| 1 | 1 | | 89R5138 KJE-D |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: Frank H.B. No. 3683 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | relating to a student's eligibility to participate in the Financial |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | Aid for Swift Transfer (FAST) program. |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Sections 28.0095(c), (e), (f), and (h), |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | Education Code, are amended to read as follows: |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | (c) A student is eligible to enroll at no cost in a dual |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | credit course under the program if the student: |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | (1) is enrolled: |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | (A) in high school in a school district, [or] |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | charter school, or private school, including a home school; and |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | (B) in a dual credit course at a participating |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | institution of higher education; and |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | (2) was educationally disadvantaged at any time during |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | the four school years preceding the student's enrollment in the |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | dual credit course described by Subdivision (1)(B). |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | (e) Each school district, [or] charter school, or private |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | school shall: |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | (1) on a high school student's enrollment in a dual |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | credit course, determine whether the student meets the criteria for |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | the program under Subsection (c)(2); and |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | (2) notify the institution of higher education that |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | offers the dual credit course in which the student is enrolled of |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | the district's or school's determination under Subdivision (1). |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | (f) A school district, [or] charter school, or private |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | school may make the determination under Subsection (e)(1) based on |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | the district's or school's records, the agency's records, or any |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | other method authorized by commissioner or coordinating board rule. |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | If the district or school bases the determination on a method other |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | than the agency's records, the district or school shall report the |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | method used and the data on which the method is based to the agency |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | for purposes of verification. |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | (h) The coordinating board shall distribute money |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | transferred to the coordinating board under Section 48.308, or |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | appropriated to the coordinating board for purposes of paying costs |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | for eligible students enrolled in a private school, to the |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | participating institutions of higher education in proportion to the |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | number of dual credit courses in which eligible students are |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | enrolled at the institution. |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | SECTION 2. Section 48.308(b), Education Code, as added by |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | Chapter 378 (H.B. 8), Acts of the 88th Legislature, Regular |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | Session, 2023, is amended to read as follows: |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | (b) An institution of higher education participating in the |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | FAST program is entitled to an allotment in an amount equal to the |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | amount of tuition set by coordinating board rule under Section |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | 28.0095(d) for each dual credit course in which a student who is |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | enrolled in a school district or open-enrollment charter school and |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | is eligible to participate in the FAST program is enrolled at the |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | institution. |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | SECTION 3. Section 61.059, Education Code, is amended by |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | adding Subsection (u) to read as follows: |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | (u) In its instruction and operations formula applicable to |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | an institution of higher education participating in the Financial |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | Aid for Swift Transfer (FAST) program under Section 28.0095, the |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | board shall include the amount of tuition set by coordinating board |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | rule under Section 28.0095(d) for each dual credit course in which a |
|---|
| 64 | 64 | | student who is enrolled in a private school and is eligible to |
|---|
| 65 | 65 | | participate in the FAST program is enrolled at the institution. |
|---|
| 66 | 66 | | SECTION 4. Section 28.0095, Education Code, as amended by |
|---|
| 67 | 67 | | this Act, applies beginning with the 2025-2026 school year. |
|---|
| 68 | 68 | | SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|---|
| 69 | 69 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|---|
| 70 | 70 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|---|
| 71 | 71 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|---|
| 72 | 72 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
|---|