Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB3931 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	87R22528 KJE-D
2		-	By: Raney, Guillen H.B. No. 3931
3		-	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 3931:
4		-	By: Parker C.S.H.B. No. 3931
	1	+	87R2704 KJE-D
	2	+	By: Raney H.B. No. 3931
5	3
6	4
7	5		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	6		AN ACT
9	7		relating to the establishment of the Texas Competency-Based
10	8		Education Grant Program for certain students enrolled in
11	9		competency-based baccalaureate degree programs and to formula
12	10		funding and dropped and repeated course restrictions for students
13	11		enrolled in those degree programs at public institutions of higher
14	12		education.
15	13		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
16	14		SECTION 1. Chapter 56, Education Code, is amended by adding
17	15		Subchapter T to read as follows:
18	16		SUBCHAPTER T. TEXAS COMPETENCY-BASED EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM
19	17		Sec. 56.521. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
20	18		(1) "Competency-based baccalaureate degree program"
21	19		means a baccalaureate degree program under which academic credit is
22	20		awarded based solely on a student's attainment of competencies.
23	21		The term may include a program that is organized around traditional
24	22		course-based units, including for online or other distance
25	23		education, that a student must earn for degree completion.
26	24		(2) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
27	25		Education Coordinating Board.
28	26		(3) "Eligible institution" means:
29	27		(A) a general academic teaching institution;
30	28		(B) a private or independent institution of
31	29		higher education;
32	30		(C) a public junior college authorized to offer
33	31		baccalaureate degree programs under Subchapter L, Chapter 130; or
34	32		(D) a nonprofit, tax-exempt, regionally
35	33		accredited college or university operating in accordance with a
36	34		memorandum of understanding with this state under an executive
37	35		order issued by the governor and offering competency-based,
38	36		exclusively online baccalaureate degree programs.
39	37		(4) "Expected family contribution" means the amount of
40	38		discretionary income that should be available to a student from the
41	39		resources of the student and of the student's family, as determined
42	40		by the coordinating board following the methodology prescribed by
43	41		the United States Department of Education for the purpose of
44	42		determining a student's eligibility for need-based student
45	43		financial assistance.
46	44		(5) "General academic teaching institution," "private
47	45		or independent institution of higher education," and "public junior
48	46		college" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003.
49	47		(6) "Program" means the Texas Competency-Based
50	48		Education Grant Program established under this subchapter.
51	49		Sec. 56.522. PURPOSE. The purpose of the Texas
52	50		Competency-Based Education Grant Program is to provide financial
53	51		assistance to enable eligible students to enroll in
54	52		competency-based baccalaureate degree programs at eligible
55	53		institutions.
56	54		Sec. 56.523. ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM; PRIORITY FOR
57	55		FINANCIAL NEED. (a) The coordinating board shall:
58	56		(1) administer the program;
59	57		(2) using the negotiated rulemaking procedures under
60	58		Chapter 2008, Government Code, adopt rules for determining the
61	59		allocation of funds under the program among eligible institutions;
62	60		and
63	61		(3) adopt any other rules necessary to implement the
64	62		program or this subchapter.
65	63		(b) The coordinating board shall consult with the student
66	64		financial aid officers of eligible institutions in developing the
67	65		rules adopted under Subsection (a).
68	66		(c) The total amount of grants awarded under the program may
69	67		not exceed the amount available for the program from
70	68		appropriations, gifts, grants, or other funds.
71	69		(d) In determining who should receive a grant under the
72	70		program, the coordinating board and the eligible institutions shall
73	71		give highest priority to awarding grants to students who
74	72		demonstrate the greatest unmet financial need.
75	73		Sec. 56.524. INITIAL ELIGIBILITY FOR GRANT. (a) To be
76	74		eligible initially for a grant under the program, a person must:
77	75		(1) be a resident of this state as determined by
78	76		coordinating board rules;
79	77		(2) meet financial need requirements as defined by
80	78		coordinating board rules, including a requirement that the person's
81	79		expected family contribution for the academic year does not exceed
82	80		the maximum expected family contribution established for this
83	81		purpose by the coordinating board;
84	82		(3) be enrolled in a competency-based baccalaureate
85	83		degree program at an eligible institution;
86	84		(4) not be receiving a TEXAS grant under Subchapter M,
87	85		a tuition equalization grant under Subchapter F, Chapter 61, or any
88	86		other state-funded student financial assistance for the same
89	87		academic period; and
90	88		(5) comply with any additional nonacademic
91	89		requirement adopted by the coordinating board under this
92	90		subchapter.
93	91		(b) A person is not eligible to receive a grant under the
94	92		program if the person has been granted a baccalaureate degree.
95	93		(c) A person's eligibility for a grant under the program
96	94		ends on the earliest of the following dates:
97	95		(1) the fourth anniversary of the initial award of a
98	96		grant under the program to the person, if at the time of the initial
99	97		award the person had earned less than 60 semester credit hours or an
100	98		equivalent number of competency units or credits toward the
101	99		person's degree;
102	100		(2) the second anniversary of the initial award of a
103	101		grant under the program to the person, if at the time of the initial
104	102		award the person had earned 60 or more semester credit hours or an
105	103		equivalent number of competency units or credits toward the
106	104		person's degree; or
107	105		(3) the date the person receives a baccalaureate
108	106		degree.
109	107		Sec. 56.525. CONTINUING ELIGIBILITY AND ACADEMIC
110	108		PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS. (a) After initially qualifying for a
111	109		grant under the program, a person may continue to receive a grant
112	110		under the program during each semester or term in which the person
113	111		is enrolled at an eligible institution only if the person:
114	112		(1) meets the criteria for initial eligibility under
115	113		Section 56.524(a);
116	114		(2) makes satisfactory academic progress toward a
117	115		baccalaureate degree; and
118	116		(3) complies with any additional nonacademic
119	117		requirement adopted by the coordinating board.
120	118		(b) If a person fails to meet any of the requirements of
121	119		Subsection (a) after the completion of any semester or term, the
122	120		person may not receive a grant under the program during the next
123	121		semester or term in which the person enrolls. Unless the person's
124	122		eligibility for a grant expires under Section 56.524(c), a person
125	123		may become eligible to receive a grant under the program in a
126	124		subsequent semester or term if the person:
127	125		(1) completes at least 12 semester credit hours or an
128	126		equivalent number of competency units or credits in a semester or
129	127		term during which the student is not eligible for a grant; and
130	128		(2) meets all the requirements of Subsection (a).
131	129		(c) For the purpose of this section, a person makes
132	130		satisfactory academic progress toward a baccalaureate degree only
133	131		if the person completes at least 12 semester credit hours or an
134	132		equivalent number of competency units or credits in each semester
135	133		or term in which the person is enrolled.
136	134		(d) The coordinating board shall adopt rules to allow a
137	135		person who is otherwise eligible to receive a grant under the
138	136		program to receive a grant if the student's completion rate falls
139	137		below the satisfactory academic progress requirements of this
140	138		section in the event of a hardship or for other good cause shown,
141	139		including:
142	140		(1) a showing of a severe illness or other
143	141		debilitating condition that may affect the person's academic
144	142		performance; or
145	143		(2) a showing that the person is responsible for the
146	144		care of a sick, injured, or needy person and that the person's
147	145		provision of care may affect the person's academic performance.
148		-	Sec. 56.526. GRANT USE. A grant awarded under the program
149		-	may be applied only to the payment of tuition and required fees at
150		-	an eligible institution.
151		-	Sec. 56.527. GRANT AMOUNT. (a) The amount of a grant
152		-	awarded under the program to a full-time undergraduate student
153		-	equivalent enrolled at an eligible institution for an academic year
154		-	may not exceed the lesser of:
155		-	(1) the difference between the amount of tuition and
156		-	required fees charged to the student by the institution for that
157		-	academic year and the amount of any other gift aid, including state
158		-	or federal grants or scholarships, awarded to the student for that
159		-	academic year; or
160		-	(2) $500.
	146	+	Sec. 56.526. GRANT USE. A person receiving a grant under
	147	+	the program may use the money to pay any usual and customary cost of
	148	+	attendance at an eligible institution incurred by the student. The
	149	+	institution may disburse all or part of the proceeds of a grant
	150	+	under the program to an eligible person only if the tuition and
	151	+	required fees incurred by the person at the institution have been
	152	+	paid.
	153	+	Sec. 56.527. GRANT AMOUNT. (a) The maximum annual amount
	154	+	of a grant under the program for a full-time undergraduate student
	155	+	equivalent enrolled at an eligible institution is an amount equal
	156	+	to 75 percent of the average state appropriation for the state
	157	+	fiscal biennium preceding the biennium in which the grant is
	158	+	awarded for a full-time undergraduate student equivalent enrolled
	159	+	at a general academic teaching institution, as determined by the
	160	+	coordinating board.
161	161		(b) The coordinating board may adopt rules that allow the
162	162		coordinating board to increase or decrease, in proportion to the
163	163		number of semester credit hours or competency units or credits in
164	164		which a student is enrolled, the amount of a grant award to a
165	165		student who is enrolled in a number of semester credit hours or
166	166		competency units or credits in excess of or below 12 semester credit
167	167		hours or an equivalent number of competency units or credits.
168	168		Sec. 56.528. GRANT NOT TO AFFECT ADMISSION. An eligible
169	169		institution may not deny admission to or enrollment in the
170	170		institution based on a person's eligibility to receive a grant
171	171		under the program or a person's receipt of a grant under the
172	172		program.
173	173		SECTION 2. Section 51.907, Education Code, is amended by
174	174		adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows:
175	175		(b-1) This section does not apply to a student enrolled in a
176	176		competency-based baccalaureate degree program, as defined by
177	177		Section 56.521.
178	178		SECTION 3. Section 61.059, Education Code, is amended by
179	179		adding Subsection (s) to read as follows:
180	180		(s) Notwithstanding any other law, the board may not exclude
181	181		from being counted in the hours reported to the Legislative Budget
182	182		Board for formula funding contact hours or semester credit hours
183	183		for a student's enrollment in a course for which the student has
184	184		previously generated formula funding if the student is enrolled in
185	185		a competency-based baccalaureate degree program, as defined by
186	186		Section 56.521.
187	187		SECTION 4. Section 61.0595, Education Code, is amended by
188	188		adding Subsection (f-1) to read as follows:
189	189		(f-1) In the formulas established under Section 61.059, the
190	190		board shall include without consideration of Subsection (a) or (e)
191	191		of this section funding for semester credit hours earned by a
192	192		student who is enrolled in a competency-based baccalaureate degree
193	193		program, as defined by Section 56.521.
194	194		SECTION 5. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
195	195		amended by adding Section 61.088 to read as follows:
196	196		Sec. 61.088. DROPPED OR REPEATED COURSES UNDER
197	197		COMPETENCY-BASED BACCALAUREATE DEGREE PROGRAM. The board by rule
198	198		shall develop standards for and limitations on dropping or
199	199		repeating courses by students enrolled in a competency-based
200	200		baccalaureate degree program, as defined by Section 56.521.
201	201		SECTION 6. Section 51.907(b-1), Education Code, as added by
202	202		this Act, applies beginning with the fall 2021 semester.
203	203		SECTION 7. (a) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating
204	204		Board shall adopt rules to administer Subchapter T, Chapter 56,
205	205		Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after
206	206		the effective date of this Act.
207	207		(b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
208	208		begin allocating funds to eligible institutions under Subchapter T,
209	209		Chapter 56, Education Code, as added by this Act, for the first
210	210		academic year for which money is appropriated for that purpose,
211	211		except that the coordinating board may not allocate funds under
212	212		that subchapter for an academic year before the 2022-2023 academic
213	213		year.
214	214		SECTION 8. The changes in law made by this Act to Sections
215	215		61.059 and 61.0595, Education Code, apply beginning with funding
216	216		recommendations made under Section 61.059, Education Code, for the
217	217		state fiscal biennium beginning September 1, 2023.
218	218		SECTION 9. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
219	219		shall adopt rules under Section 61.088, Education Code, as added by
220	220		this Act, as soon as practicable after this Act takes effect.
221	221		SECTION 10. This Act takes effect immediately if it
222	222		receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each
223	223		house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.
224	224		If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate
225	225		effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2021.