SRC-MKV H.B. 2276 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   H.B. 2276
77R6799 JSA-DBy: Giddings (Sponsor Unknown)
Education
5/11/2001
Engrossed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, tuition rebate incentives for individuals who complete degree
programs without excessive credit only apply to undergraduate students at
four-year institutions. Tuition rebate incentives encourage students to
complete their undergraduate studies expeditiously and may save the state
money since students taking fewer courses and spending shorter periods of
time on campuses cost the state less money.   H.B. 2276 allows qualified
students at a public junior college, public technical institute, or general
academic teaching institution that offers only freshman-level and
sophomore-level courses to receive a tuition rebate incentive if they
complete a degree or certificate program of at least 60 credit hours while
attempting no more than three hours in excess of the minimum required
hours. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a
state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

H.B.  2276 amends the Education Code to provide that a qualified student at
a public junior college, public technical institute, or general academic
teaching institution that offers only freshman-level and sophomore-level
courses is eligible for a rebate of a portion of the undergraduate tuition
the student has paid if the student is awarded an associate degree or other
degree or certificate in a program that requires at least 60 semester
credit hours and has attempted no more than three hours in excess of the
minimum number of semester credit hours required to complete the degree or
certificate, including transfer credits and course credit earned
exclusively by examination.  The bill provides that the amount of tuition
to be rebated to a student under these provisions is the lesser of $500 or
the amount of tuition paid by the student. 

The bill requires the legislature to appropriate an amount sufficient to
reimburse each public junior college for any rebates paid by the college in
the period used to determine the contact hours for the junior college's
appropriation.  The bill requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board (coordinating board) to transfer the appropriate portion of the
amount appropriated for tuition rebates to each public junior college in
the same manner as appropriations allocated to the college. 

Effective date: September 1, 2001.