Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB33 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 33
2	2
3	3
4	4	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
5	5	AN ACT
6	6	relating to eligibility for a TEXAS Grant and to administration of
7	7	the TEXAS grant program.
8	8	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
9	9	SECTION 1. Section 56.304, Education Code, is amended by
10	10	amending Subsection (d) to read as follows:
11	11	(d) A person may not receive a TEXAS grant for more than the
12	12	lesser of:
13	13	(1) 135[150] semester credit hours or the equivalent;
14	14	or
15	15	(2) 15 semester credit hours or the equivalent in
16	16	excess of the degree requirements of the degree the person is
17	17	seeking.
18	18	SECTION 2. Section 56.3041, Education Code, is amended by
19	19	amending Subsection (a) to read as follows:
20	20	(a) To be eligible initially for a TEXAS grant, a person
21	21	graduating from high school on or after May 1, 2013, and enrolling
22	22	in an eligible institution must:
23	23	(1) be a resident of this state as determined by
24	24	coordinating board rules;
25	25	(2) meet the academic requirements prescribed by
26	26	Paragraph (A), (B), (C), or (D) as follows:
27	27	(A) be a graduate of a public or accredited
28	28	private high school in this state who completed the foundation high
29	29	school program established under Section 28.025 or its equivalent
30	30	and have accomplished any two or more of the following:
31	31	(i) successful completion of the course
32	32	requirements of the international baccalaureate diploma program or
33	33	earning of the equivalent of at least 12 semester credit hours of
34	34	college credit in high school through courses described in Sections
35	35	28.009(a)(1), (2), and (3);
36	36	(ii) satisfaction of the Texas Success
37	37	Initiative (TSI) college readiness benchmarks prescribed by the
38	38	coordinating board under Section 51.3062(f) on any assessment
39	39	instrument designated by the coordinating board under Section
40	40	51.3062(c) or qualification for an exemption as described by
41	41	Section 51.3062(p), (q), or (q-1);
42	42	(iii) graduation in the top one-third of
43	43	the person's high school graduating class or graduation from high
44	44	school with a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a four-point
45	45	scale or the equivalent; or
46	46	(iv) completion for high school credit of
47	47	at least one advanced mathematics course following the successful
48	48	completion of an Algebra II course or at least one advanced career
49	49	and technical or technology applications course;
50	50	(B) have received an associate degree from a
51	51	public or private institution of higher education;
52	52	(C) be an undergraduate student who has:
53	53	(i) previously attended another
54	54	institution of higher education;
55	55	(ii) received an initial Texas Educational
56	56	Opportunity Grant under Subchapter P for the 2014 fall semester or a
57	57	subsequent academic term;
58	58	(iii) completed at least 30[24] semester
59	59	credit hours at any institution or institutions of higher
60	60	education; and
61	61	(iv) earned an overall grade point average
62	62	of at least 2.5 on a four-point scale or the equivalent on all
63	63	course work previously attempted; or
64	64	(D) if sufficient money is available, meet the
65	65	eligibility criteria described by Section 56.304(a)(2)(A);
66	66	(3) meet financial need requirements established by
67	67	the coordinating board;
68	68	(4) be enrolled in an undergraduate degree or
69	69	certificate program at an eligible institution;
70	70	(5) except as provided under rules adopted under
71	71	Section 56.304(h), be enrolled as:
72	72	(A) an entering undergraduate student for at
73	73	least three-fourths of a full course load, as determined by the
74	74	coordinating board, not later than the 16th month after the
75	75	calendar month in which the person graduated from high school;
76	76	(B) an entering undergraduate student who
77	77	entered military service not later than the first anniversary of
78	78	the date the person graduated from high school and who enrolled for
79	79	at least three-fourths of a full course load, as determined by the
80	80	coordinating board, at the eligible institution not later than 12
81	81	months after being honorably discharged from military service;
82	82	(C) a continuing undergraduate student for at
83	83	least three-fourths of a full course load, as determined by the
84	84	coordinating board, not later than the 12th month after the
85	85	calendar month in which the person received an associate degree
86	86	from a public or private institution of higher education; or
87	87	(D) an undergraduate student described by
88	88	Subdivision (2)(C) who has never previously received a TEXAS grant;
89	89	(6) have applied for any available financial aid or
90	90	assistance; and
91	91	(7) comply with any additional nonacademic
92	92	requirements adopted by the coordinating board under this
93	93	subchapter.
94	94	SECTION 3. Section 56.305, Education Code, is amended by
95	95	adding Subsection (e-2) to read as follows:
96	96	(e-2) For purposes of this section, a person who is
97	97	initially awarded a TEXAS grant during or after the 2017 fall
98	98	semester makes satisfactory academic progress toward an
99	99	undergraduate degree or certificate only if:
100	100	(1) in the person's first academic year the person
101	101	meets the satisfactory academic progress requirements of the
102	102	institution at which the person is enrolled; and
103	103	(2) in a subsequent academic year, the person:
104	104	(A) completed at least 30 semester credit hours
105	105	in the student's most recent academic year; and
106	106	(B) has earned an overall grade point average of
107	107	at least 2.5 on a four-point scale or the equivalent on coursework
108	108	previously attempted at institutions of higher education.
109	109	SECTION 4. Section 56.307, Education Code, is amended by
110	110	amending Subsection (f), adding Subsection (f-1), and amending
111	111	Subsection (j) to read as follows:
112	112	(f) The amount of a TEXAS grant may not be reduced by any
113	113	gift aid for which the person receiving the grant is eligible, other
114	114	than a federal Pell Grant, unless the total amount of a person's
115	115	grant plus any gift aid received exceeds the student's financial
116	116	need.
117	117	(f-1) The amount of a TEXAS grant may not exceed the
118	118	student's total cost of tuition and fees, plus a book stipend.
119	119	(j) A public institution of higher education shall use other
120	120	available sources of financial aid, other than a loan or
121	121	participation in a work-study program, to cover any difference in
122	122	the amount of a TEXAS grant awarded to the student and the actual
123	123	amount of tuition and required fees at the institution if the
124	124	difference results from:
125	125	(1) a reduction in the amount of a TEXAS grant under
126	126	Subsection (i-1); or
127	127	(2) a deficiency in the amount of the grant as
128	128	established under Subsection (a) or (e), as applicable, to cover
129	129	the full amount of tuition and required fees charged to the student
130	130	by the institution.
131	131	SECTION 5. The change in law made by this Act applies
132	132	beginning with initial or subsequent TEXAS grants awarded for the
133	133	2017 fall semester. Initial or subsequent TEXAS grants awarded for
134	134	a semester or term before the 2017 fall semester are governed by the
135	135	applicable law in effect immediately before the effective date of
136	136	this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that
137	137	purpose.
138	138	SECTION 6. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
139	139	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
140	140	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
141	141	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
142	142	Act takes effect September 1, 2017.