Waivers and Exemptions

UHCL student fee reductions for the fall 2020 semester only:

Student Center Fee: $15
(Reduced from $30)

International Education Fee: Waived
(Reduced from $4)

Student Parking Fee: $25/semester or $62/annual
(Reduced from $52/semester, $87/annual)

All credits will be applied directly to the student's account in E-services (Tuition and Fees bill). If there is a balance owed to UHCL in the student's account, the credit amount will be applied to that balance.

If the credit applied exceeds any balance due to the university, students will have their refund credited back to their credit card or BankMobile preference. UHCL will process credits as quickly as possible.

Contact the Financial Aid Office for assistance if you continue to experience financial difficulties brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Please see the Veterans Service Office to apply for Hazelwood:

• The Office of Student Financial Aid will coordinate with the Veterans Service Office, Hazelwood benefits. Students should apply for the Hazelwood Exemption through the Veterans Service Office, the Office of Student Financial Aid will monitor the Grade Point Average requirement and Excess Hours limits to determine your eligibility for the Exemption.
• The Hazelwood Exemption is subject to the Cumulative Grade Point Average Requirement and Limit to the total number of hours. Students not meeting one/or both of these requirements will need to appeal directly to the Office of Student Financial Aid to determine future eligibility for the Hazelwood Waiver.

The Office of Student Financial Aid will coordinate with each College to award the Research Assistants and Teaching Assistants waiver. Colleges will be responsible for hiring Research Assistants/Teaching Assistants (RA/TA) and communicating with the Office of Student Financial Aid to award the waiver.

Students must work a minimum of 20 hours/week during the entire term in which they are requesting the Waiver. 

Students must be working in an RA/TA position that relates to his/her degree program.

Requests must be received by the Financial Aid Office prior to the census date of each term.

The waiver allows students, their spouses, or children, to receive resident tuition rates for the term in which they are receiving the waiver. This applies to both tuition and designated tuition rates.

Students already classified as residents, will not receive the waiver.

Provide a waiver of nonresident tuition to teachers and professors employed at least half-time on a regular monthly salary basis by any Texas public college or university. Such waiver is also applicable to the spouse and dependent children of the teacher or professor.

Learn more about Waiver for College Faculty and their Dependents.

Please submit documentation from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services of eligibility to the Office of Student Financial Aid. The Adopted/Foster Exemption is subject to the Cumulative Grade Point Average Requirement and Limit to the total number of hours. Students not meeting one/or both of these requirements will need to appeal directly to the Office of Student Financial Aid to determine future eligibility for the Adopted/Foster Care Exemption

Please submit documentation from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services of eligibility to the Office of Student Financial Aid.

Learn more about Tuition Exemption for Current or Former Foster Care Students.

Please submit certification from the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services of status as a blind or a deaf person to the Office of Student Financial Aid. The Blind/Deaf Exemption is subject to the Cumulative Grade Point Average Requirement and Limit to the total number of hours. Students not meeting one/or both of these requirements will need to appeal directly to the Office of Student Financial Aid to determine future eligibility for the Blind/Deaf Exemption.

Please submit document issued by school indicating they are the highest ranking high school graduate to the Office of Student Financial Aid. The Exemption for Highest Ranking High School Graduate is subject to the Cumulative Grade Point Average Requirement and Limit to the total number of hours. Students not meeting one/or both of these requirements will need to appeal directly to the Office of Student Financial Aid to determine future eligibility for the Exemption for Highest Ranking High School Graduate.

Provides an exemption of tuition to eligible students to encourage their parents to continue employment as professional nurse faculty or staff members in the State of Texas.

Learn more about Children of Professional Nursing Program Faculty and Staff.

To encourage nurses to serve as Clinical Nurse Preceptors by providing a partial exemption from tuition to them and/or their children. Learn more about the College for All Texans Program's Clinical Preceptors and Their Children.

Firefighter Tuition and Laboratory Fee Exemption Program

If you are employed as a firefighter by a political subdivision of Texas, or are an active member of an organized volunteer fire department, and are enrolled in our B.S. in Public Service Leadership degree program, you may be eligible for a tuition and laboratory fee exemption. This exemption applies to selected course work.

In order to be considered for the exemption as a volunteer firefighter, you must:

Currently be, and for at least one year prior to your enrollment have been, an active member of an organized volunteer fire department participating in the Texas Emergency Services Retirement System or a retirement system established under the Texas Local Fire Fighters Retirement Act, and

• Hold either
  • An accredited advanced level of certification (or the equivalent), under the State Firemen’s and Fire Marshals’ Association of Texas volunteer certification program, or
• A Phase V (Firefighter II) certification (or the equivalent), under the Texas Commission of Fire Protection’s voluntary certification program under Section 419.071, Government Code.

Obtaining the Exemption

To apply for the exemption, you will need to submit the Firefighter Tuition Exemption Request Form to the Office of Student Financial Aid, or via fax at 281-283-2502. Please submit your exemption form as soon as you register, so that if you are eligible for the exemption, the tuition and laboratory fee exemption waiver can be applied to your student account prior to the payment deadlines.

Notification of Award

Prior to the semester payment deadlines for Open and Late Registration, the Office of Student Financial Aid will report via university email the status of your exemption request. If you receive an exemption, the Office of Student Financial Aid will send you an email notice that your exemption has been applied to your student account.

What is Covered; What is not?

If you are eligible, your waiver will be applied toward the following types of tuition: undergraduate statutory tuition, designated undergraduate tuition, and differential designated undergraduate tuition for the College of Human Sciences and Humanities. Any laboratory fees associated with the eligible courses listed below will also be waived.

This waiver does not cover excess tuition charges accumulated through repeated or additional hours. You will be responsible for the payment of any tuition in excess of the regular tuition rate.

Course Listing Eligible for Exemption

• PSLD 4325 - Budgeting in Public Service
• PSLD 4326 - Human Resources
• PSLD 4340 - Current Issues in Rep. Bureaucracy
• PSLD 4342 - Project Management
• PSLD 4343 - Public Service Management
• PSLD 4344 - Public Service Leadership
• PSLD 4345 - Strategic Planning
• PSLD 4347 - Managerial Issues in Diversity
• PSLD 4348 - Crisis & Emergency Management
• PSLD 4349 - Ethics and Law
• WRIT 3312 - Written Communication in Business
• WRIT 4310 - Writing/Public: Non Profit

Making Satisfactory Progress toward your Degree

The Firefighter Tuition and Laboratory Fee Exemption is subject to the Cumulative Grade Point Average Requirement and Limit to the total number of hours. Students not meeting one/or both of these requirements will need to appeal directly to the Office of Student Financial Aid to determine future eligibility for the Firefighter Tuition and Laboratory Fee Exemption.

Peace Officer Tuition and Laboratory Fee Exemption Program

If you are employed as a full-time or part-time Peace Officer by the state of Texas or one of its political subdivisions, and you are enrolled in our B.S. in Criminology and Criminal Justice degree program, you may be eligible for a tuition and laboratory fee exemption. This exemption applies to selected course work. If you are a volunteer Peace Officer you do not qualify for exemption.

Qualifying for the Exemption

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

• Be making satisfactory academic progress toward your degree plan, as defined by UHCL's financial aid policy.
• Apply for the exemption no later than one week before the end of Open Registration for the semester or term.
• Not have accumulated more than 150 semester credit hours while attending any Texas public community college or university where you paid resident tuition.
• Submit Peace Officer Exemption Form no later than one week before the end of Open Registration. Please refer to the Academic Calendar for more information regarding registration deadlines.

Apply early to increase your chances of receiving the exemption

Per the Texas Education Code 54.208, no more than 20% of a given class may receive awards from the Peace Officer Exemption Program. This means that in a class of 10, for example, only 2 students can receive the exemption. When you submit a copy of the Peace Officer Exemption Request form to the Office of Student Financial Aid, or via fax at 281-283-2502, the date and time of submission will be recorded. Requests for exemption will be placed according to the order in which they were submitted.

Notification of Award

Prior to the semester payment deadline for Open Registration, the Office of Student Financial Aid will report via university email the status of your exemption request. If you receive an exemption, the Office of Student Financial Aid will sent you an email notice that your exemption has been applied to your student account.

What is Covered; What is Not?

If you are eligible, your waiver will be applied toward the following types of tuition: undergraduate statutory tuition, designated undergraduate tuition, differential designated undergraduate tuition and laboratory fees associated with the courses listed below for College of Human Sciences and Humanities.

Criminology and Criminal Justice Courses Eligible for Exemption Waivers

• CRIM 1301 - Introduction to Criminology
• CRIM 3312 - Criminology
• CRIM 4313 - Juvenile Delinquency
• CRIM 4331 - Corrections
• CRIM 4334 - Criminal Law
• CRIM 4335 - Race and Justice
• CRIM 4338 - Policing and Society
• CRIM 4384 - Statistics
• CRIM 4390 - Contemporary Issues in Criminology
• CRIM Elective 3000 or 4000 Level Course

The Peace Officer Tuition and Laboratory Fee Exemption is subject to the Cumulative Grade Point Average Requirement and Limit to the total number of hours. Students not meeting one/or both of these requirements will need to appeal directly to the Office of Student Financial Aid to determine future eligibility for the Peace Officer Tuition and Laboratory Fee Exemption.

See the excess hours page for information regarding Excess Hours.

See the Satisfactory Academic Progress page in regards to Satisfactory Academic Progress.