Enrolled Bill Summary

            House Bill 1882 amends Education Code provisions relating to the Early High School Graduation Scholarship program to increase the amount of assistance available to eligible students and to revise the eligibility requirements. The bill extends the time required to graduate from a Texas public high school from 36 to 41 consecutive months or, if the person graduates with at least 30 hours of college credit, 45 consecutive months, but it also requires a student to complete the recommended or advanced high school program to be eligible. The bill waives the latter requirement and a provision that terminates a student's eligibility after six years for certain good causes.

            The bill allows the state credit provided by the program to be applied to both tuition and mandatory fees, and it provides a credit of $2,000 if the person graduates in 36 consecutive months or less and an additional $1,000 if the person graduates with at least 15 hours of college credit, a credit of $500 if the person graduates in more than 36 but not more than 41 consecutive months and an additional $1,000 if the person graduates with at least 30 hours of college credit, and a $1,000 credit if the person graduates in more than 41 but not more than 45 consecutive months with at least 30 hours of college credit. The bill also provides one-time credits of varying amounts to school districts for each graduate of a district high school who uses any part of the individual credit earned.