Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2290 Compare Versions

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Version 2 (New)

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1	1	85R7340 MM-F
2	2	By: Lozano, Zerwas H.B. No. 2290
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the establishment of the Texas Returning Adult Student
8	8	Grant Program for certain students enrolled in baccalaureate degree
9	9	programs at certain postsecondary educational institutions.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Chapter 56, Education Code, is amended by adding
12	12	Subchapter U to read as follows:
13	13	SUBCHAPTER U. TEXAS RETURNING ADULT STUDENT GRANT PROGRAM
14	14	Sec. 56.601. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
15	15	(1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
16	16	Education Coordinating Board.
17	17	(2) "Eligible institution" means:
18	18	(A) a general academic teaching institution; or
19	19	(B) a nonprofit, tax-exempt, regionally
20	20	accredited college or university operating in accordance with a
21	21	memorandum of understanding with this state under an executive
22	22	order issued by the governor and offering competency-based,
23	23	exclusively online baccalaureate degree programs.
24	24	(3) "Expected family contribution" means the amount of
25	25	discretionary income that should be available to a student from the
26	26	resources of the student and of the student's family, as determined
27	27	by the coordinating board following the methodology prescribed by
28	28	the United States Department of Education for the purpose of
29	29	determining a student's eligibility for need-based student
30	30	financial assistance.
31	31	(4) "General academic teaching institution" has the
32	32	meaning assigned by Section 61.003.
33	33	(5) "Program" means the Texas Returning Adult Student
34	34	Grant Program established under this subchapter.
35	35	(6) "Returning adult student" means a student who:
36	36	(A) is over the age of 25;
37	37	(B) has earned college credit but has not
38	38	obtained a postsecondary degree; and
39	39	(C) is enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program
40	40	at an eligible institution.
41	41	Sec. 56.602. PURPOSE. The purpose of the Texas Returning
42	42	Adult Student Grant Program is to provide financial assistance to
43	43	eligible returning adult students enrolling in baccalaureate
44	44	degree programs at eligible institutions.
45	45	Sec. 56.603. ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM; PRIORITY FOR
46	46	FINANCIAL NEED. (a) The coordinating board shall:
47	47	(1) administer the program;
48	48	(2) using the negotiated rulemaking procedures under
49	49	Chapter 2008, Government Code, adopt rules for determining the
50	50	allocation of funds under the program among eligible institutions;
51	51	and
52	52	(3) adopt any other rules necessary to implement the
53	53	program or this subchapter.
54	54	(b) The coordinating board shall consult with the student
55	55	financial aid officers of eligible institutions in developing the
56	56	rules adopted under Subsection (a).
57	57	(c) The total amount of grants awarded under the program may
58	58	not exceed the amount available for the program from
59	59	appropriations, gifts, grants, or other funds.
60	60	(d) In determining who should receive a grant under the
61	61	program, the coordinating board and the eligible institutions shall
62	62	give highest priority to awarding grants to students who
63	63	demonstrate the greatest unmet financial need.
64	64	Sec. 56.604. INITIAL ELIGIBILITY FOR GRANT. (a) To be
65	65	eligible initially for a grant under the program, a person must:
66	66	(1) be a resident of this state as determined by
67	67	coordinating board rules;
68	68	(2) meet financial need requirements as defined by
69	69	coordinating board rules, including a requirement that the person's
70	70	expected family contribution for the academic year does not exceed
71	71	the maximum expected family contribution established for this
72	72	purpose by the coordinating board;
73	73	(3) be a returning adult student;
74	74	(4) not be receiving a TEXAS grant under Subchapter M,
75	75	a tuition equalization grant under Subchapter F, Chapter 61, or any
76	76	other state-funded student financial assistance for the same
77	77	academic period; and
78	78	(5) comply with any additional requirement adopted by
79	79	the coordinating board under this subchapter.
80	80	(b) A person may not receive a grant under the program for
81	81	more than the greater of:
82	82	(1) 135 semester credit hours or the equivalent; or
83	83	(2) 15 semester credit hours or the equivalent in
84	84	excess of the number of semester credit hours required for the
85	85	degree program in which the person is enrolled.
86	86	Sec. 56.605. CONTINUING ELIGIBILITY AND ACADEMIC
87	87	PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS. (a) After initially qualifying for a
88	88	grant under the program, a person may continue to receive a grant
89	89	under the program during each semester or term in which the person
90	90	is enrolled at an eligible institution only if the person:
91	91	(1) meets the criteria for initial eligibility under
92	92	Section 56.604(a);
93	93	(2) makes satisfactory academic progress toward a
94	94	baccalaureate degree; and
95	95	(3) complies with any additional requirement adopted
96	96	by the coordinating board.
97	97	(b) If a person fails to meet any of the requirements of
98	98	Subsection (a) after the completion of any semester or term, the
99	99	person may not receive a grant under the program during the next
100	100	semester or term in which the person enrolls. Unless the person is
101	101	no longer eligible for a grant under Section 56.604(b), a person
102	102	may become eligible to receive a grant under the program in a
103	103	subsequent semester or term if the person:
104	104	(1) completes at least 15 semester credit hours or an
105	105	equivalent number of competency units or credits in a semester or
106	106	term during which the student is not eligible for a grant; and
107	107	(2) meets all the requirements of Subsection (a).
108	108	(c) For the purpose of this section, a person makes
109	109	satisfactory academic progress toward a baccalaureate degree only
110	110	if the person completes at least 15 semester credit hours or an
111	111	equivalent number of competency units or credits in each semester
112	112	or term in which the person is enrolled.
113	113	(d) The coordinating board shall adopt rules to allow a
114	114	person who is otherwise eligible to receive a grant under the
115	115	program to receive a grant if the student's completion rate falls
116	116	below the satisfactory academic progress requirements of this
117	117	section in the event of a hardship or for other good cause shown,
118	118	including:
119	119	(1) a showing of a severe illness or other
120	120	debilitating condition that may affect the person's academic
121	121	performance; or
122	122	(2) a showing that the person is responsible for the
123	123	care of a sick, injured, or needy person and that the person's
124	124	provision of care may affect the person's academic performance.
125	125	Sec. 56.606. GRANT USE. A person receiving a grant under
126	126	this subchapter may use the money only to pay the amount of tuition
127	127	and required fees and the cost of required textbooks incurred by the
128	128	student at an eligible institution. The institution may disburse
129	129	all or part of the proceeds of a grant under the program to an
130	130	eligible person only if the tuition and required fees incurred by
131	131	the person at the institution have been paid.
132	132	Sec. 56.607. GRANT AMOUNT. The amount of a grant awarded to
133	133	a person under the program for a semester or other academic term is
134	134	an amount not to exceed the lesser of:
135	135	(1) the difference between:
136	136	(A) the amount of tuition and required fees
137	137	incurred by the student at an eligible institution for that
138	138	semester or term plus a textbook stipend in an amount determined by
139	139	the coordinating board; and
140	140	(B) the amount of the Pell Grant for which the
141	141	student is eligible, if any; or
142	142	(2) the student's unmet financial need for that
143	143	semester or term.
144	144	Sec. 56.608. GRANT NOT TO AFFECT ADMISSION. An eligible
145	145	institution may not deny admission to or enrollment in the
146	146	institution based on a person's eligibility to receive a grant
147	147	under the program or a person's receipt of a grant under the
148	148	program.
149	149	SECTION 2. (a) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating
150	150	Board shall adopt rules to administer Subchapter U, Chapter 56,
151	151	Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after
152	152	the effective date of this Act. For that purpose, the coordinating
153	153	board may adopt the initial rules in the manner provided by law for
154	154	emergency rules.
155	155	(b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
156	156	begin allocating funds to eligible institutions under Subchapter U,
157	157	Chapter 56, Education Code, as added by this Act, for the first
158	158	academic year for which money is appropriated for that purpose,
159	159	except that the coordinating board may not allocate funds under
160	160	that subchapter for an academic year before the 2018-2019 academic
161	161	year.
162	162	SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
163	163	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
164	164	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
165	165	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
166	166	Act takes effect September 1, 2017.