81R3609 KSD-D
By: Shapiro S.B. No. 954
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to uniform financial aid award notification for students
and prospective students of public institutions of higher
education.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 61.0885 to read as follows:
Sec. 61.0885. UNIFORM FINANCIAL AID NOTIFICATION. (a) The
board by rule shall:
(1) require each institution of higher education to
notify any student or prospective student regarding the
institution's financial aid award offered to the student for
attendance at the institution; and
(2) prescribe a common financial aid notification form
to be used for that notice regardless of whether the notice is
delivered to the student by mail or electronically.
(b) A notice provided using the common financial aid
notification form prescribed by the board under this section must:
(1) be suitable for printing, whether delivered by
mail or electronically; and
(2) include, in a clear, concise, and uniform manner,
the following information:
(A) an itemized list of all financial aid offered
to the student for attendance at the institution, including any
financial aid offered by any department, school, or office of the
institution, separated according to the following four categories:
(i) gift aid, including grants,
scholarships, and tuition exemptions or waivers;
(ii) student loans;
(iii) work-study opportunities; and
(iv) any other form of financial aid
available to the student;
(B) the institution's reasonable estimation of
the total amount of tuition and fees to be charged to the student
for attendance at the institution and a comparison of that
estimated amount to the total amount of gift aid available to the
student under Paragraph (A)(i);
(C) the institution's reasonable estimation of
the student's:
(i) total cost of full-time attendance at
the institution, including tuition and fees, room and board costs,
book and supply costs, transportation costs, and other personal
expenses;
(ii) expected family contribution; and
(iii) net financial need; and
(D) a clear explanation of the institution's
policies and timelines for accepting or declining the financial aid
award.
(c) A private or independent institution of higher
education may use the common financial aid notification form
prescribed by the board under this section to notify students and
prospective students regarding the institution's financial aid
award offered to a student for attendance at the institution.
(d) An institution of higher education may but is not
required to use the common financial aid award notification form
prescribed by the board under this section for the notification of
financial aid awards for an academic year before the 2011-2012
academic year. This subsection expires September 1, 2011.
SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
shall adopt the rules required by Section 61.0885, Education Code,
as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after this Act takes
effect. For that purpose, the coordinating board may adopt the
initial rules in the manner provided by law for emergency rules.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2009.