By: Bivins S.B. No. 1485 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1-1 relating to the tuition charged to certain students at public 1-2 institutions of higher education and to state funding related to 1-3 those students. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 54, Education Code, is 1-6 amended by adding Section 54.068 to read as follows: 1-7 Sec. 54.068. INCREASED TUITION FOR CERTAIN RESIDENT 1-8 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS. (a) For a student enrolled in a 1-9 baccalaureate program at an institution of higher education who is 1-10 otherwise entitled to pay tuition at the rate provided by this 1-11 chapter for a resident student, the governing board of the 1-12 institution may charge tuition up to the rate charged to 1-13 nonresident students for any course for which the student registers 1-14 if the student has previously earned 170 or more semester credit 1-15 hours for courses taken as an undergraduate student at any 1-16 institution of higher education. In its appropriations to 1-17 institutions of higher education, the legislature shall compute the 1-18 local funds available to each institution as if the tuition 1-19 collected under this subsection were not collected. 1-20 (b) Subsection (a) does not apply to a student enrolled in: 1-21 (1) two or more baccalaureate degree programs at the 1-22 same time; 1-23 (2) a double major degree program that requires 130 or 2-1 more semester credits for completion; or 2-2 (3) a health professional baccalaureate degree program 2-3 at a medical or dental unit as defined in Section 61.003. 2-4 (c) For a student admitted to a baccalaureate degree program 2-5 who begins that program at least one year after being awarded a 2-6 previous baccalaureate degree by an institution of higher education 2-7 in a different major, semester credit hours earned by the student 2-8 while enrolled in the previous baccalaureate degree program are not 2-9 counted for purposes of determining whether the student has 2-10 previously earned the number of semester credit hours specified by 2-11 Subsection (a). 2-12 (d) For a student enrolled in a baccalaureate program under 2-13 Section 51.931, semester credit hours earned by the student 10 or 2-14 more years before the date the student begins the new degree 2-15 program under Section 51.931 are not counted for purposes of 2-16 determining whether the student has previously earned the number of 2-17 semester credit hours specified by Subsection (a). 2-18 (e) The following semester credit hours are not counted for 2-19 purposes of determining whether the student has previously earned 2-20 the number of semester credit hours specified by Subsection (a): 2-21 (1) semester credit hours for which the institution 2-22 may not receive funding under the formulas established under 2-23 Section 61.059; or 2-24 (2) credit for remedial education courses or any other 2-25 courses that do not count toward a degree program at the 3-1 institution. 3-2 (f) In consultation with institutions of higher education, 3-3 the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall adopt rules to 3-4 provide for the administration and uniform application of this 3-5 section. 3-6 SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 54, Education Code, is 3-7 amended by adding Section 54.0065 to read as follows: 3-8 Sec. 54.0065. TUITION REBATE FOR CERTAIN UNDERGRADUATES. 3-9 (a) A qualified student is eligible for a rebate of a portion of 3-10 the undergraduate tuition the student has paid if the student: 3-11 (1) is awarded a baccalaureate degree from a general 3-12 academic teaching institution; and 3-13 (2) has attempted no more than three hours in excess 3-14 of the minimum number of semester credit hours required to complete 3-15 the degree, including transfer credits and course credit earned 3-16 exclusively by examination. 3-17 (b) The amount of tuition to be rebated to a student under 3-18 this section is $1,000, unless the total amount of tuition paid by 3-19 the student to the institution of higher education awarding the 3-20 degree was less than $1,000, in which event the amount of tuition 3-21 to be rebated is an amount equal to the amount of tuition paid by 3-22 the student. If the student has paid the institution awarding the 3-23 degree less than $1,000, the student may qualify for a $1,000 3-24 rebate by providing the institution with proof of the total amount 3-25 of tuition paid to an institution of higher education. 4-1 (c) A student who has transferred from another institution 4-2 of higher education shall provide the institution awarding the 4-3 degree an official transcript from each institution attended by the 4-4 student in order that the total number of hours attempted by the 4-5 student can be verified. 4-6 (d) To qualify for a rebate under this section, the student 4-7 must have been a resident of this state and entitled to pay tuition 4-8 at the rate provided by this chapter for a resident student at all 4-9 times while pursuing the degree. 4-10 (e) All institutions of higher education shall notify each 4-11 first-time freshman student of the tuition rebate program. 4-12 (f) The institution awarding the degree shall pay the rebate 4-13 under this section from local funds. 4-14 (g) The legislature shall account in the General 4-15 Appropriations Act for the rebates authorized by this section in a 4-16 way that provides a corresponding increase in the general revenue 4-17 funds appropriated to the institution. It is the intent of the 4-18 legislature that rebates authorized by this section shall be 4-19 financed by savings to the state resulting from reductions in the 4-20 number of courses taken by undergraduate students. 4-21 (h) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, in 4-22 consultation with the institutions of higher education, shall adopt 4-23 rules for the administration of this section. 4-24 SECTION 3. Section 61.059, Education Code, is amended by 4-25 adding Subsection (n) to read as follows: 5-1 (n) The board may not include in any formula under this 5-2 section funding based on undergraduate resident students who have 5-3 earned a total of 170 or more semester credit hours for courses 5-4 taken as an undergraduate student at any institution of higher 5-5 education if the institution is entitled to charge tuition to such 5-6 students at the rate charged to nonresident students under Section 5-7 54.068. 5-8 SECTION 4. (a) Section 54.068, Education Code, and 5-9 Subsection (n), Section 61.059, Education Code, as added by this 5-10 Act, apply only to tuition and funding for students who enter an 5-11 institution of higher education as first-time freshmen in or after 5-12 the 1997 fall semester. 5-13 (b) Section 54.0065, Education Code, as added by this Act, 5-14 applies only to students who enter an institution of higher 5-15 education as first-time freshmen in or after the 1997 fall 5-16 semester. 5-17 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the 5-18 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 5-19 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 5-20 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 5-21 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended, 5-22 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its 5-23 passage, and it is so enacted.