81R11265 KSD-D
By: Howard of Travis H.B. No. 2928
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the creation and administration of the public high
school mathematics and science teachers undergraduate education
scholarship program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding
Subchapter FF to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER FF. MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE TEACHERS UNDERGRADUATE
EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Sec. 61.9831. SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. (a) In accordance with
this subchapter and board rules, the board shall establish and
administer a program to award scholarships to undergraduate
students who are enrolled in educator preparation programs at
public or private institutions of higher education in this state
and who agree to teach mathematics or science courses in certain
public high schools in this state for a specified period after
graduation.
(b) The amount of a scholarship under this subchapter for a
semester or other academic term is equal to the amount of tuition
that the public or private institution of higher education in which
the scholarship recipient is enrolled charges the recipient for
that semester or other term.
Sec. 61.9832. ELIGIBILITY. (a) To be eligible to receive a
scholarship under this subchapter, a student must:
(1) be enrolled in a State Board for Educator
Certification accredited educator preparation program that is
provided by a public or private institution of higher education in
this state and that prepares students to obtain appropriate
certification to teach a mathematics or science course in a public
high school in this state;
(2) maintain a cumulative grade point average of at
least 3.0 on a four-point scale or the equivalent; and
(3) enter into an agreement with the board as provided
by Section 61.9833.
(b) The board may limit the number of scholarships that may
be awarded under this subchapter in an academic year. If the amount
available for scholarships under this subchapter is insufficient to
provide a scholarship to each eligible applicant, the board shall
establish criteria to determine which applicants will be granted a
scholarship as the board determines appropriate to further the
purposes of this subchapter.
Sec. 61.9833. AGREEMENT REQUIREMENTS. (a) To qualify for a
scholarship under this subchapter, a person must enter into a
written agreement with the board as provided by this section. The
agreement must:
(1) specify the conditions the person must satisfy to
receive the scholarship award;
(2) require the person to earn a baccalaureate degree
through completion of a State Board for Educator Certification
accredited educator preparation program described by Section
61.9832(a)(1);
(3) require the person to obtain, within the period
prescribed by board rule, appropriate certification to teach a
mathematics or science course in a public high school in this state;
(4) require the person to accept, during the first
school year that begins after the date the person obtains the
appropriate certification, an offer of full-time employment to
teach a mathematics or science course in a public high school in
this state designated by the Texas Education Agency as having a
shortage of teachers certified to teach in those fields;
(5) provide that any scholarship award the person
receives under this subchapter constitutes a loan until the person:
(A) completes four consecutive years of
full-time employment primarily teaching mathematics or science
courses in a public high school in this state described by
Subdivision (4), beginning with the school year described by
Subdivision (4), and satisfies any other applicable conditions of
the agreement; or
(B) is excused from the repayment obligation in
accordance with law;
(6) require the board to deduct from the conditional
amount owed by the person, at the end of each year of teaching
completed by the person in accordance with the agreement, the
amount of the scholarship received by the person for an academic
year; and
(7) require the person to sign a promissory note
acknowledging the conditional nature of the scholarship award
received and promising to repay any remaining amount of that
assistance plus applicable interest and reasonable collection
costs if the person does not satisfy the applicable conditions and
is not excused from the repayment obligation in accordance with
law.
(b) The board shall determine the terms of the promissory
note required by Subsection (a)(7). To the extent practicable, the
terms must be the same as those applicable to state or federally
guaranteed student loans made at the same time.
Sec. 61.9834. EXCEPTIONS TO TEACHING AND REPAYMENT
OBLIGATIONS. (a) A person is not considered to be in violation of
the teaching obligation in the agreement described by Section
61.9833 during any period in which the person:
(1) is pursuing a full-time course of study related to
the field of teaching offered by a public or private institution of
higher education in this state and approved by the State Board for
Educator Certification;
(2) is serving on active duty as a member of the armed
forces of the United States;
(3) is temporarily totally disabled for a period not
to exceed 36 months as established by the affidavit of a qualified
physician;
(4) is unable to secure employment for a period not to
exceed 12 months because of care required by a disabled spouse or
child;
(5) is seeking and unable to find, for a single period
not to exceed 12 months, full-time employment teaching mathematics
or science courses in a public high school in this state designated
under Section 61.9833(a)(4) as having a shortage of math and
science teachers; or
(6) satisfies the provisions of any other teaching
exception adopted by the board.
(b) A person is excused from the repayment obligation in a
promissory note described by Section 61.9833 if:
(1) the person becomes permanently totally disabled as
established by the affidavit of a qualified physician; or
(2) the board waives repayment in the case of extreme
hardship to the person.
(c) A person who is employed at a public high school
designated under Section 61.9833(a)(4) as having a shortage of math
and science teachers is not required to change schools in a
subsequent school year if the high school fails to receive that
designation for that subsequent year.
Sec. 61.9835. GRANTS, GIFTS, AND DONATIONS. In addition to
money appropriated by the legislature, the board may solicit and
accept grants, gifts, and donations from any public or private
source for the purposes of this subchapter.
Sec. 61.9836. RULES. (a) The board shall adopt rules
necessary to administer this subchapter, including rules providing
for the manner in which a person may apply for a scholarship.
(b) The board shall distribute to each educator preparation
program of a public or private institution of higher education in
this state a copy of the rules adopted under this section.
SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
shall adopt rules for the public high school mathematics and
science teachers undergraduate education scholarship program under
Subchapter FF, Chapter 61, Education Code, as added by this Act, not
later than December 31, 2009.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2009.