Enrolled Bill Summary

            Senate Bill 526 amends the Education Code to create a higher education tuition assistance program for certain Texas Army National Guard, Texas Air National Guard, or Texas State Guard personnel to encourage enlistment in and diversification of those armed forces. The act requires the adjutant general to grant tuition assistance to a number of eligible persons based on the funding available and allows the adjutant general to apportion the awards among the three components as necessary to meet their recruitment and retention needs, except that the number of awards to Texas State Guard personnel may not exceed 30 in any semester unless the adjutant general finds a compelling need for additional awards. Awards may be used for undergraduate or graduate tuition at public or private schools, including vocational or technical schools, but the act limits the number of hours per semester and the total number of hours for which an individual may receive assistance.

            If a person awarded tuition assistance attends a public college or university, the person is exempt from paying tuition, and the coordinating board is required to reimburse the school for the exempted amount; if the person attends a private institution, the coordinating board is required to make the grant directly to the recipient.