Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas House Bill HB929 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	81R907 CAS-D
2	2	By: Dutton H.B. No. 929
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to rebates of tuition paid by certain freshman students
8	8	who maintain satisfactory grades at public institutions of higher
9	9	education.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 54, Education Code, is
12	12	amended by adding Section 54.0061 to read as follows:
13	13	Sec. 54.0061. TEXAS FIRST SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM: TUITION
14	14	REBATES FOR RESIDENT FRESHMAN STUDENTS MAINTAINING SATISFACTORY
15	15	GRADES. (a) In this section, "coordinating board" means the Texas
16	16	Higher Education Coordinating Board.
17	17	(b) A student who enrolls as a first-time freshman at an
18	18	institution of higher education and who completes the first two
19	19	semesters or summer terms for which the student is enrolled at an
20	20	institution of higher education is entitled to a rebate of the
21	21	tuition paid by the student under this chapter for those semesters
22	22	or terms if the student:
23	23	(1) graduated from:
24	24	(A) a public high school in this state;
25	25	(B) a private high school in this state,
26	26	including a home school; or
27	27	(C) a high school operated by the United States
28	28	Department of Defense;
29	29	(2) is a resident of this state for purposes of this
30	30	title or is entitled under Section 54.058 to pay tuition at the rate
31	31	charged to residents of this state;
32	32	(3) in each of those semesters or terms completes a
33	33	full course load for a student in an undergraduate degree or
34	34	certificate program;
35	35	(4) earns a cumulative grade point average of at least
36	36	2.0 on a four-point scale or the equivalent for all courses
37	37	attempted during those semesters or terms; and
38	38	(5) meets other eligibility requirements, including
39	39	financial need requirements, that are established by coordinating
40	40	board rule and are substantially similar to the eligibility
41	41	requirements for receiving a federal Pell grant.
42	42	(c) To receive a rebate under Subsection (b), not later than
43	43	the first anniversary of the last class day of the second semester
44	44	or term for which the rebate is sought, the student must apply to
45	45	the institution of higher education to which the student paid the
46	46	tuition, in the manner required by the institution. A student who
47	47	attended different institutions for each of those semesters or
48	48	terms must apply separately to each institution.
49	49	(d) An institution of higher education shall pay costs of
50	50	rebates under this section using appropriated money available for
51	51	the purpose. For the purposes of this section, the institution also
52	52	may solicit, receive, and spend grants, gifts, and donations from
53	53	any public or private source.
54	54	(e) The coordinating board shall adopt rules as necessary to
55	55	implement this section, including rules establishing:
56	56	(1) the requirements for completing a full course load
57	57	for purposes of Subsection (b)(3); and
58	58	(2) additional eligibility requirements in accordance
59	59	with Subsection (b)(5).
60	60	SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
61	61	may adopt initial rules under Section 54.0061, Education Code, as
62	62	added by this Act, in the manner provided by law for emergency
63	63	rules.
64	64	SECTION 3. Section 54.0061, Education Code, as added by
65	65	this Act, does not apply to a student who first enrolled in an
66	66	institution of higher education before the 2009 fall semester.
67	67	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
68	68	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
69	69	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
70	70	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
71	71	Act takes effect September 1, 2009.