| 1 | 1 | | By: West S.B. No. 976 |
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| 2 | 2 | | (Branch) |
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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 the temporary approval of an institution to participate |
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| 8 | 8 | | in the tuition equalization grant program. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 61.222, Education Code, is amended to |
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| 11 | 11 | | read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 61.222. APPROVED INSTITUTIONS. (a) The coordinating |
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| 13 | 13 | | board shall approve only those private or independent colleges or |
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| 14 | 14 | | universities that are private or independent institutions of higher |
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| 15 | 15 | | education as defined by Section 61.003 or are located within this |
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| 16 | 16 | | state and meet the same program standards and accreditation as |
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| 17 | 17 | | public institutions of higher education as determined by the board. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (b) The coordinating board may temporarily approve a |
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| 19 | 19 | | private or independent institution of higher education as defined |
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| 20 | 20 | | by Section 61.003 that previously qualified under Subsection (a) |
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| 21 | 21 | | but no longer holds the same accreditation as public institutions |
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| 22 | 22 | | of higher education. To qualify under this subsection, an |
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| 23 | 23 | | institution must be: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (1) accredited by an accreditor recognized by the |
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| 25 | 25 | | board; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (2) actively working toward the same accreditation as |
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| 27 | 27 | | public institutions of higher education; |
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| 28 | 28 | | (3) participating in the federal financial aid program |
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| 29 | 29 | | under 20 U.S.C. Section 1070a; and |
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| 30 | 30 | | (4) a "part B institution" as defined by 20 U.S.C. |
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| 31 | 31 | | Section 1061(2) and listed in 34 C.F.R. Section 608.2. |
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| 32 | 32 | | (c) The coordinating board may grant temporary approval for |
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| 33 | 33 | | a period of two years and may renew the approval once. |
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| 34 | 34 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 35 | 35 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 36 | 36 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 37 | 37 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 38 | 38 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |
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