Children of Disabled Firefighters and Law Enforcement Officers

Exemption applies to tuition and mandatory fees for the first 120 undergraduate semester credit hours.

Eligibility

Eligible students are those who:

• apply before they're 21 years old
  • or, if you're eligible to participate in a school district's special education program under § 29.003, before you're 22 years old
• had a parent who was:
  • a paid or volunteer firefighter
  • a paid municipal, county, or state peace officer
  • a custodial employee of the Texas Department of Corrections
  • or a game warden
• is the child of a parent who suffered an injury, resulting in disability or death, sustained in the line of duty
• and enroll in classes for which SFA receives tax support (for example, a course that doesn't depend solely on student tuition and fees to cover its costs).

You may receive an exemption from the payment of tuition and fees only for the first 120 undergraduate semester credit hours for which you register or age 26, whichever comes first.

View Texas Education Code § 54.351 for full details.

Continuation requirements

If on the completion of any semester or term you fail to meet the GPA requirements described in SFA's policy regarding eligibility for financial aid or have reached the excessive hour rule limits, you may not receive the exemption for the next semester or term in which you enroll.

Read additional requirements to maintain eligibility.

How to apply

Step One: Parent's prior employer must provide a certification letter on official letterhead. View a sample certification letter as a guide. Note: In the case of a disability, a physician’s statement that certifies the disability must be submitted along with the prior employer’s certification letter.

Step Two: Submit the certification letter to the appropriate recipient:

If the injury occurred before Sept. 1, 2000

Mail the certification letter to:

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
P O Box 12788
Austin, Texas 78711-2788

If the injury occurred on or after Sept. 1, 2000

Submit documentation for exemption by uploading the certification letter using the directions below. When prompted, select "Other Exemption."