| 1 | 1 | | By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 2246 |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | (In the Senate - Filed March 13, 2009; March 31, 2009, read |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | first time and referred to Committee on Higher Education; |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | April 16, 2009, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 5, |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | Nays 0; April 16, 2009, sent to printer.) |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | relating to eligibility requirements for the tuition equalization |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | grant program. |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Subsections (b), (c), and (e), Section 61.2251, |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | Education Code, as added by Chapter 1230 (H.B. 1172), Acts of the |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | 79th Legislature, Regular Session, 2005, are amended to read as |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | follows: |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | (b) To be eligible for a tuition equalization grant in the |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | first academic year in which the person receives the grant, a person |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | must: |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | (1) be a Texas resident as defined by the coordinating |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | board and meet, at a minimum, the resident requirements defined by |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | law for Texas resident tuition in fully state-supported |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | institutions of higher education; |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | (2) be enrolled in at least three-fourths of [for] a |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | full course load conforming to an individual degree plan in an |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | approved college or university; |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | (3) be required to pay more tuition than is required at |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | a public college or university and be charged no less than the |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | regular tuition required of all students enrolled at the |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | institution; |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | (4) establish financial need in accordance with |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | procedures and regulations of the coordinating board; |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | (5) not be a recipient of any form of athletic |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | scholarship; [and] |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | (6) make satisfactory academic progress toward a |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | degree or certificate as determined by the institution at which the |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | person is enrolled; and |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | (7) have complied with other requirements adopted by |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | the coordinating board under this subchapter. |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | (c) After qualifying for a tuition equalization grant under |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | Subsection (b), a person may receive a tuition equalization grant |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | in a subsequent academic year in which the person is enrolled at an |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | approved institution only if the person: |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | (1) meets the requirements of Subsection (b); |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | (2) completed at least: |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | (A) 24 semester credit hours in the person's most |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | recent full academic year, if the person is enrolled in an |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | undergraduate degree or certificate program; or |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | (B) 18 semester credit hours in the person's most |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | recent full academic year, if the person is enrolled in a graduate |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | or professional degree program; and |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | (3) has earned an overall grade point average of at |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | least 2.5 on a four-point scale or the equivalent on coursework |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | previously attempted at public or private institutions of higher |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | education. |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | (e) The coordinating board shall adopt rules to allow a |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | person who is otherwise eligible to receive a tuition equalization |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | grant, in the event of a hardship or for other good cause shown, to |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | receive a tuition equalization grant if the person does not: |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | (1) make satisfactory academic progress as required |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | under Subsection (b)(6); |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | (2) complete the semester credit hours required by |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | Subsection (c)(2); |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | (3) [(2)] maintain the grade point average required by |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | Subsection (c)(3); or |
|---|
| 66 | 66 | | (4) [(3)] complete the person's certificate or degree |
|---|
| 67 | 67 | | program within the period prescribed by Subsection (d). |
|---|
| 68 | 68 | | SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act to Section |
|---|
| 69 | 69 | | 61.2251, Education Code, apply beginning with tuition equalization |
|---|
| 70 | 70 | | grants awarded for the 2010-2011 academic year. A tuition |
|---|
| 71 | 71 | | equalization grant awarded for an academic year before that |
|---|
| 72 | 72 | | academic year is covered by the law in effect when the grant was |
|---|
| 73 | 73 | | awarded, and that law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
|---|
| 74 | 74 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|---|
| 75 | 75 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|---|
| 76 | 76 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|---|
| 77 | 77 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|---|
| 78 | 78 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
|---|
| 79 | 79 | | * * * * * |
|---|