The TEXAS Grant (Toward EXcellence, Access, & Success) is Texas's main need-based grant at public universities: up to $5,399 per semester for 2026-27, per the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's (THECB) FY2027 guidelines. There's no separate application -- you're considered through the FAFSA or TASFA -- but funding is limited, so priority rules decide who gets it. For 2026-27, those rules got a significant addition: colleges must offer the grant to eligible students who graduated in the top 25% of their high school class and filed by June 1.
How much the TEXAS Grant pays
| 2026-27, public universities and health-related institutions | Amount |
|---|---|
| Semester maximum | $5,399 |
| Year maximum (fall, spring, summer) | $16,197 |
| Target semester amount | $2,500 |
| Target year amount | $7,500 |
Colleges choose the amount, up to the semester maximum, and THECB still encourages the $2,500-a-semester target. One rule protects students: colleges must cover any tuition and required fees the grant doesn't with other non-loan aid -- federal, state, institutional, or outside grants and scholarships.
Who's eligible
To receive a first-year TEXAS Grant, you must:
- be a Texas resident, with financial need, who filed the FAFSA or TASFA;
- enroll at least 3/4-time in a bachelor's degree program at an eligible public university, without a prior bachelor's degree;
- qualify through one of four pathways:
| Pathway | Requirement |
|---|---|
| High school graduation | Graduated from a Texas high school (public, private, or -- new in 2026-27 -- home school) and enrolled within 16 months, with no more than 30 college credits attempted (excluding dual credit and credit by exam) |
| TEOG transfer | Completed at least 24 credits at a Texas college with a 2.5 GPA, after receiving a first-year TEOG |
| Associate degree | Enrolled within 12 months of earning an associate degree from a Texas public or private nonprofit college |
| Military | Enrolled within 12 months of an honorable discharge, after enlisting within 12 months of Texas high school graduation |
Who gets it first
When money runs short, THECB requires colleges to award in this order:
- Renewal students already receiving the grant.
- New for 2026-27 -- required offers: eligible first-year students who graduated in the top 25% of their high school class within the past two years, have an SAI at or below the Priority SAI ($6,478), and filed the FAFSA or TASFA by June 1; and eligible TEOG-pathway students with an SAI at or below $6,478.
- Other first-year students at or below the Priority SAI, with the highest precedence to those meeting a criterion in at least two of four areas:
- Advanced academics: 12 hours of dual credit or AP, the Recommended or Advanced high school program, or the IB program;
- TSI readiness: meeting Texas Success Initiative thresholds or an exemption;
- Class standing: top third of the class, or a 3.0 GPA;
- Advanced math or technical coursework: a math course beyond Algebra II, or an advanced career and technical course.
- Everyone else who's eligible, if money remains.
The January 15 priority deadline can break ties among similar students.
Keeping it
After your first year, you must meet your college's satisfactory academic progress policy. From the end of the second year on, you need to complete 24 credit hours in the most recent year with a 2.5 cumulative GPA. Eligibility ends after 5 years (6 for programs longer than four years), 150 attempted credit hours, or a bachelor's degree -- whichever comes first (3 or 4 years if you started on the associate-degree pathway). You can't receive TEOG at the same time.
What this means for you
- Top 25% of your class? File the FAFSA or TASFA early -- by January 15 for priority, and no later than June 1 to qualify for the required offer.
- Check your SAI against $6,478.
- Enroll within 16 months of graduating -- a gap year longer than that ends the high-school pathway.
- Starting at a community college? Look at TEOG, which can lead into a TEXAS Grant after transfer. Going private? See the Tuition Equalization Grant.