| 1 | 1 | | 85R12109 SRS-D |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: Dutton H.B. No. 2498 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | relating to an exemption from or refund of tuition and fees for |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | lower-division students enrolled in a general academic teaching |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | institution who maintain a high grade point average. |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 54, Education Code, is |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | amended by adding Section 54.220 to read as follows: |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 54.220. EXEMPTION FOR RESIDENT LOWER-DIVISION |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | STUDENTS AT GENERAL ACADEMIC TEACHING INSTITUTIONS FOR MAINTAINING |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | HIGH ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. (a) In this section, "general academic |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | teaching institution" has the meaning assigned by Section 61.003. |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | (b) An entering freshman student enrolled in a general |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | academic teaching institution is entitled to a refund of the |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | tuition and required fees paid by the student under this chapter for |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | the first semester or term for which the student enrolls at that |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | institution if the student: |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | (1) graduated from a private high school, including a |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | home school, or a public high school in this state; |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | (2) is classified as a Texas resident under Subchapter |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | B; and |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | (3) for all courses attempted that initial semester or |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | term earns a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a four-point |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | scale or the equivalent. |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | (c) To receive a refund under Subsection (b), the student |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | must apply to the institution for the refund in the manner required |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | by the institution not later than the first anniversary of the last |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | class day of the semester or term. |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | (d) A student enrolled in a general academic teaching |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | institution is exempt from the payment of tuition and required fees |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | authorized by this chapter for a semester or term of the student's |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | first two academic years, other than a semester or term covered by |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | Subsection (b), at that institution if the student: |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | (1) graduated from a private high school, including a |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | home school, or a public high school in this state; |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | (2) is classified as a Texas resident under Subchapter |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | B; and |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | (3) maintains an overall grade point average of at |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | least 3.0 on a four-point scale or the equivalent for all prior |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | course work attempted at the institution. |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | (e) A student receiving an exemption under this section for |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | one or more semesters or terms may not enroll for the student's |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | third academic year at the institution until the student passes an |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | examination to be selected and administered by the institution. |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | (f) An institution to which this section applies shall fund |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | tuition and fee refunds and exemptions under this section from |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | available institutional funds or from available local funds or |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | other amounts appropriated to the institution, without regard to |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | whether those appropriations are specifically designated for this |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | purpose. |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | (g) A person may not receive a refund or exemption under |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | this section for a semester or term that begins after the 2036-2037 |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | academic year. This section expires September 1, 2038. |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with tuition and fees |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | charged for the 2017 fall semester. |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
|---|