State of Texas Educational Aide Fee Exemption Program

According to Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (www.thecb.state.tx.us) policy:

The purpose of the Educational Aide Exemption Program is to encourage certain educational aides to complete full teacher certification by providing need−based tuition and mandatory fee exemptions at Texas public institutions of higher education. (Ch 21 / SubCh II)

If you are a teacher-aide and are accepted into this program, you may qualify to have almost all your future undergraduate tuition and fee charges waived! (Depending on how many hours you take per semester, you still may pay approximately $150 per term.)

This program allows accepted participants to earn both:

1. A bachelor's degree in their selected field
2. Teacher certification in their selected area

Specific details about this program (including eligiblity requirements) are available directly from the THECB website, Chapter 21. Student Services / Subchapter II. Educational Aide Exemption Program.

Applicants must:

1. be a resident of Texas
2. have at least one school year of experience as an educational aide during the five years preceding the term or semester for which the person receives the exemption
3. be employed in some capacity by a school district in Texas during the school year for which the person receives the award
4. show financial need
5. be enrolled in courses required for teacher certification at the institution granting an exemption under this subchapter
6. meet the academic progress standards of his/her institution; and
7. follow application procedures and schedules as indicated by the board. (§21.1083)

The process for getting accepted into the State of Texas Educational Aide Exemption program and taking classes at TTU is:

	Speak with a TTU College of Education advisor and obtain an approved certification and degree plan in your area of interest.
	Enroll in certification classes at TTU. (See our Certification webpages for prospective undergraduate students for more info.)
	Download the current THECB Educational Aide Exemption Application form (see links above.) Fill out the top portion.
	Take the form to your school district's Personnel office. They complete the middle part.
	Take the form to the Texas Tech Financial Aid office: 310 West Hall Texas Tech University Office of Student Financial Aid PO BOX 45011 Lubbock, TX 79409-5011 Hours: 8:00am - 4:00pm Phone Number: (806) 742-3681 Fax Number: (806) 742-0880 Email Questions to: finaid.advisor@ttu.edu (please include name and ssn) A TTU Financial Aid Advisor will complete the bottom section and send your form to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
	After receiving acknowledgement from the THECB of your acceptance into the program, the TTU Financial Aid Advisor will notify TTU Student Business Services so your student account will be changed. Waivers of most tuition and fees (in accordance with Educational Aide Exemption program regulations) will then be applied in future semesters when you enroll as a student at Texas Tech.

If you experience problems with step 4 above (obtaining approval from your local school district's personnel office,) you can directly contact the coordinator of the Educational Aide Exemption program at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board:

Kathy Ford
kathryne.ford@thecb.state.tx.us
1-800-242-3062, ext. 6457

More information about the Educational Aide Exemption program is available from the collegefortexans.com website. If you are NOT attending or planning to attend Texas Tech, please send your questions about the Educational Aide Exemption program to the Financial Aid Office of your selected institution, or to Kathy Ford at the Coordinating Board.

Good luck!

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