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.