Educational Aide Exemption
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Free resident tuition and required fees (except lab/class fees) for Texas school-district aides and substitute teachers studying for teacher certification in a shortage area.
- How much
- total resident tuition and required fees (excluding lab and class fees) for each eligible term
- Who qualifies
- Employed by a Texas public school district or open-enrollment charter school; former educational aide or substitute teacher
- Texas resident; financial need; institutional SAP GPA; excessive-hours limit applies (TEC 54.014). 2026-27 shortage areas: Bilingual/ESL, Computer Science/Technology Applications, CTE (secondary), Special Education.
- For undergrads, adults going back to school, transfer students
- For education (teacher certification in a shortage area) students
- Must be lawfully present in the U.S.
- Need-based: your FAFSA decides how much you get.
- When to apply
- Check dates Set by each participating college (no statewide deadline from 2026-27).
- How to apply
- Starting 2026-27 THECB no longer publishes a standard application -- contact a participating Texas public college for its application and deadlines, and file the FAFSA or TASFA
- What you'll need
- FAFSA + state application + membership
- Last checked
- October 23, 2026, against the official page (reportcenter.highered.texas.gov), page 2 and page 3
The details
Exempts eligible students from total resident tuition and required fees, other than laboratory and class fees, at participating Texas public colleges. Must have worked full-time for a Texas public school district directly with students as a certified educational aide for at least one school year, or as a substitute teacher for 180+ full days, in the five years before the first exemption; must be employed in any capacity by a Texas public school district or open-enrollment charter during each term exempted; and must be enrolled in courses required for teacher certification in a 2026-27 critical shortage area: Bilingual/ESL, Computer Science/Technology Applications, Career and Technical Education (secondary), or Special Education. Graduates who earned the degree while receiving this exemption may be excused from student teaching. Funded by state allocation; participating colleges add at least 10%.
More money from Texas
- Dell Scholars Program$20,000 flexible scholarship + laptop, book credits, emergency funds, teletherapy
- TEXAS Grant (Toward EXcellence, Access, & Success)up to $5,399 per semester (2026-27 max; up to $16,197/yr with summer); target $2,500 per semester
- Texas Educational Opportunity Grant (TEOG)up to $2,134/semester (community colleges), $3,896/semester (technical institutes), $1,840/semester (state colleges) in 2026-27
- Texas First Scholarship$10,798 (graduate 2+ semesters early) or $5,399 (less than 2 semesters early), 2026-27
- Tuition Equalization Grant (TEG)up to $4,270 per year; up to $6,405 per year for undergraduates with exceptional need (2026-27)
Keep looking
- Answer a few questions to see every program you qualify for
- Nearby states: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma
- Federal aid and national scholarships (open to students in any state)
- The FAFSA in plain English (2027-28)
- Should I file the FAFSA if I don't think I'll qualify?
- FAFSA deadlines by state (2027-28)
- The FAFSA for parents: what you need to do
- How to save on textbooks: free, rented and cheaper options
We list programs; we don't decide who gets them. Always check the official page before you apply. Spot something wrong? Tell us.