| 3 | 2 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 6 | 5 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 7 | 6 | | relating to requiring certain students awarded dual credit by a |
|---|
| 8 | 7 | | public institution of higher education to complete and submit a |
|---|
| 9 | 8 | | financial aid application for higher education costs. |
|---|
| 10 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 11 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
|---|
| 12 | 11 | | amended by adding Section 51.9681 to read as follows: |
|---|
| 13 | 12 | | Sec. 51.9681. FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION REQUIRED FOR DUAL |
|---|
| 14 | 13 | | CREDIT STUDENTS. (a) In this section, "institution of higher |
|---|
| 15 | 14 | | education" has the meaning assigned by Section 61.003. |
|---|
| 16 | 15 | | (b) Each student who earns a cumulative total of 15 or more |
|---|
| 17 | 16 | | semester credit hours at an institution of higher education for |
|---|
| 18 | 17 | | dual credit coursework successfully completed by the student before |
|---|
| 19 | 18 | | the student's last semester or term in 12th grade must complete and |
|---|
| 20 | 19 | | submit a free application for federal student aid (FAFSA) or, if |
|---|
| 21 | 20 | | applicable, a Texas application for state financial aid (TASFA) not |
|---|
| 22 | 21 | | later than the later of: |
|---|
| 23 | 22 | | (1) six months after the last day of the semester or |
|---|
| 24 | 23 | | term in which the student earns that cumulative total; or |
|---|
| 25 | 24 | | (2) January 15 of the school year in which the student |
|---|
| 26 | 25 | | is enrolled in 12th grade. |
|---|
| 27 | 26 | | (c) A student is not required to comply with Subsection (b) |
|---|
| 28 | 27 | | if: |
|---|
| 29 | 28 | | (1) the student's parent or other person standing in |
|---|
| 30 | 29 | | parental relation submits a signed form indicating that the parent |
|---|
| 31 | 30 | | or other person authorizes the student to decline to complete and |
|---|
| 32 | 31 | | submit the financial aid application; or |
|---|
| 33 | 32 | | (2) the student signs and submits the form described |
|---|
| 34 | 33 | | by Subdivision (1) on the student's own behalf if the student is 18 |
|---|
| 35 | 34 | | years of age or older or the student's disabilities of minority have |
|---|
| 36 | 35 | | been removed for general purposes under Chapter 31, Family Code. |
|---|
| 37 | 36 | | (d) Each institution of higher education shall ensure that |
|---|
| 38 | 37 | | each student to whom the institution awards the cumulative total of |
|---|
| 39 | 38 | | semester credit hours described by Subsection (b) completes and |
|---|
| 40 | 39 | | submits the financial aid application as required by that |
|---|
| 41 | 40 | | subsection or submits a signed form to the institution under |
|---|
| 42 | 41 | | Subsection (c). |
|---|
| 43 | 42 | | (e) Each institution of higher education shall adopt a form |
|---|
| 44 | 43 | | to be used for purposes of Subsection (c). |
|---|
| 45 | 44 | | SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2019-2020 |
|---|
| 46 | 45 | | academic year. |
|---|
| 47 | 46 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|---|
| 48 | 47 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|---|
| 49 | 48 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|---|
| 50 | 49 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|---|
| 51 | 50 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
|---|