By: Bivins S.B. No. 1485
97S0755/1
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 at the rate charged to nonresident
1-13 students for any course for which the student registers if the
1-14 student has previously earned 170 or more semester credit hours for
1-15 courses taken as an undergraduate student at any institution of
1-16 higher education.
1-17 (b) Subsection (a) does not apply to a student enrolled in:
1-18 (1) two or more baccalaureate degree programs at the
1-19 same time;
1-20 (2) a double major degree program that requires 130 or
1-21 more semester credits for completion; or
1-22 (3) a health professional baccalaureate degree program
1-23 at a medical or dental unit as defined in Section 61.003.
2-1 (c) For a student admitted to a baccalaureate degree program
2-2 who begins that program at least two years after being awarded a
2-3 previous baccalaureate degree by an institution of higher education
2-4 in a different major, semester credit hours earned by the student
2-5 while enrolled in the previous baccalaureate degree program are not
2-6 counted for purposes of determining whether the student has
2-7 previously earned the number of semester credit hours specified by
2-8 Subsection (a).
2-9 (d) For a student enrolled in a baccalaureate program under
2-10 Section 51.931, semester credit hours earned by the student 10 or
2-11 more years before the date the student begins the new degree
2-12 program under Section 51.931 are not counted for purposes of
2-13 determining whether the student has previously earned the number of
2-14 semester credit hours specified by Subsection (a).
2-15 (e) The following semester credit hours are not counted for
2-16 purposes of determining whether the student has previously earned
2-17 the number of semester credit hours specified by Subsection (a):
2-18 (1) semester credit hours for which the institution
2-19 may not receive funding under the formulas established under
2-20 Section 61.059; or
2-21 (2) credit for remedial education courses or any other
2-22 courses that do not count toward a degree program at the
2-23 institution.
2-24 (f) In consultation with institutions of higher education,
2-25 the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall adopt rules to
3-1 provide for the administration and uniform application of this
3-2 section.
3-3 SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 54, Education Code, is
3-4 amended by adding Section 54.0065 to read as follows:
3-5 Sec. 54.0065. TUITION REBATE FOR CERTAIN UNDERGRADUATES.
3-6 (a) A qualified student is eligible for a rebate of a portion of
3-7 the undergraduate tuition the student has paid if the student:
3-8 (1) is awarded a baccalaureate degree from a general
3-9 academic teaching institution; and
3-10 (2) has attempted no more than six hours in excess of
3-11 the minimum number of semester credit hours required to complete
3-12 the degree, including transfer credits and course credit earned
3-13 exclusively by examination.
3-14 (b) The amount of tuition to be rebated to a student under
3-15 this section is $1,000, unless the total amount of tuition paid by
3-16 the student to the institution of higher education awarding the
3-17 degree was less than $1,000, in which event the amount of tuition
3-18 to be rebated is an amount equal to the amount of tuition paid by
3-19 the student. If the student has paid the institution awarding the
3-20 degree less than $1,000, the student may qualify for a $1,000
3-21 rebate by providing the institution with proof of the total amount
3-22 of tuition paid to an institution of higher education.
3-23 (c) A student who has transferred from another institution
3-24 of higher education shall provide the institution awarding the
3-25 degree an official transcript from each institution attended by the
4-1 student in order that the total number of hours attempted by the
4-2 student can be verified.
4-3 (d) To qualify for a rebate under this section, the student
4-4 must have been a resident of this state and entitled to pay tuition
4-5 at the rate provided by this chapter for a resident student at all
4-6 times while pursuing the degree.
4-7 (e) All institutions of higher education shall notify each
4-8 first-time freshman student of the tuition rebate program.
4-9 (f) The institution awarding the degree shall pay the rebate
4-10 under this section from local funds.
4-11 (g) The legislature shall account in the General
4-12 Appropriations Act for the rebates authorized by this section in a
4-13 way that provides a corresponding increase in the general revenue
4-14 funds appropriated to the institution. It is the intent of the
4-15 legislature that rebates authorized by this section shall be
4-16 financed by savings to the state resulting from reductions in the
4-17 number of courses taken by undergraduate students.
4-18 (h) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, in
4-19 consultation with the institutions of higher education, shall adopt
4-20 rules for the administration of this section.
4-21 SECTION 3. Section 61.059, Education Code, is amended by
4-22 adding Subsection (n) to read as follows:
4-23 (n) The board may not include in any formula under this
4-24 section funding based on undergraduate resident students who have
4-25 earned a total of 170 or more semester credit hours for courses
5-1 taken as an undergraduate student at any institution of higher
5-2 education if the institution is entitled to charge tuition to such
5-3 students at the rate charged to nonresident students under Section
5-4 54.068.
5-5 SECTION 4. (a) Section 54.068, Education Code, as added by
5-6 this Act, applies beginning with tuition charged for the 1997 fall
5-7 semester.
5-8 (b) Section 54.0065, Education Code, as added by this Act,
5-9 applies only to students completing a baccalaureate degree program
5-10 on or after September 1, 1997.
5-11 (c) Subsection (n), Section 61.059, Education Code, as added
5-12 by this Act, applies to funding beginning with the 1997 fall
5-13 semester.
5-14 SECTION 5. The importance of this legislation and the
5-15 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
5-16 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
5-17 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
5-18 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
5-19 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
5-20 passage, and it is so enacted.