LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE 75th Regular Session April 9, 1997 TO: Honorable Teel Bivins, Chair IN RE: Senate Bill No. 1907 Committee on Education By: Bivins Senate Austin, Texas FROM: John Keel, Director In response to your request for a Fiscal Note on SB1907 ( Relating to tuition and fees charged by public institutions of higher education, including the redesignation of certain fees as tuition.) this office has detemined the following: Biennial Net Impact to General Revenue Funds by SB1907-As Introduced No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated. The bill would amend the Education Code to allow the governing boards of institutions to set tuition rates within specified ranges. The bill would exclude tuition above the minimum level from educational and general funds and would require that it is not accounted for in determining an institution's general revenue appropriation. The bill would allow governing boards to set graduate tuition rates equal to the minimum undergraduate rate but no more than 1.5 times the maximum undergraduate rate. The bill would allow the governing board of universities to set undergraduate resident tuition for the 1997-98 academic year between $34 and $68 per semester credit hour; between $36 and $72 per semester credit hour for the 1998-99 academic year; between $38 and $76 per semester credit hour for the 1999-2000 academic year; and between $40 and $80 per semester credit hour for the 2000-2001 academic year. The bill would authorize governing boards to fix and collect rentals, rates, and charges from students and other for use of facilities. This revenue could be used towards paying bonds. The bill would modify the range for Texas Public Education Grants set aside to not less than nine percent to not more than 15 percent of resident tuition. The change to tuition would take effect for the 1997 fall semester. Because the bill would maintain the current minimum charges for tuition and would designate any amounts over the minimum as institutional funds that are not to be accounted for in the appropriations process, there would be no impact on general revenue funding to institutions. No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated. Source: Agencies: 781 Higher Education Coordinating Board 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts 304 Comptroller of Public Accounts LBB Staff: JK ,LP ,LD