| 1 | 1 | | 84R1943 AAF-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Hernandez H.B. No. 494 |
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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 institutions of higher education eligible to |
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| 8 | 8 | | participate in the Texas Science, Technology, Engineering, and |
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| 9 | 9 | | Mathematics (T-STEM) Challenge Scholarship program. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Section 61.9792, Education Code, is amended to |
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| 12 | 12 | | read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 61.9792. SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. The board shall |
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| 14 | 14 | | establish and administer, in accordance with this subchapter and |
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| 15 | 15 | | board rules, the Texas Science, Technology, Engineering, and |
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| 16 | 16 | | Mathematics (T-STEM) Challenge Scholarship program under which the |
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| 17 | 17 | | board provides a grant to an eligible institution for the purpose of |
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| 18 | 18 | | providing a scholarship to a student who meets the eligibility |
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| 19 | 19 | | criteria prescribed by Section 61.9793. |
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| 20 | 20 | | SECTION 2. Section 61.9794, Education Code, is amended to |
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| 21 | 21 | | read as follows: |
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| 22 | 22 | | Sec. 61.9794. ELIGIBLE INSTITUTION. (a) To qualify as an |
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| 23 | 23 | | eligible institution under this subchapter, an institution must: |
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| 24 | 24 | | (1) be one of the following: |
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| 25 | 25 | | (A) a public junior college, public junior |
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| 26 | 26 | | college district, or public technical institute that admits[; |
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| 27 | 27 | | [(2) admit] at least 50 students into a STEM program |
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| 28 | 28 | | each academic year; or |
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| 29 | 29 | | (B) a general academic teaching institution that |
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| 30 | 30 | | admits into a STEM program each academic year eligible students |
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| 31 | 31 | | who: |
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| 32 | 32 | | (i) previously participated in a T-STEM |
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| 33 | 33 | | Challenge Scholarship program at a public junior college or public |
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| 34 | 34 | | technical institute; and |
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| 35 | 35 | | (ii) completed at least 45 semester credit |
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| 36 | 36 | | hours at the college or institute before enrolling in the general |
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| 37 | 37 | | academic teaching institution; and |
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| 38 | 38 | | (2) [(3)] develop partnerships with business and |
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| 39 | 39 | | industry to: |
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| 40 | 40 | | (A) identify local employment needs in Science, |
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| 41 | 41 | | Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields; and |
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| 42 | 42 | | (B) provide part-time employment for students |
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| 43 | 43 | | enrolled in a STEM program. |
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| 44 | 44 | | (b) To maintain eligibility, beginning with the second year |
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| 45 | 45 | | following implementation of a scholarship program under this |
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| 46 | 46 | | subchapter, an institution must demonstrate to the board that at |
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| 47 | 47 | | least 70 percent of the institution's T-STEM Challenge Scholarship |
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| 48 | 48 | | graduates, within six [three] months after graduation, are: |
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| 49 | 49 | | (1) employed by a business in a Science, Technology, |
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| 50 | 50 | | Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) field; or |
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| 51 | 51 | | (2) enrolled in upper-division courses leading to a |
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| 52 | 52 | | baccalaureate degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, and |
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| 53 | 53 | | Mathematics (STEM) field. |
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| 54 | 54 | | SECTION 3. Section 61.9795, Education Code, is amended to |
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| 55 | 55 | | read as follows: |
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| 56 | 56 | | Sec. 61.9795. AMOUNT; FUNDING. (a) Subject to available |
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| 57 | 57 | | funding, the board shall award a grant to an eligible institution |
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| 58 | 58 | | for the purpose of providing scholarships, with at least 50 percent |
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| 59 | 59 | | of the amount awarded from private funds. |
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| 60 | 60 | | (b) Except as provided by Subsection (b-1), an [An] eligible |
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| 61 | 61 | | student may receive a scholarship awarded under this subchapter for |
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| 62 | 62 | | not more than two academic years. |
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| 63 | 63 | | (b-1) A student who previously participated in the T-STEM |
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| 64 | 64 | | Challenge Scholarship program at a public junior college or public |
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| 65 | 65 | | technical institute and completed at least 45 semester credit hours |
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| 66 | 66 | | at the college or institute, who then enrolls in a general academic |
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| 67 | 67 | | teaching institution, may receive a scholarship awarded under this |
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| 68 | 68 | | subchapter for two additional academic years. The student must |
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| 69 | 69 | | meet the eligibility requirements established under Section |
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| 70 | 70 | | 61.9793. |
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| 71 | 71 | | (c) The board may use any available revenue, including |
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| 72 | 72 | | legislative appropriations, and may solicit and accept gifts and |
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| 73 | 73 | | grants for purposes of this subchapter. |
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| 74 | 74 | | SECTION 4. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
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| 75 | 75 | | shall award scholarships under Subchapter GG, Chapter 61, Education |
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| 76 | 76 | | Code, as amended by this Act, beginning with the 2015-2016 academic |
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| 77 | 77 | | year. The coordinating board shall adopt the rules required by that |
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| 78 | 78 | | subchapter as soon as practicable after this Act takes effect. |
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| 79 | 79 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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