Texas 2017 85th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1799 Introduced / Bill

Filed 03/09/2017

                    85R12903 KSD-D
 By: West S.B. No. 1799


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to the student loan default prevention and financial aid
 literacy pilot program.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Sections 61.0763(a), (b), (c), and (d),
 Education Code, are amended to read as follows:
 (a)  [In this section, "career school or college" has the
 meaning assigned by Section 132.001.
 [(b)]  Not later than January 1, 2014, [the board shall
 establish and administer] a pilot program shall be established at
 selected postsecondary educational institutions to ensure that
 students of those institutions are informed consumers with regard
 to all aspects of student financial aid, including:
 (1)  the consequences of borrowing to finance a
 student's postsecondary education;
 (2)  the financial consequences of a student's academic
 and career choices; and
 (3)  strategies for avoiding student loan delinquency
 and default.
 (b)  At [(c) The board shall select at] least one institution
 from each of the following categories of postsecondary educational
 institutions must be selected to participate in the program:
 (1)  general academic teaching institutions;
 (2)  public junior colleges; and
 (3)  private or independent institutions of higher
 education[; and
 [(4)  career schools or colleges].
 (c) [(d)]  In selecting postsecondary educational
 institutions to participate in the pilot program, [the board shall
 give] priority shall be given to institutions that are recognized
 by the United States Department of Education as minority-serving
 institutions, including minority institutions under Section 1067k
 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. Section 1001 et seq.)
 [have a three-year cohort student loan default rate, as reported by
 the United States Department of Education:
 [(1)  of more than 20 percent; or
 [(2)     that has above average growth as compared to the
 rates of other postsecondary educational institutions in this
 state].
 SECTION 2.  Section 57.011, Education Code, is amended by
 adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:
 (f)  In accordance with an agreement with the Texas Higher
 Education Coordinating Board, the Texas Guaranteed Student Loan
 Corporation shall administer the pilot program established under
 Section 61.0763. The corporation shall submit to the governor, the
 lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of
 representatives any annual report or end of program report the
 corporation submits to the United States Department of Education in
 administering the pilot program. This subsection expires December
 31, 2019.
 SECTION 3.  Sections 61.0763(e), (f), and (g), Education
 Code, are repealed.
 SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
 Act takes effect September 1, 2017.