State Exemptions
Exemptions are a type of financial assistance allowing some Texas residents to attend
a public college or university in Texas without paying tuition or, in some cases,
tuition and fees.
All state exemptions, other than the Foster Care/Adopted Exemption, must meet Midland
College’s Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements (2.0 GPA, 67% course completion
and 150% maximum time frame for current program of study).
All state exemptions require students be registered with Selective Service, or have
proof of exemption.
Listed below are some exemption programs available to Texas residents. For information
about exemptions, qualification requirements, and application information, see links
below.
Hardship Policy for State Exemptions and Grants (pdf)
Select Topic Below for Details
Legally blind or deaf students may be exempt from paying tuition and all fees. Application
must be made through the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) - blind, or Texas Health
and Human Services (HHS) - deaf. The student must provide a letter of verification
from either TWC or HHS to Financial Aid Office to have the exemption applied to their
accounts.
Students seeking this exemption must provide a copy of their driver's license at the
Financial Aid Office in the Scharbauer Student Center.
55+ Degree Seeking (Tuition Reduction Program)
- Student must be degree-seeking and have a degree plan on file
- Pays tuition for up to six hours ONLY, per semester
- Transcripts must be on file at Midland College from all colleges previously attended
- Be a Texas resident, nonresidents or foreign students
- Enrolled in classes that are not already filled with students who are paying full price for the courses. If the class is too small to accommodate both regular students and senior citizens, regular students must be given priority.
65+
- Pays tuition only for up to 6 hours
- Texas Resident, nonresidents or foreign students
- Enrolled in classes that are not already filled with students who are paying full price for the courses. If the class is too small to accommodate both regular students and senior citizens, regular students must be given priority.
Students employed as firefighters are exempt from the tuition and laboratory fees
for courses offered as part of a fire science curriculum. Letter of employment from
local municipality should be submitted to the Financial Aid Office to have the exemption
applied.
Students employed as peace officers are exempt from the tuition and laboratory fees
for eligible law enforcement-related or criminal justice courses. Proof of employment
as a peace officer from the municipality should be submitted to the Financial Aid
Office to have the exemption applied.
To qualify for this exemption, the applicant must:
- Be permanently disabled due to an injury suffered during the performance of a duty
as either:
- A peace officer of Texas or of a political subdivision of Texas; OR
- A firefighter employed by Texas or by a political subdivision of Texas;
- Be unable to continue employment as a peace officer or firefighter because of the disability;
- Have filed a selective service statement of registration status and proof of status with their institution (not applicable if attending a public community college).
To continue receiving an exemption after initially being awarded, the student must:
- Meet all program eligibility requirements;
- Meet the institution’s financial aid SAP GPA requirement;
- Not have attempted an excessive number of semester credit hours as an undergraduate student (see Texas Education Code, Section 54.014).
Students employed as paramedics are exempt from the tuition and laboratory fees for
courses offered as part of an emergency medical services curriculum. Letter of employment
from regional municipality should be submitted to the Financial Aid Office to have
the exemption applied.
The highest ranking graduate from any accredited Texas high school is eligible for
exemption from tuition for the first two long semesters following graduation. Students
should provide a copy of their final high school transcript and certification letter
from the Texas Education Agency to the Financial Aid Office to have the exemption
applied to their accounts.
The Exemption will cover all tuition & fee charges. Once a student has been determined
eligible for the Foster Care or Adopted Exemption and has FORM 1810 from DFPS on file
with Midland College, the benefit continues indefinitely. There are no durational
limitations in statute referencing how many semesters or years a student may receive
this exemption.
Eligible Students
- Are not required to be Texas residents when awarded, as long as they meet the DFPS program requirements.
- Are not required to demonstrate financial need.
- Must be registered with Selective Service, or be exempt.
- Must meet the enrollment eligibility requirements before the age of 25. However, students are not required to receive the exemption before the age of 25.
- Adopted students who were the subject of an adoption assistance agreement may enroll at an institution at any age.
- Can continue receiving the exemption even if they are not meeting the institution's GPA requirement, as long as they are meeting institutional registration requirements.
- Can continue receiving the exemption even if they are enrolled in excessive hours.
- Who meet the enrollment eligibility requirements can receive the exemption while attempting any program of study offered at an eligible institution (undergraduate, graduate or doctoral degree).
The purpose of this program is to encourage nurses to serve as Clinical Nurse Preceptors
by providing a partial exemption from tuition to them and/or their children.
Eligibility Requirements (for clinical preceptors)
- Resident of Texas
- Registered Nurse
- Serve, on an average, at least one day per week under a written preceptor agreement with an undergraduate professional nursing program as a clinical preceptor for students enrolled in the program for:
1. The time period the program conducts clinical during the semester or other academic
term for which the exemption is sought; or
2. The time period the program conducts clinical during a semester or other academic
term that ended less than one year prior to the beginning of the semester or term
in which the exemption is to be used.
- Award Amount: Up to $500, or actual tuition charges, whichever is less.
Eligibility Requirements (for children of clinical preceptors)
- Resident of Texas
- Have not been granted a baccalaureate degree
- Child of a Clinical Preceptor who serve, on an average, at least one day per week under a written preceptor agreement with an undergraduate professional nursing program as a clinical preceptor for students enrolled in the program for:
1. The time period the program conducts clinical during the semester or other academic
term for which the exemption is sought; or
2. The time period the program conducts clinical during a semester or other academic
term that ended less than one year prior to the beginning of the semester or term
in which the exemption is to be used.
- Award Amount: Up to $500 or actual tuition charges, whichever is less, for up to 10 semesters, or until student receives his/her bachelor's degree. Summer terms of less than 9 weeks count as one-half (1/2) a regular semester.
In order to apply for this exemption, the student must complete a Preceptor Exemption application and submit it to the Financial Aid Office. The Nursing Department through which the
Preceptor has (or had) a written preceptor agreement must be provided.
Exempts tuition, fees, book and/or room & board charges to spouse and children of
individuals in specific public servant positions who were killed in the line of duty
after Sept. 1, 2000. (See list of specific public service positions)
Eligible students must:
- Be an eligible surviving spouse or surviving minor child of specific public servants.
* While there is no age limit to apply, children must have been younger than eighteen years of age at the date of death - Be enrolled full time as an undergraduate
- Must be registered with Selective Service, or be exempt
- Meet institutional financial aid GPA requirements
- Not have attempted excessive number of semester credit hours
- Not have attempted more than 200 credit hours while receiving the exemption
- Not have received a bachelor's degree
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