Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB31 Compare Versions

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1	1	By: Zaffirini, Ogden S.B. No. 31
2	2
3	3
4	4	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	5	AN ACT
6	6	relating to financial assistance for students who complete certain
7	7	coursework at two-year public institutions of higher education.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Chapter 56, Education Code, is amended by adding
10	10	Subchapter Z to read as follows:
11	11	SUBCHAPTER Z. OTHER STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
12	12	Sec. 56.901. GRANTS FOR STUDENTS COMPLETING CERTAIN
13	13	COURSEWORK AT TWO-YEAR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION. (a) In
14	14	this section:
15	15	(1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
16	16	Education Coordinating Board.
17	17	(2) "General academic teaching institution," "public
18	18	junior college," "public state college," and "public technical
19	19	institute" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003.
20	20	(b) The coordinating board shall establish a program under
21	21	which an eligible student is entitled to receive financial
22	22	assistance in the form of a grant to be applied toward the payment
23	23	of tuition and fees at a general academic teaching institution.
24	24	(c) A student is eligible to receive a grant under this
25	25	section if the student:
26	26	(1) is a resident of this state;
27	27	(2) graduates from a public or accredited private high
28	28	school in this state;
29	29	(3) enrolls at a public junior college, public state
30	30	college, or public technical institute not later than the first
31	31	fall semester following the student's graduation from high school;
32	32	(4) before the third fall semester following the
33	33	student's graduation from high school, and with a cumulative grade
34	34	point average of at least 3.0 on a four-point scale or the
35	35	equivalent, completes the core curriculum at or receives an
36	36	associate degree from a public junior college, public state
37	37	college, or public technical institute, regardless of whether the
38	38	student:
39	39	(A) remains continuously enrolled at the same
40	40	college or institute during that period; or
41	41	(B) completes through concurrent enrollment any
42	42	portion of the coursework required to complete the core curriculum
43	43	or to receive an associate degree;
44	44	(5) after completing the core curriculum or receiving
45	45	an associate degree as described by Subdivision (4), enrolls at a
46	46	general academic teaching institution not later than the third fall
47	47	semester following the student's graduation from high school;
48	48	(6) maintains a cumulative grade point average of at
49	49	least 3.0 on a four-point scale or the equivalent while enrolled at
50	50	a general academic teaching institution;
51	51	(7) meets financial need requirements prescribed by
52	52	coordinating board rule; and
53	53	(8) complies with any additional eligibility
54	54	requirements prescribed by coordinating board rule.
55	55	(d) Except as provided by Subsections (e) and (f), the
56	56	amount of a grant under this section is $700 for each semester or
57	57	other academic term in which the student is enrolled at a general
58	58	academic teaching institution.
59	59	(e) Subject to the limitation provided by Subsection (f), if
60	60	after the application of any other state or federal grant aid a
61	61	student owes to a general academic teaching institution for a
62	62	semester or other academic term an amount of tuition and fees that
63	63	is less than the amount of a grant otherwise provided by this
64	64	section for that semester or other term, the amount of the grant is
65	65	equal to the amount of tuition and fees owed by the student that is
66	66	not covered by that other grant aid.
67	67	(f) The total amount of grants under this section for an
68	68	academic year may not exceed $1,400.
69	69	(g) Except as provided by Subsection (k), a student is not
70	70	eligible for a grant under this section for a semester or other
71	71	academic term that begins after the second anniversary of the date
72	72	the student first enrolled at a general academic teaching
73	73	institution.
74	74	(h) If a student fails to meet any of the requirements of
75	75	Subsection (c) after the completion of any semester or other
76	76	academic term, the student may not receive a grant under this
77	77	section for the next semester or term in which the student enrolls.
78	78	A student may become eligible to receive a grant under this section
79	79	in a subsequent semester or term if the student:
80	80	(1) completes a semester or term during which the
81	81	student is not eligible for a grant under this section; and
82	82	(2) meets all of the requirements of Subsection (c).
83	83	(i) At the beginning of each school year, each public high
84	84	school in this state shall provide information regarding the
85	85	requirements of the program under this section to each senior
86	86	student enrolled at the high school and to a parent, conservator, or
87	87	guardian of the student. Each public junior college, public state
88	88	college, or public technical institute shall notify each entering
89	89	undergraduate student of the program requirements not later than
90	90	the sixth week of the student's first semester or term.
91	91	(j) The Texas Education Agency and the coordinating board
92	92	jointly shall prepare a publication that includes the information
93	93	required to be provided under Subsection (i) and shall post that
94	94	publication on the website of each agency in a form that enables a
95	95	public high school, public junior college, public state college, or
96	96	public technical institute to reproduce the information for
97	97	distribution to students, parents, and other persons as required by
98	98	this section.
99	99	(k) The coordinating board shall adopt rules to administer
100	100	this section, including rules requiring an eligible student to
101	101	apply for a grant under this section and to submit the information
102	102	required to verify the student's eligibility. The rules must
103	103	provide procedures by which an otherwise eligible student may be
104	104	granted additional time to receive grants under this section if the
105	105	student shows hardship or other good cause that prevented the
106	106	student from successfully completing the core curriculum,
107	107	receiving an associate degree, or enrolling in an institution
108	108	within the applicable period prescribed by this section or from
109	109	maintaining a cumulative grade point average as required by this
110	110	section. For purposes of this subsection, hardship or other good
111	111	cause includes:
112	112	(1) a severe illness or other debilitating condition;
113	113	(2) responsibility for the care of a sick or injured
114	114	person or person otherwise in need of assistance; or
115	115	(3) active duty or other service in the United States
116	116	armed forces.
117	117	(l) A student may not receive a grant under this section for
118	118	a semester or term before the 2011 fall semester and may not
119	119	establish eligibility for a grant based in any part on higher
120	120	education coursework completed before the 2009 fall semester. This
121	121	subsection expires January 1, 2013.
122	122	SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date
123	123	of this Act, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
124	124	adopt rules for the administration of Section 56.901, Education
125	125	Code, as added by this Act. The coordinating board may adopt the
126	126	initial rules in the manner provided by law for emergency rules.
127	127	SECTION 3. This Act does not make an appropriation. This
128	128	Act takes effect only if a specific appropriation for the
129	129	implementation of the Act is provided in a general appropriations
130	130	act of the 81st Legislature.
131	131	SECTION 4. A provision in this Act that creates a new
132	132	governmental program, creates a new entitlement, or imposes a new
133	133	duty on a governmental entity is not mandatory during a fiscal
134	134	period for which the legislature has not made a specific
135	135	appropriation to implement the provision.
136	136	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
137	137	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
138	138	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
139	139	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
140	140	Act takes effect September 1, 2009.