Children of Disabled Fire/Peace Officers

The purpose of the program is to provide a benefit to the children of eligible persons who have been killed in the line of duty prior to September 1, 2000, or who have been disabled in the line of duty. Through this program, 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 until age 26, whichever comes first. No funds may be used to pay tuition for continuing education courses for which UT Dallas receives no state tax support.

In order to be eligible for the exemption, you must:

• Apply before your 21st birthday, or if you are eligible to participate in a school district’s special education program, apply before your 22nd birthday.
• Have had a parent who was a paid or volunteer firefighter, paid municipal, county, or state peace officer, or a custodial employee of the Texas Department of Corrections, or a game warden.
• Be the child of a parent who suffered an injury, resulting in disability or death, sustained in the line of duty.
• Enroll in classes for which UT Dallas receives state tax support (i.e., a course that does not depend solely on student tuition and fees to cover its costs).

Additionally, undergraduate students must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA and must not be subject to the fee for excessive hours, as determined by the Office of the Registrar. Graduate students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA.

To apply for the exemption, you must:

• Obtain a sample letter from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
• Have your parent’s prior employer complete the sample letter on official letterhead.
• Submit the letter to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
  • In the case of a disability, also submit to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board a doctor’s statement that certifies the disability.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board will notify UT Dallas of your eligibility.