Texas Recognized Colleges For Veteran Support
The Texas Veterans Commission honored 32 schools for programs aiding military-connected students.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Military Jobs
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The Texas Veterans Commission has presented the Veteran Education Excellence Recognition Award to 32 colleges and universities across the state. This initiative highlights institutions that demonstrate high-quality support for veterans and their families.
Why it matters
The recognition honors programs specifically designed to promote academic success for veterans and military-connected students. By evaluating schools against 12 key criteria, the state aims to ensure these students receive effective resources and mental health services.
The Veterans Education Department completed 25,000 program approvals and assisted 20,000 individuals with benefit inquiries during the 2025-26 fiscal year. Schools were evaluated using 12 distinct criteria including available mental health services.
The players
Texas Veterans Commission
This state agency advocates for and provides services to veterans, including education, employment, and claims representation.
Austin Community College
This public community college system serves the Austin area and was specifically named as a recipient of the award.
The details
Institutions receiving the award, including Austin Community College, were assessed on veteran resource centers and specific institutional policies. These efforts support the use of the Hazlewood Act, which provides veterans with up to 150 credit hours of tuition assistance in Texas.
Timeline
The Veterans Education Department performed its work throughout the 2025-26 fiscal year.
The Texas Veterans Commission discussed education opportunities this past Tuesday.
Market Landscape
The recognition program incentivizes Texas higher education institutions to compete for veteran enrollment by professionalizing their support infrastructures. This trend pushes colleges to align their internal resources with the specific administrative requirements of the Hazlewood Act.
Veterans and military-connected students can use this list of recognized institutions to identify colleges that offer dedicated resources and mental health support. Utilizing these institutions may also streamline the application of Hazlewood Act tuition benefits.
The takeaway
Students should review the specific criteria of the Veteran Education Excellence Recognition Award when selecting a school to ensure it meets their support needs. Focusing on these recognized institutions can maximize the value of available state-provided tuition assistance.
Further reading
Learn more about local opportunities for service members in Texas Military Jobs.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KXAN.
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