What Texas owes you

Property tax

Disabled veteran property tax exemptions

Texas offers two property tax exemptions for veterans with service-connected disabilities, both claimed through your county appraisal district.

Total exemption (Tax Code Section 11.131). A veteran "awarded 100 percent disability compensation due to a service-connected disability and a rating of 100 percent disabled or of individual unemployability" from VA pays no property tax on their residence homestead. A surviving spouse who has not remarried keeps the exemption if the property was and remains their residence homestead. Apply with Form 50-114.

Partial exemption (Tax Code Section 11.22). Any one property owned by a disabled veteran gets a reduction in taxable value by rating: $5,000 (10 to 29 percent), $7,500 (30 to 49 percent), $10,000 (50 to 69 percent), $12,000 (70 to 100 percent). A veteran age 65 or older with at least a 10 percent rating, or who is totally blind in one or both eyes, or has lost use of one or more limbs, qualifies for the full $12,000. Apply with Form 50-135.

Homesteads donated to disabled veterans by charitable organizations are also exempted in proportion to the disability rating (Section 11.132).

Checked against Texas Comptroller: property tax exemptions on July 10, 2026 · history

Education

Hazlewood Act tuition exemption

The Hazlewood Act (Texas Education Code Section 54.341) provides qualified Texas veterans "with an education benefit of up to 150 hours of tuition exemption, including most fees" at Texas public institutions of higher education.

The Hazlewood Legacy Program allows an eligible veteran to pass unused hours to a qualified child, and in some cases the benefit extends to spouses and dependent children.

Eligibility conditions (residency, service, and discharge requirements) are set by the statute and administered through your institution's financial aid office together with the Texas Veterans Commission.

Checked against Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board: exemptions overview on July 10, 2026 · history

Employment

Veteran's employment preference in state hiring

Texas Government Code Chapter 657 gives veterans a preference in employment with Texas state agencies. A qualifying individual "is entitled to a preference in employment with or appointment to" the agency "over other applicants for the same position who do not have a greater qualification."

The preference covers veterans (including veterans with disabilities), veterans' surviving spouses who have not remarried, and orphans of veterans killed on active duty. A veteran means a person who served in the armed forces or certain auxiliary services and "has been honorably discharged."

It also shapes interviews: if six or fewer applicants are interviewed for a position, at least one must be a qualified veteran's-preference applicant; if more than six, at least 20 percent must be.

The preference does not guarantee an interview or a job; you must meet the position's minimum qualifications like every other applicant.

Checked against Public Utility Commission of Texas: veteran's employment preference on July 10, 2026 · history

Financial

No state income tax, and $3 disabled veteran plates

Texas does not have a state income tax, so military retirement pay is not taxed at the state level.

Veterans with a service-connected disability rating of 50 percent or more, or 40 percent or more due to amputation of a lower extremity, qualify for Disabled Veteran license plates: "One vehicle is eligible for a $3 Disabled Veteran (DV) license plate." Additional vehicles may display DV plates but pay regular registration and local fees.

Apply with Form VTR-615 at your county tax assessor-collector's office, with VA certification of your disability rating.

Checked against TxDMV: Form VTR-615, disabled veteran plates on July 10, 2026 · history

Grants and one-time programs

Fund for Veterans' Assistance grants

Texas funds veteran assistance through the Texas Veterans Commission's Fund for Veterans' Assistance. The 2025 to 2026 cycle awarded over $46.3 million to 175 nonprofit organizations and local government agencies across the state.

The money does not go to veterans directly. Funded organizations provide the direct services: clinical counseling, employment support, financial assistance, home modification, homeless veteran support, peer support, pro bono legal services, transportation, and veteran treatment courts.

Funding comes primarily from Texas Lottery games designated for veteran support. To get help, find an FVA-funded organization in your area through the Texas Veterans Commission.

Checked against Office of the Texas Governor: FVA grant awards on July 10, 2026 · history