| 1 | 1 | | 81R8686 JRJ-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Lucio III H.B. No. 4626 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to establishing scholarships for members of a Reserve |
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| 8 | 8 | | Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) attending public institutions of |
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| 9 | 9 | | higher education. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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| 12 | 12 | | Subchapter FF to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SUBCHAPTER FF. SCHOLARSHIPS FOR MEMBERS OF A RESERVE OFFICERS' |
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| 14 | 14 | | TRAINING CORPS (ROTC) |
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| 15 | 15 | | Sec. 61.9771. SCHOLARSHIPS. The board shall establish and |
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| 16 | 16 | | administer, in accordance with this subchapter and board rules, |
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| 17 | 17 | | scholarships for students who are: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (1) members of a Reserve Officers' Training Corps |
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| 19 | 19 | | (ROTC); and |
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| 20 | 20 | | (2) enrolled in an undergraduate program at an |
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| 21 | 21 | | institution of higher education. |
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| 22 | 22 | | Sec. 61.9772. ELIGIBILITY; NOMINATION AND SELECTION. (a) |
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| 23 | 23 | | To be eligible to receive an initial scholarship under this |
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| 24 | 24 | | subchapter, a student must: |
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| 25 | 25 | | (1) have earned a grade point average of at least 3.5 |
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| 26 | 26 | | on a four-point scale or the equivalent for each year of high |
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| 27 | 27 | | school; |
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| 28 | 28 | | (2) graduate from a public or private high school in |
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| 29 | 29 | | this state; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (3) demonstrate leadership abilities through |
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| 31 | 31 | | participation in community service, extracurricular activities, or |
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| 32 | 32 | | other activities, as determined by the board; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (4) be enrolled as a freshman in an institution of |
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| 34 | 34 | | higher education; |
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| 35 | 35 | | (5) enroll in and be a member in good standing of a |
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| 36 | 36 | | Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program while enrolled in |
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| 37 | 37 | | an institution of higher education, regardless of whether the |
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| 38 | 38 | | student pursues a military obligation; and |
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| 39 | 39 | | (6) be nominated for a scholarship by a state senator |
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| 40 | 40 | | or state representative. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (b) In each year, each state senator may nominate up to four |
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| 42 | 42 | | students to receive an initial scholarship under this subchapter, |
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| 43 | 43 | | and each state representative may nominate up to two students to |
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| 44 | 44 | | receive an initial scholarship under this subchapter. From the |
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| 45 | 45 | | students nominated, the coordinating board by lottery shall select |
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| 46 | 46 | | the students who receive an initial scholarship in a number |
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| 47 | 47 | | determined by the board under Section 61.9773. |
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| 48 | 48 | | (c) For a student to continue to receive a scholarship |
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| 49 | 49 | | awarded under this subchapter, the student must maintain a |
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| 50 | 50 | | cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5 on a four-point scale |
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| 51 | 51 | | or the equivalent for each semester the student is enrolled in an |
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| 52 | 52 | | institution of higher education. |
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| 53 | 53 | | Sec. 61.9773. RULES. (a) The board shall adopt rules as |
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| 54 | 54 | | necessary for the administration of this subchapter, including |
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| 55 | 55 | | rules regarding the eligibility criteria, the selection of |
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| 56 | 56 | | recipients by lottery, and the manner in which the amount of a |
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| 57 | 57 | | scholarship is determined. |
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| 58 | 58 | | (b) In determining the amount of a scholarship awarded under |
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| 59 | 59 | | this subchapter, the board shall consider: |
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| 60 | 60 | | (1) the financial need of the student; and |
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| 61 | 61 | | (2) other financial aid available to the student. |
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| 62 | 62 | | (c) The board shall determine the maximum amount of a |
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| 63 | 63 | | scholarship awarded under this subchapter and the number of |
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| 64 | 64 | | eligible students who may receive a scholarship, considering funds |
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| 65 | 65 | | available. |
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| 66 | 66 | | (d) The board by rule shall determine the manner in which |
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| 67 | 67 | | the scholarship payments are made. |
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| 68 | 68 | | Sec. 61.9774. USE OF SCHOLARSHIP; LIMITATION. (a) A |
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| 69 | 69 | | scholarship may be spent by the recipient only to cover all or part |
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| 70 | 70 | | of the costs of attendance, including tuition, fees, expenses for |
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| 71 | 71 | | books and supplies, and living expenses, incurred by the recipient |
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| 72 | 72 | | in connection with enrollment at an institution of higher |
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| 73 | 73 | | education. |
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| 74 | 74 | | (b) A person may not receive a scholarship under this |
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| 75 | 75 | | subchapter for more than a cumulative total of 150 credit hours or |
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| 76 | 76 | | after being awarded a baccalaureate degree, whichever occurs first. |
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| 77 | 77 | | Sec. 61.9775. FUNDING. The board shall administer this |
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| 78 | 78 | | subchapter using available appropriations and gifts, grants, and |
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| 79 | 79 | | donations made for the purposes of this subchapter. |
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| 80 | 80 | | SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
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| 81 | 81 | | shall award scholarships under Subchapter FF, Chapter 61, Education |
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| 82 | 82 | | Code, as added by this Act, beginning with the 2010-2011 academic |
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| 83 | 83 | | year. The coordinating board shall adopt the rules required by that |
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| 84 | 84 | | subchapter as soon as practicable after this Act takes effect. |
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| 85 | 85 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect January 1, 2010. |
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