Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3027 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	84R18011 KJE-D
2	1		By: Zerwas H.B. No. 3027
3		-	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 3027:
4		-	By: Raney C.S.H.B. No. 3027
5	2
6	3
7	4		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	5		AN ACT
9	6		relating to the establishment of the Texas Competency-Based
10	7		Education Grant Program for certain students enrolled in
11	8		competency-based baccalaureate degree programs at certain
12	9		institutions of higher education.
13	10		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
14	11		SECTION 1. Chapter 56, Education Code, is amended by adding
15	12		Subchapter U to read as follows:
16	13		SUBCHAPTER U. TEXAS COMPETENCY-BASED EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM
17	14		Sec. 56.601. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
18	15		(1) "Competency-based baccalaureate degree program"
19	16		means a baccalaureate degree program under which academic credit is
20	17		awarded based solely on a student's attainment of competencies.
21	18		The term may include a program that is organized around traditional
22	19		course-based units, including for online or other distance
23	20		education, that a student must earn for degree completion.
24	21		(2) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
25	22		Education Coordinating Board.
26	23		(3) "Eligible institution" means:
27	24		(A) a general academic teaching institution;
28	25		(B) a private or independent institution of
29	26		higher education;
30	27		(C) a public junior college authorized to offer
31	28		baccalaureate degree programs under Section 130.0012; or
32	29		(D) a nonprofit, tax-exempt, regionally
33	30		accredited college or university operating in accordance with a
34	31		memorandum of understanding with this state under an executive
35	32		order issued by the governor and offering competency-based,
36	33		exclusively online baccalaureate degree programs.
37	34		(4) "Expected family contribution" means the amount of
38	35		discretionary income that should be available to a student from the
39	36		resources of the student and of the student's family, as determined
40	37		by the coordinating board following the methodology prescribed by
41	38		the United States Department of Education for the purpose of
42	39		determining a student's eligibility for need-based student
43	40		financial assistance.
44	41		(5) "General academic teaching institution," "private
45	42		or independent institution of higher education," and "public junior
46	43		college" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003.
47	44		(6) "Program" means the Texas Competency-Based
48	45		Education Grant Program established under this subchapter.
49	46		Sec. 56.602. PURPOSE. The purpose of the Texas
50	47		Competency-Based Education Grant Program is to provide financial
51	48		assistance to enable eligible students to enroll in
52	49		competency-based baccalaureate degree programs at eligible
53	50		institutions.
54	51		Sec. 56.603. ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM; PRIORITY FOR
55	52		FINANCIAL NEED. (a) The coordinating board shall:
56	53		(1) administer the program;
57	54		(2) using the negotiated rulemaking procedures under
58	55		Chapter 2008, Government Code, adopt rules for determining the
59	56		allocation of funds under the program among eligible institutions;
60	57		and
61	58		(3) adopt any other rules necessary to implement the
62	59		program or this subchapter.
63	60		(b) The coordinating board shall consult with the student
64	61		financial aid officers of eligible institutions in developing the
65	62		rules adopted under Subsection (a).
66	63		(c) The total amount of grants awarded under the program may
67	64		not exceed the amount available for the program from
68	65		appropriations, gifts, grants, or other funds.
69	66		(d) In determining who should receive a grant under the
70	67		program, the coordinating board and the eligible institutions shall
71	68		give highest priority to awarding grants to students who
72	69		demonstrate the greatest unmet financial need.
	70	+	Sec. 56.6031. PARTICIPATION IN PROGRAM BY PUBLIC
	71	+	INSTITUTIONS AND THEIR STUDENTS. (a) For a competency-based
	72	+	baccalaureate degree program offered by an eligible institution
	73	+	that is an institution of higher education for which grants may be
	74	+	awarded under this subchapter, the coordinating board:
	75	+	(1) must include in the hours reported to the
	76	+	Legislative Budget Board for formula funding contact hours for a
	77	+	student's enrollment in the degree program at the institution:
	78	+	(A) contact hours for which the student has
	79	+	previously generated formula funding for the same course; and
	80	+	(B) notwithstanding Section 61.0595, contact
	81	+	hours that would otherwise be excluded under Subsection (a) or (e)
	82	+	of that section; and
	83	+	(2) by rule shall adopt standards and limitations for
	84	+	the dropping or repeating of courses by students of those
	85	+	institutions enrolled in the degree program.
	86	+	(b) A student who is enrolled in an eligible institution
	87	+	that is an institution of higher education may receive a grant under
	88	+	the program only if:
	89	+	(1) the student satisfies the eligibility
	90	+	requirements prescribed by this subchapter; and
	91	+	(2) the institution complies with the standards and
	92	+	limitations adopted by the coordinating board under Subsection
	93	+	(a)(2).
73	94		Sec. 56.604. INITIAL ELIGIBILITY FOR GRANT. (a) To be
74	95		eligible initially for a grant under the program, a person must:
75	96		(1) be a resident of this state as determined by
76	97		coordinating board rules;
77	98		(2) meet financial need requirements as defined by
78	99		coordinating board rules, including a requirement that the person's
79	100		expected family contribution for the academic year does not exceed
80	101		the maximum expected family contribution established for this
81	102		purpose by the coordinating board;
82	103		(3) be enrolled in a competency-based baccalaureate
83	104		degree program at an eligible institution;
84	105		(4) not be receiving a TEXAS grant under Subchapter M,
85	106		a tuition equalization grant under Subchapter F, Chapter 61, or any
86	107		other state-funded student financial assistance for the same
87	108		academic period; and
88	109		(5) comply with any additional nonacademic
89	110		requirement adopted by the coordinating board under this
90	111		subchapter.
91	112		(b) A person is not eligible to receive a grant under the
92	113		program if the person has been granted a baccalaureate degree.
93	114		(c) A person's eligibility for a grant under the program
94	115		ends on the earliest of the following dates:
95	116		(1) the fourth anniversary of the initial award of a
96	117		grant under the program to the person, if at the time of the initial
97	118		award the person had earned less than 60 semester credit hours or an
98	119		equivalent number of competency units or credits toward the
99	120		person's degree;
100	121		(2) the second anniversary of the initial award of a
101	122		grant under the program to the person, if at the time of the initial
102	123		award the person had earned 60 or more semester credit hours or an
103	124		equivalent number of competency units or credits toward the
104	125		person's degree; or
105	126		(3) the date the person receives a baccalaureate
106	127		degree.
107	128		Sec. 56.605. CONTINUING ELIGIBILITY AND ACADEMIC
108	129		PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS. (a) After initially qualifying for a
109	130		grant under the program, a person may continue to receive a grant
110	131		under the program during each semester or term in which the person
111	132		is enrolled at an eligible institution only if the person:
112	133		(1) meets the criteria for initial eligibility under
113	134		Section 56.604(a);
114	135		(2) makes satisfactory academic progress toward a
115	136		baccalaureate degree; and
116	137		(3) complies with any additional nonacademic
117	138		requirement adopted by the coordinating board.
118	139		(b) If a person fails to meet any of the requirements of
119	140		Subsection (a) after the completion of any semester or term, the
120	141		person may not receive a grant under the program during the next
121	142		semester or term in which the person enrolls. Unless the person's
122	143		eligibility for a grant expires under Section 56.604(c), a person
123	144		may become eligible to receive a grant under the program in a
124	145		subsequent semester or term if the person:
125	146		(1) completes at least 12 semester credit hours or an
126	147		equivalent number of competency units or credits in a semester or
127	148		term during which the student is not eligible for a grant; and
128	149		(2) meets all the requirements of Subsection (a).
129	150		(c) For the purpose of this section, a person makes
130	151		satisfactory academic progress toward a baccalaureate degree only
131	152		if the person completes at least 12 semester credit hours or an
132	153		equivalent number of competency units or credits in each semester
133	154		or term in which the person is enrolled.
134	155		(d) The coordinating board shall adopt rules to allow a
135	156		person who is otherwise eligible to receive a grant under the
136	157		program to receive a grant if the student's completion rate falls
137	158		below the satisfactory academic progress requirements of this
138	159		section in the event of a hardship or for other good cause shown,
139	160		including:
140	161		(1) a showing of a severe illness or other
141	162		debilitating condition that may affect the person's academic
142	163		performance; or
143	164		(2) a showing that the person is responsible for the
144	165		care of a sick, injured, or needy person and that the person's
145	166		provision of care may affect the person's academic performance.
146	167		Sec. 56.606. GRANT USE. A person receiving a grant under
147	168		the program may use the money to pay any usual and customary cost of
148	169		attendance at an eligible institution incurred by the student. The
149	170		institution may disburse all or part of the proceeds of a grant
150	171		under the program to an eligible person only if the tuition and
151	172		required fees incurred by the person at the institution have been
152	173		paid.
153	174		Sec. 56.607. GRANT AMOUNT. (a) The maximum annual amount
154	175		of a grant under the program for a full-time undergraduate student
155	176		equivalent enrolled at an eligible institution is an amount equal
156	177		to 75 percent of the average state appropriation for the state
157	178		fiscal biennium preceding the biennium in which the grant is
158	179		awarded for a full-time undergraduate student equivalent enrolled
159	180		at a general academic teaching institution, as determined by the
160	181		coordinating board.
161	182		(b) The coordinating board may adopt rules that allow the
162	183		coordinating board to increase or decrease, in proportion to the
163	184		number of semester credit hours or competency units or credits in
164	185		which a student is enrolled, the amount of a grant award to a
165	186		student who is enrolled in a number of semester credit hours or
166	187		competency units or credits in excess of or below 12 semester credit
167	188		hours or an equivalent number of competency units or credits.
168	189		Sec. 56.608. GRANT NOT TO AFFECT ADMISSION. An eligible
169	190		institution may not deny admission to or enrollment in the
170	191		institution based on a person's eligibility to receive a grant
171	192		under the program or a person's receipt of a grant under the
172	193		program.
173	194		SECTION 2. (a) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating
174	195		Board shall adopt rules to administer Subchapter U, Chapter 56,
175	196		Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after
176	197		the effective date of this Act. For that purpose, the coordinating
177	198		board may adopt the initial rules in the manner provided by law for
178	199		emergency rules.
179	200		(b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
180	201		begin allocating funds to eligible institutions under Subchapter U,
181	202		Chapter 56, Education Code, as added by this Act, for the first
182	203		academic year for which money is appropriated for that purpose,
183	204		except that the coordinating board may not allocate funds under
184	205		that subchapter for an academic year before the 2016-2017 academic
185	206		year.
186	207		SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
187	208		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
188	209		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
189	210		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
190	211		Act takes effect September 1, 2015.