterans across Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, Denton, and surrounding counties. Resources:

Austin Veterans

Travis County is home to roughly 50,000+ veterans, with strong tech-sector hiring. Resources:

  • Travis County Veteran Services: top-rated CVSO. (traviscountytx.gov/veteran-services)

  • VA Austin Outpatient Clinic (part of Central Texas system)

  • Tech employers (Dell, Tesla Gigafactory Texas, Oracle, Indeed) actively hire transitioning veterans

Austin ranked #1 nationally for veterans to live in WalletHub's 2025 best-cities-for-veterans report.

El Paso Veterans

El Paso County hosts ~85,000 veterans, anchored by Fort Bliss's massive active-duty footprint. Resources:

  • El Paso VA Health Care System (va.gov/el-paso-health-care)

  • El Paso County Veterans Assistance (epcounty.com/veterans)

  • Fort Bliss Soldier for Life Transition Assistance Program

Killeen / Central Texas Veterans

Bell County (Killeen, Belton, Temple, Harker Heights) is shaped by Fort Hood, the largest single-installation veteran feeder in the country. Resources:

County Veteran Service Officers (CVSOs) in Texas

CVSOs are the boots-on-the-ground experts who help Texas veterans file VA claims, access state benefits, and navigate appeals. Every Texas county has a designated CVSO appointed by the Commissioners Court, operating under technical guidelines set by the Texas Veterans Commission. Their services are free: never pay anyone to file a claim before talking to your county CVSO. The full statewide directory is maintained at tvc.texas.gov/veterans/county-service-officers and via the Veterans County Service Officers Association of Texas at vcsoatx.org.

Major county CVSO offices:

If your county isn't listed, find your CVSO via the TVC directory linked above.

Texas Vet-Friendly Employer Partners

Texas-based companies that actively recruit, hire, and retain veterans. Most participate in the Department of Defense SkillBridge program, which lets transitioning service members do an internship-style fellowship in their last 180 days of active duty. Many are also recognized on Military Times' "Best for Vets: Employers" list.

  • USAA (San Antonio), Built for the military community by retired officers; one of the largest veteran-employing companies in the country. (usaajobs.com/military)

  • American Airlines (Fort Worth HQ), Veterans Initiative and SkillBridge partnerships across pilots, mechanics, and operations. (jobs.aa.com/military)

  • AT&T (Dallas HQ), Long-running military hiring program; pledged thousands of veteran and military-spouse hires. (att.jobs/military)

  • Lockheed Martin (Fort Worth, Grand Prairie), Builds the F-35 in Fort Worth; one of the largest defense-industry veteran employers. (lockheedmartinjobs.com/military)

  • Texas Instruments (Dallas HQ), Military Veterans Initiative network and SkillBridge. (careers.ti.com)

  • Dell Technologies (Round Rock HQ), Veterans & Military Employee Resource Group; Military Spouse Employment Partnership signatory. (jobs.dell.com/military)

  • ExxonMobil (Spring HQ), Engineering, operations, and skilled-trades hiring for veterans. (corporate.exxonmobil.com/careers)

  • Halliburton (Houston), Operation Career Service vet hiring program for energy-sector roles. (jobs.halliburton.com)

  • H-E-B (San Antonio HQ), Texas's largest private employer; named to Military Times Best for Vets multiple years. (careers.heb.com)

  • L3Harris Technologies (large Texas footprint in Greenville and Plano), Defense-tech employer with active veteran recruiting.

For verified Texas veteran-owned businesses on the procurement side, use the state's HUB (Historically Underutilized Business) directory and the VetBiz registry through the Texas Veterans Commission. (comptroller.texas.gov/purchasing/vendor/hub)

Local Veteran Support Organizations in Texas

Organization | Service | Region | Contact

Texas Veterans Commission | State-level claims help, employment, education | Statewide | tvc.texas.gov

VFW Department of Texas | Service officers, advocacy, posts | Statewide | vfwtexas.org

American Legion Department of Texas | Service officers, claims, posts | Statewide | txlegion.org

Texas Veterans Network | Resource navigation, peer support | Statewide | texasveteransnetwork.org

Combined Arms | Coordinated transition services | Houston / Gulf Coast | combinedarms.us

Travis County Veteran Services | County-level claims and benefits help | Austin / Travis County | traviscountytx.gov/veteran-services

Every Texas county has a County Veteran Service Officer (CVSO) authorized to help file VA claims at no charge. Start with your county before paying anyone for claims help.

How Operation Pathfinder Helps Texas Veterans

Operation Pathfinder is free, veteran-built, and founder-funded. We don't sell anything, take advertising from VSOs, or charge for claims help. We map every benefit you've earned, federal, state, and local, and walk you through claiming each one. If you're starting with the federal side, our VA disability benefits guide is the natural companion to this article. Heading next door soon? See our Florida veteran benefits guide for sibling-state comparisons.

Pass it on. Every veteran who learns about a benefit they didn't know they qualified for is a win. Every dollar saved, every tuition waiver claimed, every hour saved navigating the VA, that's the mission.

Operation Pathfinder is free. Always. No fees. No cuts. If this helped you, the most powerful thing you can do is share it. Send it to a transitioning service member. Post it where other vets will see it. Tag a buddy who's getting out.

[Try the free platform →](https://www.operationpathfinder.com) Two minutes. Zero cost. Walks you through every benefit you might be missing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much can I save with the Texas disabled veterans property tax exemption?

It depends on your VA rating. A 10–29% rating reduces your assessed value by $5,000; 30–49% by $7,500; 50–69% by $10,000; and 70–99% by $12,000. Veterans rated 100% disabled (or individually unemployable) pay zero property tax on their residence homestead, typically worth $4,000 to $10,000 per year, every year, depending on your county and home value.

Can my spouse use my Hazlewood Act benefits?

Hazlewood transfers go to dependents, not spouses, under the Legacy program. You can transfer unused hours from your 150-hour allotment to one biological, adopted, or stepchild who is 25 or younger and a Texas resident. Spouses of veterans killed in action, missing in action, or who died from a service-connected condition may qualify directly for their own Hazlewood benefits, apply through the Texas Veterans Commission for that path.

Do Texas veterans pay state income tax?

No. Texas has no state income tax for any resident, veteran or not. That means military retirement pay, VA disability compensation, drill pay, Survivor Benefit Plan payments, and civilian wages are all free of state income tax. Combined with the disabled veterans property tax exemption, Texas is one of the most tax-friendly states in the country for veterans on a fixed retirement and disability income.

How do I get a copy of my DD Form 214 in Texas?

Request your DD-214 free through the National Archives' eVetRecs system at archives.gov/veterans. Texas also lets you file a certified copy with your county clerk for free, which makes future claims faster. Many County Veteran Service Officers will help you request it. Avoid third-party sites that charge fees, the official process is free and usually takes 10 business days for recently separated veterans.

What's the difference between VA disability and Texas state benefits?

VA disability is a federal benefit, monthly tax-free compensation from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs based on a service-connected rating. Texas state benefits are layered on top. Your VA rating unlocks state benefits like the property tax exemption and may affect Hazlewood eligibility, but the two systems are administered separately. You apply for VA disability through va.gov and for Texas benefits through the TVC and your county.

Sources & Official Links


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