Texas offers various programs that exempt or waive tuition, fees, and other expenses related to attending public colleges and universities. All exemption and waiver programs are authorized by the Texas Legislature and target specific populations. While many programs are mandated for all public institutions to implement, some programs are optional, and implementation is left to the discretion of the governing board at the institution.
All exemption or waiver programs, whether mandatory or optional, apply only to courses for which an institution can receive formula funding.
Formula Funding: The method used to allocate appropriate sources of funds among institutions of higher education. Formula-funded courses are those that do not depend solely on student tuition and fees to cover their costs.