AUSTIN, Texas — The U.S. Supreme Court has let stand an appeals court ruling that upholds a much-watched Texas program that promises free college educations to military veterans if they lived in the state when they enlisted.
The Hazlewood Act dates to the 1920s. State lawmakers expanded the program in 2009 to include the veterans’ children. Veterans also qualified if they entered military service at a Texas installation.
Keith Harris, a veteran who enlisted in Georgia but moved to Texas after his discharge, challenged the law’s Texas enlistment requirements. He won a trial court ruling state officials worried would send the program’s costs skyrocketing.
Texas appealed to the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, however, which ruled that Texas residency rules were constitutional and the state has the right to regulate its own education system.
