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Senate Bill 1528 |
Senate Author: Zaffirini |
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Effective: 9-1-05 |
House Sponsor: Morrison |
Senate Bill 1528 amends the Education Code to require the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, in consultation with public colleges and universities, to adopt rules relating to the resident status of higher education students and to tuition and fee exemptions and waivers. The bill revamps provisions concerning the determination of resident status, continuing resident status, and reclassification of status based on additional or changed information.
Senate Bill 1528 requires a college or university that erroneously classifies a student as a resident to charge that student nonresident tuition and fees beginning the semester following the discovery of the error. The bill allows the institution to request payment for the difference between nonresident tuition and the resident tuition erroneously paid by the student and to impose certain sanctions for nonpayment, exclusive of requiring payment as a condition for subsequent enrollment. If a student fails to provide new information in a timely manner or provides false information relevant to a determination of resident status, the student must repay the difference between nonresident tuition and the resident tuition erroneously paid within 30 days of being notified of the liability, and the institution is allowed to withhold a certificate, diploma, or official transcript until the amount is paid. If an institution erroneously classifies a student as a nonresident, the institution must charge the resident tuition in the semester in which the error is discovered and must immediately refund the amount of excess tuition paid as a result of the error.
Senate Bill 1528 also provides that a nonresident may qualify for resident tuition and fees when the person or the person's caretaker moved to Texas for employment purposes under a state-authorized economic development and diversification program or is a nonresident classified in accordance with the Agreement between the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty Regarding the Status of Their Forces.
Senate Bill 1528 allows a junior college district to charge higher fees for a course or program that has extraordinary costs without regard for exemptions given to certain persons associated with service in the armed forces. The bill also prohibits an institution from considering whether an applicant is eligible for such military service-related exemptions when evaluating an application for admissions.
Senate Bill 1528 requires the coordinating board to compile data and report to the 80th Legislature on the amount and percentage change in tuition and fees charged at each public college and university beginning with the 2003 fall semester through the 2007 spring semester.