BILL ANALYSIS

Higher Education Committee

02-27-95
Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND

Texas students have limited options to pursue early enrollment in
higher education.  Students must receive approval from their high
school, pass all sections of the TAAS, obtain college-level
placement scores in reading, writing and math on a college entrance
test, and pay tuition before pursuing early enrollment.

Students in other states have additional options, including the
removal of the requirement that the high school grant permission,
have tuition-free enrollment and the flexibility to transfer funds
from high schools to colleges and universities.

For example, under the Postsecondary Enrollment Options Program
(PSEO) in Minnesota, students may attend a higher education campus
or the course may be taught in the high school by a teacher under
contract with the higher education institution.  The combined
number of hours taken at state expense does not exceed full-time
equivalent status.

Funding for PSEO flows through the basic education allocation. 
PSEO students receive an additional 0.3 weight in the formula
allowance.  The district receives a 12 percent administration fee
of the appropriation derived from the formula.  The remainder of
the appropriation is divided proportionally between the district
and college based on the number of credits taken through each
school.  Colleges receive an additional 32 percent of the average
cost of instruction from the state postsecondary budget.

If a course is taught within the school, general education revenue
pays the full allotment to the school district and the district
pays the college the agreed-upon rate.  Colleges receive marginal
cost funding from the state-college budget.

A college that receives general education revenue may not charge
students for fees, textbooks or other program materials.  All
textbooks provided to a pupil are the property of the school
districts and must be returned.

Additional funds are spent in public secondary education, but it is
a sound investment given the higher cost that would be paid if
students were enrolled as college students.


PURPOSE

This legislation would authorize public junior colleges to offer
courses for joint high school and junior college credit and the
tuition fee may be waived if the junior college chooses to do so. 
 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly
grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer,
department, agency, or institution.


SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Chapter 130A, Education Code, by adding Section
130.008 to read as follows:


     Sec. 130.008.  COURSES FOR JOINT HIGH SCHOOL AND JUNIOR
COLLEGE CREDIT.  (a) Authorizes public junior colleges, under an
agreement with a school district, to offer a course in which a
student attending a high school operated by the school district may
receive:
     (1) a course credit towards academic requirements for high
school graduation; and
     (2) if the student has been admitted to the junior college or
becomes eligible to enroll in, and is subsequently admitted to the
junior college, may receive course credit.
     
(b) Additionally, the junior college may waive the tuition fee for
a high school student enrolled in a course for which the student
may receive joint credit.  
     
(c) Furthermore, the contact hours attributable to the enrollment
of a high school student in a course offered for joint high school
and junior college credit shall be included in the contact hours
used to determine the junior college's proportionate share of the
state money appropriated and distributed to public junior colleges
under Sections 130.003 and 130.0031, even if the junior college
waives the tuition fee for the student under Subsection (b).

SECTION 2.   Emergency clause.
             Effective date: upon passage.  

SUMMARY OF COMMITTEE ACTION

H.B. 1336 was considered by the committee in a public hearing on
March 14, 1995.  The following persons testified in favor of the
bill:  Dr. Bob Ramsay, Chancellor, Alamo Community College
District; Dr. Joel E. Vela, Alamo Community College District; and
Ms. Charlene F. Walden, Harlandale, I.S.D.  The following person
testified neutrally on the bill:  Mr. Kenneth Ashworth, Texas
Higher Education Coordinating Board.  The bill was reported
favorably without amendment, with the recommendation that it do
pass and be printed and be sent to the Committee on Local and
Consent Calendars, by a record vote of 8 ayes, 0 nays, 0 pnv, 1
absent.