Texas Financial Aid: State Grants, Scholarships and Free College Programs

Start with the FAFSA or the TASFA

Every route to Texas state financial aid runs through a federal or state application first. Most students file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at studentaid.gov . Students who cannot file a FAFSA because of immigration status file the Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA) instead through their target school's financial aid office. Either application feeds the need calculation that Texas uses to award its own grant programs on top of federal aid.

Texas moved up its own deadline for the 2025-26 aid cycle. The state's priority application deadline was extended to February 15, well before most fall terms begin, according to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's TEXAS Grant program guidelines . Filing after the priority date does not disqualify you, but state grant funding is limited and campuses award it to eligible students in the order applications come in, so early filing matters more in Texas than in states with unlimited grant funding.

TEXAS Grant: the state's main need-based grant

The Toward EXcellence, Access and Success (TEXAS) Grant is the largest state need-based grant for Texas resident undergraduates. To first qualify, you generally need to be a Texas resident, graduate from a Texas public or private high school under the recommended, distinguished or foundation curriculum designation, show financial need, and enroll at least three-quarter time, meaning at least nine credit hours a semester, according to University of Houston's aid office . You cannot already hold a bachelor's degree.

To renew the grant in later years, keep a cumulative GPA of at least 2.50, complete at least 24 semester credit hours a year, and stay clear of felony or controlled substance convictions unless you meet a specific discharge exception. Award amounts vary by institution, since each school combines the grant with other aid to cover need up to tuition and mandatory fees rather than issuing one fixed dollar figure for every recipient.

Texas Educational Opportunity Grant (TEOG)

The Texas Educational Opportunity Grant serves students with financial need who start their studies at a Texas public two-year institution rather than a university, according to the state's TEOG FY2026 program guidelines . It works alongside the TEXAS Grant as the community college counterpart, so ask your community college financial aid office whether you qualify before assuming only university students get state grant help.

Texas Transfer Grant

The Texas Transfer Grant supports students moving from a Texas public two-year institution into a four-year public university, per the THECB's FY2026 guidelines . If your plan is two years at a community college followed by a transfer, ask the receiving university's aid office how this grant fits alongside the TEXAS Grant and any campus scholarships for transfer students.

Texas College Work-Study

Texas College Work-Study funds part-time campus or approved off-campus jobs for students with financial need, giving you a paycheck instead of a lump-sum award. It is administered through the same THECB guideline process as the state's other aid programs and is requested through your school's standard financial aid application rather than a separate form.

Hazlewood Act for veterans and military families

Texas exempts qualifying veterans, along with some spouses and dependent children, from tuition and most fees at Texas public colleges and universities for up to 150 credit hours under the state's Hazlewood Act. This runs alongside, not instead of, federal GI Bill benefits, and eligibility depends on service record and residency at the time of entry into service. Check with your school's veterans affairs office, since the interaction between Hazlewood and federal benefits affects how much of each you can use.

Local promise programs at the community college level

Several Texas community college districts run their own local promise programs that cover tuition and fees for eligible recent high school graduates who enroll for a minimum number of credit hours and maintain satisfactory progress. Rules, income limits and participating high schools differ by district, so check directly with your local community college rather than assuming a statewide program covers you.

University-funded merit scholarships

State grants only cover part of the picture. Every public university in Texas also runs its own scholarship budget funded by tuition set-asides, endowments and donor gifts, separate from the state programs above. Some campuses award automatic scholarships tied directly to your admission index, class rank or test scores, with no separate application beyond admitting on time. Others require a dedicated scholarship application with its own deadline, often earlier than the general admission deadline. Check the financial aid and scholarship pages for each school on your list rather than assuming the state grants above are the only money available.

Putting it together

File the FAFSA or TASFA as soon as it opens, hit the February priority date, and ask every school on your list which of these state programs apply to your situation. A student starting at a community college before transferring can potentially draw on TEOG, then the Transfer Grant, then the TEXAS Grant at the four-year school, on top of any federal Pell Grant and campus scholarships.