Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas House Bill HB4476 Compare Versions

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1	1	H.B. No. 4476
2	2
3	3
4	4	AN ACT
5	5	relating to eligibility requirements for the tuition equalization
6	6	grant program.
7	7	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
8	8	SECTION 1. Sections 61.2251(b), (c), and (e), Education
9	9	Code, as added by Chapter 1230 (H.B. 1172), Acts of the 79th
10	10	Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, are amended to read as follows:
11	11	(b) To be eligible for a tuition equalization grant in the
12	12	first academic year in which the person receives the grant, a person
13	13	must:
14	14	(1) be a Texas resident as defined by the coordinating
15	15	board and meet, at a minimum, the resident requirements defined by
16	16	law for Texas resident tuition in fully state-supported
17	17	institutions of higher education;
18	18	(2) be enrolled in at least three-fourths of [for] a
19	19	full course load conforming to an individual degree plan in an
20	20	approved college or university;
21	21	(3) be required to pay more tuition than is required at
22	22	a public college or university and be charged no less than the
23	23	regular tuition required of all students enrolled at the
24	24	institution;
25	25	(4) establish financial need in accordance with
26	26	procedures and regulations of the coordinating board;
27	27	(5) not be a recipient of any form of athletic
28	28	scholarship; [and]
29	29	(6) make satisfactory academic progress toward a
30	30	degree or certificate as determined by the institution at which the
31	31	person is enrolled; and
32	32	(7) have complied with other requirements adopted by
33	33	the coordinating board under this subchapter.
34	34	(c) After qualifying for a tuition equalization grant under
35	35	Subsection (b), a person may receive a tuition equalization grant
36	36	in a subsequent academic year in which the person is enrolled at an
37	37	approved institution only if the person:
38	38	(1) meets the requirements of Subsection (b);
39	39	(2) completed at least:
40	40	(A) 24 semester credit hours in the person's most
41	41	recent full academic year, if the person is enrolled in an
42	42	undergraduate degree or certificate program; or
43	43	(B) 18 semester credit hours in the person's most
44	44	recent full academic year, if the person is enrolled in a graduate
45	45	or professional degree program; and
46	46	(3) has earned an overall grade point average of at
47	47	least 2.5 on a four-point scale or the equivalent on coursework
48	48	previously attempted at public or private institutions of higher
49	49	education.
50	50	(e) The coordinating board shall adopt rules to allow a
51	51	person who is otherwise eligible to receive a tuition equalization
52	52	grant, in the event of a hardship or for other good cause shown, to
53	53	receive a tuition equalization grant if the person does not:
54	54	(1) make satisfactory academic progress as required
55	55	under Subsection (b)(6);
56	56	(2) complete the semester credit hours required by
57	57	Subsection (c)(2);
58	58	(3) [(2)] maintain the grade point average required by
59	59	Subsection (c)(3); or
60	60	(4) [(3)] complete the person's certificate or degree
61	61	program within the period prescribed by Subsection (d).
62	62	SECTION 2. (a) The changes in law made by this Act to
63	63	Section 61.2251, Education Code, apply beginning with tuition
64	64	equalization grants awarded for the 2009-2010 academic year. For
65	65	that purpose, a person's eligibility for a grant under Section
66	66	61.2251(c), Education Code, as amended by this Act, for the
67	67	2009-2010 academic year shall be based on the person's satisfaction
68	68	of the requirements of Section 61.2251(c), as amended, in the
69	69	2008-2009 academic year, without regard to whether the person
70	70	satisfied the former requirements of Section 61.2251(c) or received
71	71	a grant under Subchapter F, Chapter 61, Education Code, in that
72	72	academic year.
73	73	(b) A tuition equalization grant awarded for an academic
74	74	year before the 2009-2010 academic year is covered by the law in
75	75	effect when the grant was awarded, and that law is continued in
76	76	effect for that purpose.
77	77	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
78	78	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
79	79	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
80	80	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
81	81	Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
82	82	______________________________ ______________________________
83	83	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
84	84	I certify that H.B. No. 4476 was passed by the House on April
85	85	28, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 146, Nays 3, 1 present, not
86	86	voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.
87	87	No. 4476 on May 14, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 142, Nays 0,
88	88	1 present, not voting.
89	89	______________________________
90	90	Chief Clerk of the House
91	91	I certify that H.B. No. 4476 was passed by the Senate, with
92	92	amendments, on May 12, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays
93	93	1.
94	94	______________________________
95	95	Secretary of the Senate
96	96	APPROVED: __________________
97	97	Date
98	98	__________________
99	99	Governor