Texas College Grants: TEXAS Grant, TEOG and TEG Guide for 2027-28

By Steve Levine · Updated November 8, 2026

Texas college grants are need-based awards from the state, and the three big ones are split by type of school: the TEXAS Grant for public universities, the Texas Educational Opportunity Grant (TEOG) for public two-year colleges, and the Tuition Equalization Grant (TEG) for private nonprofit colleges. All three are applied for with the FAFSA or the Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA), and the college’s financial aid office decides who receives them. Funding is limited, so the January 15 priority date is the one to beat.

The programs are overseen by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), which publishes the rules for each one on its student aid site. The federal 2027-28 FAFSA opened on September 23, 2026, according to CNBC.

Texas college grants compared

	TEXAS Grant	TEOG	TEG
Where you can use it	Texas public universities and health-related institutions	Texas public community colleges, technical institutes and two state colleges	Nonprofit private Texas colleges
Minimum enrollment	At least 3/4 time	At least half time	At least 3/4 time
Degree limit	No prior bachelor’s degree	No associate or bachelor’s degree; 30 or fewer attempted credits to start	Not already holding the degree you are pursuing
Need	Financial need, as determined by the college

Sources: THECB program pages for the TEXAS Grant, TEOG and TEG.

How much do Texas grants pay?

The state does not publish one award figure for students. Each THECB program page says the same thing: for the current amount, contact the financial aid office at the college where you are enrolled or plan to enroll. Award size depends on the college’s costs, your need, and how much state money the college received for the year.

Every page also carries the same warning: “Funding is limited. Each year institutions try to award funds to as many eligible students as possible. However, all eligible students may not receive funding.” That is why filing early matters more in Texas than in states that guarantee an award.

The TEXAS Grant: eligibility in detail

To receive a TEXAS Grant, the THECB says you must be classified by your college as a Texas resident, be registered with Selective Service or exempt, have financial need, enroll at least three-quarter time, and not already hold a bachelor’s degree. You also must not have been convicted of a felony or a crime involving a controlled substance.

First-time awards go to students who enter a bachelor’s program through one of four routes:

High school graduation. Graduate from an accredited public or private Texas high school and enroll before the end of the 16th month after graduation, with no more than 30 attempted semester credit hours (dual credit and credit by exam do not count). Homeschool graduates are not eligible under this pathway.
Associate degree. Enroll within 12 months of the month you earned an associate degree from a Texas public or private nonprofit college.
Honorable military discharge. Enroll within 12 months of discharge, if you enlisted within 12 months of graduating from a Texas high school on or after May 1, 2013.
Transfer. Complete at least 24 credit hours with at least a 2.5 GPA after receiving a TEOG in fall 2014 or later, then transfer with a 2.5 GPA.

Priority goes to high school and military pathway students who met at least one graduation requirement in two of four areas: an advanced academic program (such as 12 hours of dual credit or AP, or the IB program), Texas Success Initiative readiness, class standing (top third of the class or a 3.0 GPA), and advanced math (a course beyond Algebra II or an advanced career and technical course). Source: the THECB TEXAS Grant page.

TEOG for community college students

TEOG is the community college counterpart. To start, you must be a Texas resident with financial need, enrolled at least half time at an eligible two-year public college, with no more than 30 attempted semester credit hours and no associate or bachelor’s degree, according to the THECB TEOG page. Renewal students may have more than 30 hours. TEOG also feeds the TEXAS Grant transfer pathway described above, so a strong community college record can carry state aid into a university.

TEG for private colleges

TEG helps Texas residents attend nonprofit private colleges, where tuition is higher than at public schools. You must be enrolled at least three-quarter time in a degree plan leading to a first associate, bachelor’s, master’s, professional or doctoral degree, be required to pay more tuition than at a comparable public school, and not receive an athletic scholarship in any semester TEG is awarded. Degree plans intended to lead to religious ministry are excluded. Source: the THECB TEG page.

How to apply: FAFSA or TASFA by January 15

The application is the same for all three programs. The THECB says to complete the FAFSA, or the TASFA if you are not eligible to complete the FAFSA. “These applications are available October 1 each year. Priority may be given to students who apply by the January 15 priority deadline.” Colleges can set their own submission requirements on top of that.

File the 2027-28 FAFSA (or TASFA) well before January 15, 2027.
List every Texas college you are considering.
Answer any verification or document requests from the college quickly.
Check each college’s own priority date, which may be earlier.
Read your aid offers; the college will tell you if you received a state grant.

Our FAFSA walkthrough covers the federal form, and our FAFSA deadlines guide explains how priority dates differ from hard deadlines.

Your 2027-28 timeline

The 2027-28 FAFSA has been open since September 23, 2026. Here is how the rest of the year lines up, using the dates the sources in this guide publish:

Now: file the FAFSA or TASFA and list every Texas college you are considering.
January 15, 2027: the state priority deadline.
Spring 2027: answer verification requests and compare aid offers.
Before you enroll: confirm with the college that your state grant is in your package.

Common questions

Are homeschool graduates eligible for the TEXAS Grant?

Not through the high school graduation pathway, which the THECB says excludes homeschool graduates. A homeschooled student can still reach the TEXAS Grant later through the associate degree or TEOG transfer pathways.

Can I get a TEXAS Grant at a private college?

No. The TEXAS Grant is for Texas public universities and health-related institutions. Students at nonprofit private Texas colleges should look at TEG instead.

Keeping a Texas grant

To continue receiving a TEXAS Grant, TEOG or TEG, you must keep meeting the eligibility rules and your college’s yearly academic program requirements. The THECB says to check with your institution for the details, since colleges apply the standards. A new FAFSA or TASFA is needed every year. The THECB also notes that funds may not be available right at the start of a semester.

Texas grants and other aid

State grants are paid on top of the federal Pell Grant. Texas students should also look at awards from their college, community foundations and employers; our free scholarship finder is a place to start, and our overview of state grants for college compares how other states run their programs.

The single most useful step is filing the 2027-28 FAFSA or TASFA before January 15, 2027, since Texas grant money is limited and early applicants are considered first.

Sources

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