Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB117 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R557 KSD-F
2	2	By: Fletcher H.B. No. 117
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the portion of designated tuition set aside to provide
8	8	student financial assistance at institutions of higher education.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Sections 56.011 and 56.012, Education Code, are
11	11	amended to read as follows:
12	12	Sec. 56.011. RESIDENT UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT ASSISTANCE.
13	13	(a) The governing board of each institution of higher education may
14	14	[shall] cause to be set aside not more [less] than 15 [20] percent
15	15	of any amount of tuition charged to a resident undergraduate
16	16	student under Section 54.0513 in excess of $46 per semester credit
17	17	hour. The funds set aside under this section by an institution
18	18	shall be used to provide financial assistance for resident
19	19	undergraduate students enrolled in the institution.
20	20	(b) From the funds set aside by an institution under this
21	21	section, the institution shall first fund any tuition and fee
22	22	exemptions required under Section 54.341 for veterans and other
23	23	military personnel and their dependents and surviving family
24	24	members enrolled as undergraduate students at the institution.
25	25	(c) To be eligible for assistance from any remaining funds
26	26	available under this section after the use of those funds required
27	27	by Subsection (b), a student must establish financial need in
28	28	accordance with rules and procedures established by the Texas
29	29	Higher Education Coordinating Board. Priority shall be given to
30	30	students who meet the coordinating board definition of financial
31	31	need and whose cost for tuition and required fees is not met through
32	32	other non-loan financial assistance programs.
33	33	(d) [(c)] The financial assistance provided under
34	34	Subsection (c) [this section] may include grants, scholarships,
35	35	work-study programs, student loans, and student loan repayment
36	36	assistance.
37	37	Sec. 56.012. RESIDENT GRADUATE STUDENT ASSISTANCE. (a)
38	38	The governing board of each institution of higher education may
39	39	[shall] cause to be set aside not more [less] than 15 percent of any
40	40	amount of tuition charged to a resident student enrolled in a
41	41	graduate or professional degree program under Section 54.0513 in
42	42	excess of $46 per semester credit hour. The funds set aside under
43	43	this section by an institution shall be used to provide financial
44	44	assistance for resident students enrolled in graduate and
45	45	professional degree programs at the institution.
46	46	(b) From the funds set aside by an institution under this
47	47	section, the institution shall first fund any tuition and fee
48	48	exemptions required under Section 54.341 for veterans and other
49	49	military personnel and their dependents and surviving family
50	50	members enrolled in graduate and professional degree programs at
51	51	the institution.
52	52	(c) To be eligible for assistance from any remaining funds
53	53	available under this section after the use of those funds required
54	54	by Subsection (b), a student must establish financial need in
55	55	accordance with rules and procedures established by the Texas
56	56	Higher Education Coordinating Board. Priority shall be given to
57	57	students who meet the coordinating board definition of financial
58	58	need and whose cost for tuition and required fees is not met through
59	59	other non-loan financial assistance programs.
60	60	(d) [(c)] The financial assistance provided under
61	61	Subsection (c) [this section] may include grants, scholarships,
62	62	work-study programs, student loans, and student loan repayment
63	63	assistance.
64	64	SECTION 2. Section 56.014(a), Education Code, is amended to
65	65	read as follows:
66	66	(a) An institution of higher education that sets [is
67	67	required by this subchapter to set] aside a portion of a student's
68	68	tuition payments to provide financial assistance for students
69	69	enrolled in the institution under this subchapter shall provide to
70	70	each student of the institution who pays tuition from which a
71	71	portion is [required to be] set aside for that purpose a notice
72	72	regarding the specific amount that is [required to be] set aside by
73	73	the institution.
74	74	SECTION 3. Section 56.465(a), Education Code, is amended to
75	75	read as follows:
76	76	(a) The governing board of each institution of higher
77	77	education shall cause to be set aside five percent of the amount of
78	78	the tuition charged to a resident undergraduate student at the
79	79	institution under Section 54.0513 in excess of $46 per semester
80	80	credit hour. The amount of a student's tuition set aside under this
81	81	subsection is not considered a part of the amount, if any, [required
82	82	to be] set aside from that tuition under Section 56.011.
83	83	SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act apply
84	84	beginning with designated tuition set aside by an institution of
85	85	higher education for the 2016 fall semester. Designated tuition
86	86	set aside for a semester or term before the 2016 fall semester is
87	87	governed by the law in effect immediately before the effective date
88	88	of this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that
89	89	purpose.
90	90	SECTION 5. This Act takes effect January 1, 2016.