Exploring the Usage and Benefits of the State of Texas Peace Officer Tuition Exemption Program

This study was conducted to explore if the Texas peace officer tuition exemption program is being used to the extent and for the purposes outlined with regard to the state law. A qualitative case study method was implemented and conducted to find determine if Texas peace officers are using the program, to what extent the program being used, the purposes officers are using the program for, and is the program actually promoting the police profession in Texas. The study was significant in determining what the perceptions of police officers were with regard to higher education, police professionalism, professionalization of police, and the police profession in Texas. The study used active Texas police officers as the population, sampling from 22 police officer participants from the 6 largest police agencies in the Northeast Texas area of the state, this involved 12 participants who have used the state program and 12 that have not used the program. A qualitative case study design using semi-structured interviews gathered data among the 22 participants, 10 open-ended questions were presented with the data subsequently analyzed and coded using thematic analysis to capture themes within the participant's responses. The themes produced responses with regard to the questions that represented either the majority of the participants or were reasonably unexpected. These themes provided significant expected and unexpected thought processes among the participants, most prevalent was that most were unaware the program even existed and that the inclusion of higher education is an important aspect of the police profession. The study provides information on the program, what can be done to improve the program and how higher education can indeed promote the profession in Texas. Currently, not enough is being done to promote the program, generate interest in the program, and show the benefits afforded to those who will participate. The limiting factor was the lack of practical information on this program, by using existing research on higher education as it relates to the police profession, the study proceeded, providing significant information.