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Peace Officer Exemption

PEACE OFFICER TUITION EXEMPTION

Effective beginning Fall 2011, House Bill 2347 amended Section 54.208 of the Texas Education Code (TEC) (SEC 54.3531) to make peace officers holding specific credentials eligible for certain tuition and fee exemptions. 

PEACE OFFICER TUITION EXEMPTION REQUIREMENTS FOR ELIGIBILITY

  • Peace officers must be employed as a peace officer by the State of Texas or by a political subdivision of Texas under Article 2.12, Code of Criminal Procedure.   Documentation substantiating that employment must be presented.
  • Must be currently enrolled and in an eligible undergraduate criminal justice degree program (intended of fully declared).
  • Must be making satisfactory academic progress towards the degree (must be in academic good standing).
  • Must comply with the financial aid satisfactory academic progress requirements of the University.
  • Must submit an Application for Tuition Exemption Per TEC 54.208: Peace Officer Enrolled in Criminal Justice Course(s). 
  • Exemption applies only to Criminal Justice course/s and is for tuition and lab fees only; required fees are not waived.
  • Students enrolled utilizing this exemption may not exceed 20% of the maximum class enrollment.

Students requesting this exemption must submit all required documentation to apply for exemption PRIOR to the last day of the institution's regular registration period for that session/term.

Only undergraduate courses pertaining to the major requirements of the criminal justice degree programs offered at UT Arlington are eligible for the tuition and laboratory fees exemption.

Required fees are not waived. Non-payment of these fees can result in being dropped from the course. 

UT Arlington's official tuition exemption site is at https://webapps.uta.edu/UtaSfs/Application?cmd=showexemption&id=1000972. 

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's site code Sec 54.3531

PEACE OFFICER TUITION EXEMPTION PROCEDURES

  • Student must submit the Application for Tuition Exemption Per TEC 54.208: Peace Officer Enrolled in Criminal Justice Course/s by scanning and submitting via email to recordsandregistrationprocessing@uta.edu or present in person to the Office of the Registrar, Room 129 Davis Hall. The application is available here: Application for Tuition Exemption (Peace Officer Exemption)
  • Along with the application, the student must submit a letter verifying his/her employment. 
    • The employment verification letter must be on letterhead from the governmental entity issuing the letter
    • Must be signed by their supervisor and must verify that the student is employed as a peace office under Article 2.12 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. 
    • The student’s title and the title of the supervisor must be included.
    • The letter must be dated no more than one month prior to the date the application for exemption is submitted, and is subject to verification.
  • The student must be currently enrolled in criminal justice course(s) for which s/he is requesting the exemption at the time the application is filed.
  • The student must be enrolled as a degree-seeking criminal justice major or intended major at the time the application is filed.
  • Completed applications and employment verifications are processed in the order received and only when both documents have been submitted. 
  • When the student is approved for the tuition exemption, the credit will be applied to his or her student account.
  • Enrollment must be secured with proper payment to avoid cancellation for non-payment. Any overpayment will be refunded.
  • All correspondence regarding the tuition exemption will be sent to the student’s UT Arlington-issued email address.
  • UT Online Consortium Criminology and Criminal Justice Online (CCJO) program: Students must apply for this tuition exemption directly with each campus at which they are enrolled.

RENEWAL OF THE PEACE OFFICER TUITION EXEMPTION

The exemption must be renewed each term, including submission of a new application and letter confirming employment as a peace officer each term.   Approval for continuation of the exemption from term to term requires that the student meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) eligibility requirements (academic good standing).  Additional information regarding SAP is available at http://www.uta.edu/fao/policies/

DEFINITION OF PEACE OFFICER

"Peace officer" means an individual elected, appointed, or employed to serve as a peace officer for a governmental entity under Article 2.12, Code of Criminal Procedure, or other law.

Art. 2.12. WHO ARE PEACE OFFICERS. The following are peace officers: 
(1) sheriffs, their deputies, and those reserve deputies who hold a permanent peace officer license issued under Chapter 1701, Occupations Code;
(2) constables, deputy constables, and those reserve deputy constables who hold a permanent peace officer license issued under Chapter 1701, Occupations Code;
(3) marshals or police officers of an incorporated city, town, or village, and those reserve municipal police officers who hold a permanent peace officer license issued under Chapter 1701, 
Occupations Code;
(4) rangers and officers commissioned by the Public Safety Commission and the Director of the Department of Public Safety;
(5) investigators of the district attorneys', criminal district attorneys', and county attorneys' offices;
(6) law enforcement agents of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission; 
(7) each member of an arson investigating unit commissioned by a city, a county, or the state; (8) officers commissioned under Section 37.081, Education Code, or Subchapter E, Chapter 51, Education Code;
(9) officers commissioned by the General Services Commission; 
(10) law enforcement officers commissioned by the Parks and Wildlife Commission;
(11) airport police officers commissioned by a city with a population of more than 1.18 million that operates an airport that serves commercial air carriers;
(12) airport security personnel commissioned as peace officers by the governing body of any political subdivision of this state, other than a city described by Subdivision (11), that operates an airport that serves commercial air carriers; 
(13) municipal park and recreational patrolmen and security officers; 
(14) security officers and investigators commissioned as peace officers by the comptroller;
(15) officers commissioned by a water control and improvement district under Section 49.216, Water Code;
(16) officers commissioned by a board of trustees under Chapter 54, Transportation Code;
(17) investigators commissioned by the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners;
(18) officers commissioned by the board of managers of the Dallas County Hospital District, the Tarrant County Hospital District, or the Bexar County Hospital District under Section 281.057, Health and Safety Code;
(19) county park rangers commissioned under Subchapter E, Chapter 351, Local Government Code;
(20) investigators employed by the Texas Racing Commission; 
(21) officers commissioned under Chapter 554, Occupations Code; 
(22) officers commissioned by the governing body of a metropolitan rapid transit authority under Section 451.108, Transportation Code, or by a regional transportation authority under Section 452.110, Transportation Code;
(23) investigators commissioned by the attorney general under Section 402.009, Government Code;
(24) security officers and investigators commissioned as peace officers under Chapter 466, Government Code;
(25) an officer employed by the Texas Department of Health under Section 431.2471, Health and Safety Code;
(26) officers appointed by an appellate court under Subchapter F, Chapter 53, Government Code;
(27) officers commissioned by the state fire marshal under Chapter 417, Government Code;
(28) an investigator commissioned by the commissioner of insurance under Article 1.10D, Insurance Code;
(29) apprehension specialists commissioned by the Texas Youth Commission as officers under Section 61.0931, Human Resources Code;
(30) officers appointed by the executive director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice under Section 493.019, Government Code;
(31) investigators commissioned by the Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education under Section 1701.160, Occupations Code;
(32) commission investigators commissioned by the Texas Commission on Private Security under Section 1702.061(f), Occupations Code;
(33) the fire marshal and any officers, inspectors, or investigators commissioned by an emergency services district under Chapter 775, Health and Safety Code; and
(34) officers commissioned by the State Board of Dental Examiners under Section 254.013, Occupations Code, subject to the limitations imposed by that section.

The code in its entirety is available at http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/index.cfm?objectid=424AED22-A2CD-60EA-CCECD1CAEB1DD844#Question.

 § 53.0071. BAILIFF AS PEACE OFFICER. 

Unless the appointing judge provides otherwise in the order of appointment, a bailiff appointed under Section 53.001(b) or (g) or 53.002(c), (e), or (f) is a "peace officer" for purposes of Article 2.12, Code of Criminal Procedure.

SUBMISSION OF PEACE OFFICER TUITION EXEMPTION

OFFICE OF THE REGISTRAR
129 Davis Hall · Box 19088 · Arlington, TX 76019-0088
Phone: 817-272-3372 Email us at: records@uta.edu