Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB4387 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		87R18094 MM-F
2		-	By: González of El Paso, VanDeaver, Stucky, H.B. No. 4387
3		-	Raney
	2	+	By: González of El Paso, VanDeaver H.B. No. 4387
	3	+	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 4387:
	4	+	By: Raney C.S.H.B. No. 4387
4	5
5	6
6	7		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
7	8		AN ACT
8	9		relating to the establishment of the Texas Transfer Grant Pilot
9	10		Program.
10	11		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	12		SECTION 1. Chapter 56, Education Code, is amended by adding
12	13		Subchapter N to read as follows:
13	14		SUBCHAPTER N. TEXAS TRANSFER GRANT PILOT PROGRAM
14	15		Sec. 56.331. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
15	16		(1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
16	17		Education Coordinating Board.
17	18		(2) "Eligible institution" means a general academic
18	19		teaching institution or a medical and dental unit that offers one or
19	20		more baccalaureate degree programs. The term does not include a
20	21		public state college.
21	22		(3) "General academic teaching institution," "medical
22	23		and dental unit," and "public state college" have the meanings
23	24		assigned by Section 61.003.
24	25		(4) "Pilot program" means the Texas Transfer Grant
25	26		Pilot Program established under this subchapter.
26	27		(5) "Transfer student" means a student who, at the
27	28		time the student is admitted to the eligible institution disbursing
28	29		the grant, has earned enough credit hours to no longer be considered
29	30		a first-time entering undergraduate student, as defined by
30	31		coordinating board rule.
31	32		Sec. 56.332. PILOT PROGRAM. The Texas Transfer Grant Pilot
32	33		Program is a pilot program under which the coordinating board may
33	34		provide a grant to enable eligible students to attend eligible
34	35		institutions of higher education.
35	36		Sec. 56.333. ADMINISTRATION OF PILOT PROGRAM. (a) The
36	37		coordinating board shall administer the pilot program and adopt any
37	38		rules necessary to implement the pilot program or this subchapter.
38	39		The coordinating board shall consult with the student financial aid
39	40		officers of eligible institutions in developing the rules.
40	41		(b) The total amount of grants awarded under this subchapter
41	42		may not exceed the amount available for the program from
42	43		appropriations, gifts, grants, or other funds.
43	44		(c) For each academic year during which eligible students
44	45		are enrolled at an eligible institution, the coordinating board
45	46		shall allocate to that institution the amount necessary to pay to
46	47		eligible students grants under this subchapter.
47	48		(d) In determining who should receive a grant under this
48	49		subchapter, the coordinating board and the eligible institutions
49	50		shall give priority to awarding grants to students who demonstrate
50	51		the greatest financial need.
51	52		(e) The coordinating board shall establish priorities for
52	53		awarding grant assistance as the board determines appropriate to
53	54		further the purpose of this subchapter in the event that in any year
54	55		the amount of money available for grant assistance under this
55	56		subchapter is insufficient to provide grant assistance to all
56	57		eligible students described by Section 56.334.
57	58		Sec. 56.334. ELIGIBILITY FOR GRANT. (a) To be eligible for
58	59		a grant under the pilot program, a student must:
59	60		(1) be a resident of this state as determined by
60	61		coordinating board rules;
61	62		(2) meet financial need requirements as defined by the
62	63		coordinating board;
63	64		(3) be enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program at
64	65		an eligible institution;
65	66		(4) be enrolled as a transfer student for at least
66	67		three-fourths of a full course load for a student in a baccalaureate
67	68		program, as determined by the coordinating board;
68	69		(5) have applied for any available financial aid or
69	70		assistance;
70	71		(6) not be a recipient of a TEXAS Grant under
71	72		Subchapter M for the same semester or term;
72	73		(7) make satisfactory academic progress toward a
73	74		baccalaureate degree, as determined by the coordinating board; and
74	75		(8) comply with any additional nonacademic
75	76		requirement adopted by the coordinating board under this
76	77		subchapter.
77	78		(b) A person is not eligible to receive a grant under this
78	79		subchapter if the person has been granted a baccalaureate degree.
79	80		(c) The coordinating board shall by rule establish the
80	81		maximum semester credit hours, or semester credit hour equivalent,
81	82		for which an eligible student may receive a grant under this
82	83		subchapter.
83	84		(d) If a student fails to meet any of the requirements
84	85		established by the coordinating board under Subsection (a)(7) after
85	86		the completion of any semester or term, the student may not receive
86	87		a grant under this subchapter during the next semester or term in
87	88		which the student enrolls. A student may become eligible to receive
88	89		a grant under this subchapter in a subsequent semester or term if
89	90		the student:
90	91		(1) completes a semester or term during which the
91	92		student is not eligible for a grant; and
92	93		(2) meets all the requirements established under
93	94		Subsection (a).
94	95		(e) The coordinating board shall adopt rules to allow a
95	96		student who is otherwise eligible to receive a grant under this
96	97		subchapter, in the event of a hardship or for other good cause
97	98		shown, to receive a grant under this subchapter:
98	99		(1) while enrolled in a number of semester credit
99	100		hours that is fewer than the number of semester credit hours
100	101		required under Subsection (a)(4);
101	102		(2) if the student fails to meet the satisfactory
102	103		academic progress requirements established by the coordinating
103	104		board under Subsection (a)(7); or
104	105		(3) for a number of semester credit hours that exceeds
105	106		the number of semester credit hours outlined in Subsection (c).
106	107		Sec. 56.335. GRANT USE. A student receiving a grant under
107	108		this subchapter may use the money to pay any usual and customary
108	109		cost of attendance that is incurred by the student at an eligible
109	110		institution. The institution may disburse all or part of the
110	111		proceeds of a grant under this subchapter directly to an eligible
111	112		student only if the tuition and required fees incurred by the
112	113		student at the institution have been paid.
113	114		Sec. 56.336. GRANT AMOUNT. (a) The maximum amount of a
114	115		grant under this subchapter for an eligible student enrolled
115	116		full-time at an eligible institution is the amount determined by
116	117		the coordinating board as the average statewide amount of tuition
117	118		and required fees that a resident student enrolled full-time in a
118	119		baccalaureate degree program would be charged for that semester or
119	120		term at eligible institutions.
120	121		(b) The coordinating board shall determine the average
121	122		statewide tuition and fee amounts for a semester or term of the next
122	123		academic year for purposes of this section by using the amounts of
123	124		tuition and required fees that will be charged by the eligible
124	125		institutions for that semester or term in that academic year. The
125	126		coordinating board may estimate the amount of the charges for a
126	127		semester or term in the next academic year by an institution if the
127	128		relevant information is not yet available to the board.
128	129		(c) The coordinating board may adopt rules that allow the
129	130		board to increase or decrease, in proportion to the number of
130	131		semester credit hours in which a student is enrolled, the amount of
131	132		a grant award under this section to a student who is enrolled in a
132	133		number of semester credit hours that exceeds or that is less than
133	134		the number of semester credit hours established under Section
134	135		56.334(a)(4).
135	136		(d) The amount of a grant under this subchapter may not be
136	137		reduced by any gift aid for which the person receiving the grant is
137	138		eligible, unless the total amount of a person's grant plus any gift
138	139		aid received exceeds the student's total financial need at an
139	140		eligible institution.
140	141		(e) An eligible institution may not:
141	142		(1) unless the institution complies with Subsection
142	143		(g), charge a person attending the institution who also receives a
143	144		grant under this subchapter an amount of tuition and required fees
144	145		that exceeds the amount of the grant received by the person; or
145	146		(2) deny admission to or enrollment in the institution
146	147		based on a person's eligibility to receive a grant or a person's
147	148		receipt of a grant under this subchapter.
148	149		(f) An eligible institution may elect to award a grant under
149	150		this subchapter to any student in an amount that is less than the
150	151		applicable amount established under Subsection (a) or (e).
151	152		(g) An eligible institution shall use other available
152	153		sources of financial aid, other than a loan, to cover any difference
153	154		in the amount of a grant awarded under this subchapter to the
154	155		student and the actual amount of tuition and required fees at the
155	156		institution if the difference results from:
156	157		(1) a reduction in the amount of a grant under
157	158		Subsection (f); or
158	159		(2) a deficiency in the amount of the grant as
159	160		established under Subsection (a) or (c), as applicable, to cover
160	161		the full amount of tuition and required fees charged to the student
161	162		by the institution.
162	163		(h) The legislature in an appropriations act shall account
163	164		for tuition and required fees received under this section in a way
164	165		that does not increase the general revenue appropriations to that
165	166		institution.
166	167		Sec. 56.337. REPORT. Not later than December 1 of each
167	168		even-numbered year, the coordinating board shall submit to the
168	169		legislature a report on the effectiveness of the pilot program. The
169	170		coordinating board shall include in the report a recommendation
170	171		regarding whether the pilot program should be continued, expanded,
171	172		or terminated.
172	173		Sec. 56.338. EXPIRATION. This subchapter expires September
173	174		1, 2025.
174	175		SECTION 2. (a) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating
175	176		Board shall adopt rules to administer the pilot program established
176	177		under Subchapter N, Chapter 56, Education Code, as added by this
177	178		Act, as soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act.
178	179		(b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and
179	180		eligible institutions shall award initial grants under Subchapter
180	181		N, Chapter 56, Education Code, as added by this Act, beginning with
181	182		the 2022 spring semester.
182	183		SECTION 3. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is
183	184		required to implement this Act only if the legislature appropriates
184	185		money specifically for that purpose. If the legislature does not
185	186		appropriate money specifically for that purpose, the coordinating
186	187		board may, but is not required to, implement this Act using other
187	188		appropriations available for that purpose.
188	189		SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
189	190		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
190	191		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
191	192		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
192	193		Act takes effect September 1, 2021.