A 60 percent VA disability rating in Texas gets you $1,435.02 per month in tax-free federal compensation as of 2026, free VA healthcare with no copays, and a set of state benefits that reduce your property taxes, waive vehicle and driver license fees, open state parks, and can cover college tuition. Some of these kick in at 50 percent, so you clear the threshold automatically at 60. A few apply to any service-connected veteran regardless of rating. Knowing which is which is how you avoid leaving benefits on the table.
Your Monthly Compensation
The 2026 rate for a single veteran at 60 percent is $1,435.02 per month, after a 2.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment that took effect December 1, 2025.1Veterans Affairs. Current Veterans Disability Compensation Rates Dependents raise that number. A veteran with a spouse and one child receives $1,663.23 per month, and each additional dependent child or dependent parent adds to the total.
Every dollar is exempt from federal income tax, and Texas has no state income tax, so you keep 100 percent of what the VA pays you. Under 38 U.S.C. § 5301, VA benefit payments also cannot be seized by creditors or garnished.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 38 USC 5301 – Nonassignability and Exempt Status of Benefits
VA Healthcare With No Copays
A 60 percent service-connected rating places you in Priority Group 1, the highest tier for VA healthcare enrollment.3Veterans Affairs. VA Priority Groups Veterans with a service-connected rating of 10 percent or higher pay zero copays for inpatient and outpatient care. At 50 percent and above, prescriptions are also free.4Veterans Affairs. Current VA Health Care Copay Rates Coverage extends to all VA medical care, not just treatment for your rated conditions.
You can also claim travel reimbursement for driving to VA medical appointments. The 2026 rate is 41.5 cents per mile for personal vehicle travel, filed through the Beneficiary Travel Self-Service System or at your VA facility’s travel office.
Getting Paid at 100 Percent Through TDIU
This is where a lot of veterans at 60 percent miss the biggest opportunity. If your service-connected disabilities keep you from holding steady work, you can apply for Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability, or TDIU. Approval means you get paid at the 100 percent rate even though your combined rating is lower.
The threshold is straightforward. A single disability rated at 60 percent or higher meets the schedular requirement for TDIU.5eCFR. 38 CFR 4.16 – Total Disability Ratings for Compensation Based on Unemployability The VA counts multiple disabilities as “one disability” when they share a common cause, affect a single body system, or resulted from the same accident or combat action. You apply on VA Form 21-8940, which asks about your employment history, education, and how your conditions affect your ability to work. The core question the VA weighs is whether your service-connected conditions prevent you from securing or following substantially gainful employment.
Texas Property Tax Exemption
Texas Tax Code § 11.22 reduces the assessed value of one property you own by $10,000 when your disability rating falls between 50 and 69 percent.6State of Texas. Texas Code 11.22 – Disabled Veterans The property does not have to be your primary residence, but you can only designate one property for the exemption across all taxing jurisdictions.
Use Form 50-135, the Disabled Veteran’s or Survivor’s Exemption Application, not the general homestead exemption form.7Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Form 50-135 – Disabled Veterans or Survivors Exemption Application Submit it to the appraisal district in the county where your property sits, along with VA documentation certifying your disability percentage.8Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Property Tax Exemptions The deadline is April 30 of the tax year you’re applying for, though late applications may be accepted for prior years within statutory limits. Once approved, the exemption stays in place until your circumstances change.
Vehicle Registration and Driver License Fee Waivers
Texas Transportation Code § 504.202 waives registration fees for one personal vehicle owned by a veteran with a service-connected disability of at least 50 percent who receives VA compensation. The vehicle must weigh 18,000 pounds or less or be a motor home. The waiver covers all fees paid at registration except the $3 license plate fee, and the plates carry the “DV” designation.9State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 504.202 – Veterans With Disabilities
Apply with Form VTR-615 at your county tax assessor-collector’s office. The form requires either a VA letter certifying your disability percentage or completion of the form’s eligibility certification section.10Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. VTR-615 – Application for Disabled Veteran License Plates and Parking Placards If you file by mail, follow up with the office after two or three weeks to confirm the plates are ready.
Separately, Texas waives driver license fees for veterans with a service-connected disability of at least 60 percent who receive VA compensation and were honorably discharged. The exemption covers original, renewal, examination, and duplicate license fees. It does not apply to commercial driver licenses.11Department of Public Safety. Driver License and Identification Services for Veterans
State Parks, Hunting, and Fishing
The Texas Disabled Veterans Parklands Passport gives you and one companion free entry to every state park. Pick it up at any state park front office by showing a valid photo ID and proof of your 60 percent or greater rating.12Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Texas Parklands Passports The card is issued on the spot.
Texas Parks and Wildlife also offers a free Disabled Veteran Super Combo Hunting and All-Water Fishing Package to veterans with a 50 percent or greater rating who receive VA compensation. Apply in person at a license retailer with official VA proof of disability issued within the last 12 months. A digital or hard copy of your VA disability letter works, as does a Texas driver license with the “Disabled Veteran” designation.13Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Disabled Veteran Super Combo Hunting and All-Water Fishing Package
On the federal side, the America the Beautiful Access Pass provides free lifetime entry to all national parks and federal recreation areas at no charge to anyone with a permanent disability that severely limits a major life activity. A VA disability letter is acceptable documentation.14National Park Service. America the Beautiful – The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Access Pass
Hazlewood Act Tuition Exemption
The Hazlewood Act exempts eligible veterans from tuition, dues, and most fees at any Texas public college or university for up to 150 cumulative credit hours.15State of Texas. Texas Education Code 54.341 – Exemption for Veterans and Dependents It does not cover student services fees, lodging, board, or general deposit fees, so plan for those out of pocket. Hazlewood applies to any qualifying veteran regardless of disability rating, so long as you meet the residency and service requirements.
The catch: if you have unused Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits that equal or exceed the value of the Hazlewood exemption for a given semester, you cannot use Hazlewood that term. You must provide proof of your GI Bill eligibility or ineligibility with the application.16Texas Veterans Commission. Hazlewood Act In practice, that usually means exhausting federal education benefits first, or showing they don’t cover your tuition and fees.
To apply, register with the Hazlewood Online Database through the Texas Veterans Commission, then send the Hazlewood Exemption Application, your DD214, and your GI Bill eligibility letter to your school’s financial aid office. The school makes the final eligibility call, so check its deadlines well before the semester starts.
State Employment Preference
Texas Government Code § 657.003 gives veterans with a service-connected disability a 10-point preference added to their final rating when applying for state agency jobs. Veterans without a disability rating get a 5-point preference.17State of Texas. Texas Government Code 657 – Veterans Employment Preference Submit your DD214 and VA disability documentation when applying for covered positions.
VALife Insurance
Any service-connected veteran can enroll in VALife, a guaranteed-acceptance whole life insurance program. Maximum coverage is $40,000, available in $10,000 increments, with no health screening.18Veterans Affairs. Veterans Affairs Life Insurance (VALife) Full coverage begins two years after your application is approved, provided you keep paying premiums during that waiting period. If you pass away during the waiting period, your beneficiaries receive the total premiums paid plus interest at 4.23 percent.
Veteran Readiness and Employment
The VA’s Veteran Readiness and Employment program, formerly Vocational Rehabilitation, is open to veterans with a service-connected rating of 20 percent or more who face barriers to employment. At 60 percent you clear that threshold easily. The program provides career counseling, job training, resume development, and can cover tools or equipment for a new career. Veterans in full-time institutional training receive a monthly subsistence allowance on top of disability compensation. If you also have remaining Post-9/11 GI Bill eligibility, you can elect the higher GI Bill housing allowance rate instead of the standard subsistence payment without burning through GI Bill months.
Where Each Application Goes
Each benefit runs through a different office. Keep your VA disability award letter showing your 60 percent rating in both digital and physical form; nearly every application needs it.
- Property tax exemption: Form 50-135 plus your VA certification letter to your county appraisal district by April 30.
- Vehicle registration and DV plates: Form VTR-615 to your county tax assessor-collector, in person or by mail, with a VA letter certifying your percentage.
- Driver license fee waiver: present your VA disability letter and DD214 at a DPS office when applying or renewing.
- Parklands Passport: any state park front office with your ID and VA documentation.
- Hunting and fishing package: in person at an authorized license retailer with VA proof of disability dated within the last 12 months.
- Hazlewood: register with the Hazlewood Online Database, then send the application, DD214, and GI Bill eligibility letter to your school’s financial aid office.
- TDIU: VA Form 21-8940 through va.gov or your local VA regional office, with employment records and supporting medical evidence.
If your rating changes, update every agency where you’ve filed. A rating increase to 100 percent, in particular, unlocks the total property tax exemption under a separate section of the Texas Tax Code.