| 1 | 1 | | 86R11909 SOS-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Dutton H.B. No. 1954 |
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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 an exemption from or refund of tuition and fees for |
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| 8 | 8 | | lower-division students enrolled in a general academic teaching |
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| 9 | 9 | | institution who maintain a high grade point average. |
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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. Subchapter D, Chapter 54, Education Code, is |
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| 12 | 12 | | amended by adding Section 54.220 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 54.220. EXEMPTION FOR RESIDENT LOWER-DIVISION |
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| 14 | 14 | | STUDENTS AT GENERAL ACADEMIC TEACHING INSTITUTIONS FOR MAINTAINING |
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| 15 | 15 | | HIGH ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. (a) In this section, "general academic |
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| 16 | 16 | | teaching institution" has the meaning assigned by Section 61.003. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (b) An entering freshman student enrolled in a general |
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| 18 | 18 | | academic teaching institution is entitled to a refund of the |
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| 19 | 19 | | tuition and required fees paid by the student under this chapter for |
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| 20 | 20 | | the first semester or term for which the student enrolls at that |
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| 21 | 21 | | institution if the student: |
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| 22 | 22 | | (1) graduated from a private high school, including a |
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| 23 | 23 | | home school, or a public high school in this state; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2) is classified as a Texas resident under Subchapter |
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| 25 | 25 | | B; and |
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| 26 | 26 | | (3) for all courses attempted that initial semester or |
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| 27 | 27 | | term earns a grade point average of at least 3.5 on a four-point |
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| 28 | 28 | | scale or the equivalent. |
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| 29 | 29 | | (c) To receive a refund under Subsection (b), the student |
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| 30 | 30 | | must apply to the general academic teaching institution for the |
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| 31 | 31 | | refund in the manner required by the institution not later than the |
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| 32 | 32 | | first anniversary of the last class day of the semester or term for |
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| 33 | 33 | | which the student seeks a refund. |
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| 34 | 34 | | (d) A student enrolled in a general academic teaching |
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| 35 | 35 | | institution is exempt from the payment of tuition and required fees |
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| 36 | 36 | | authorized by this chapter for a semester or term of the student's |
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| 37 | 37 | | first two academic years, other than a semester or term covered by |
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| 38 | 38 | | Subsection (b), at that institution if the student: |
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| 39 | 39 | | (1) graduated from a private high school, including a |
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| 40 | 40 | | home school, or a public high school in this state; |
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| 41 | 41 | | (2) is classified as a Texas resident under Subchapter |
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| 42 | 42 | | B; and |
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| 43 | 43 | | (3) maintains an overall grade point average of at |
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| 44 | 44 | | least 3.5 on a four-point scale or the equivalent for all prior |
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| 45 | 45 | | course work attempted at the institution. |
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| 46 | 46 | | (e) A student receiving an exemption under this section for |
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| 47 | 47 | | one or more semesters or terms may not enroll for the student's |
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| 48 | 48 | | third academic year at the general academic teaching institution |
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| 49 | 49 | | until the student passes an examination selected and administered |
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| 50 | 50 | | by the institution. |
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| 51 | 51 | | (f) A general academic teaching institution shall fund |
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| 52 | 52 | | tuition and fee refunds and exemptions under this section from |
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| 53 | 53 | | available institutional funds or from available local funds or |
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| 54 | 54 | | other amounts appropriated to the institution, without regard to |
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| 55 | 55 | | whether those appropriations are specifically designated for this |
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| 56 | 56 | | purpose. |
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| 57 | 57 | | (g) A student may not receive a refund or exemption under |
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| 58 | 58 | | this section for a semester or term that begins after the 2038-2039 |
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| 59 | 59 | | academic year. This section expires September 1, 2039. |
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| 60 | 60 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with tuition and fees |
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| 61 | 61 | | charged for the 2019 fall semester. |
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| 62 | 62 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 63 | 63 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 64 | 64 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 65 | 65 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 66 | 66 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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