Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas House Bill HB4405 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	By: Villarreal H.B. No. 4405
2	2
3	3
4	4	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	5	AN ACT
6	6	relating to establishment of the TEXAS Grant early enrollment
7	7	guarantee program.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Subchapter M, Chapter 56, Education Code, is
10	10	amended by adding Section 56.312 to read as follows:
11	11	Sec. 56.312. TEXAS GRANT EARLY ENROLLMENT GUARANTEE
12	12	PROGRAM. (a) Following enrollment in seventh grade and prior to
13	13	enrollment in twelfth grade in a Texas Public School, a student who
14	14	is a resident of this state as determined by coordinating board
15	15	rules may apply for the TEXAS Grant early enrollment guarantee
16	16	program.
17	17	(b) A student is eligible to enroll in the TEXAS Grant early
18	18	enrollment guarantee program if the Higher Education Coordinating
19	19	Board certifies that the student demonstrates financial need for
20	20	purposes of the TEXAS Grant early enrollment guarantee program.
21	21	(c) A student who is eligible for the TEXAS Grant early
22	22	enrollment guarantee program may enroll by signing a contract with
23	23	the state of Texas stipulating that the state will provide TEXAS
24	24	Grants to the person if he or she complies with the TEXAS Grant
25	25	eligibility requirements in place at the time the student enrolls
26	26	in an undergraduate degree program or certificate program at an
27	27	eligible institution.
28	28	(d) The coordinating board shall adopt rules that require
29	29	students who enroll in the TEXAS Grant early enrollment guarantee
30	30	program to apply for any available financial aid or assistance in
31	31	the manner typically required for students eligible to received a
32	32	TEXAS grant.
33	33	(e) Notwithstanding the financial need of the student at the
34	34	time her or she enrolls in an undergraduate degree program or
35	35	certificate program at an eligible institution, a student who has
36	36	enrolled in the TEXAS Grant Early enrollment guarantee program, is
37	37	enrolled full-time in an eligible institution, and is otherwise
38	38	eligible to received a grant under this subchapter shall received a
39	39	minimum awards of at least the amount provided to a student enrolled
40	40	full-time at a public junior college.
41	41	(f) The coordinating board may adopt rules that allow the
42	42	coordinating board to increase or decrease, in proportion to the
43	43	number of semester credit hours in which a student is enrolled, the
44	44	minimum grant award provided to students who have enrolled in the
45	45	TEXAS Grant early enrollment program.
46	46	(g) The coordinating board shall administer the TEXAS Grant
47	47	early enrollment guarantee program and shall adopt any rules
48	48	necessary to implement the program, including:
49	49	(1) a streamlined financial need assessment tool for
50	50	determining eligibility for the TEXAS Grant early guarantee
51	51	enrollment program, based on information ordinarily provided to the
52	52	Internal Revenue Service of the Unites States on the income tax
53	53	forms of dependent students and their parents or guardians.
54	54	(2) the contract in part (c)
55	55	(3) an outreach program to notify students, parents
56	56	and teachers of the TEXAS Grant early enrollment guarantee program,
57	57	with an emphasis on outreach to schools with disproportionately
58	58	high numbers of economically disadvantaged students or students who
59	59	have traditionally underserved by higher education.
60	60	(4) an annual statement to be distributed to students
61	61	who participate in the program which includes, but is not limited to
62	62	information about:
63	63	(A) the importance of academic preparation for
64	64	higher education,
65	65	(B) financial aid,
66	66	(C) college savings options available throughout
67	67	the state of Texas, federal financial aid programs, differences in
68	68	projected earning for students who complete high school diplomas,
69	69	associate, baccalaureate, professional, or graduate degrees, and a
70	70	statement of what enrollees' minimum and possible maximum TEXAS
71	71	Grant awards are projected to be based on the most current year.
72	72	(D) and to the extent practicable, the report
73	73	should reflect students' individual progress in their academic
74	74	programs including coursework and test scores.
75	75	(E) provide students and their families with the
76	76	option to have relevant academic and contact information released
77	77	to accredited public and private higher education institutions for
78	78	recruitment purposes.
79	79	(5) an annual report on the program starting with the
80	80	first year students enrolled in the TEXAS Grant early enrollment
81	81	guarantee program matriculate into higher education
82	82	SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
83	83	shall adopt rules to implement the TEXAS grant early enrollment
84	84	guaranteed program as required by Section 56.312, Education Code,
85	85	as added by this Act, beginning with the 2010-2011 school year.
86	86	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
87	87	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
88	88	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
89	89	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
90	90	Act takes effect September 1, 2009.