By Jones of Dallas H.B. No. 733
77R2748 JSA-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the creation of the Texas Rising Star Scholarship
1-3 Program for deserving junior college and technical institute
1-4 students.
1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-6 SECTION 1. Chapter 56, Education Code, is amended by adding
1-7 Subchapter N to read as follows:
1-8 SUBCHAPTER N. TEXAS RISING STAR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
1-9 Sec. 56.351. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
1-10 (1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
1-11 Education Coordinating Board.
1-12 (2) "Eligible institution" means:
1-13 (A) a public junior college or public technical
1-14 institute, as defined by Section 61.003; or
1-15 (B) a private or independent institution of
1-16 higher education, as defined by Section 61.003, that is accredited
1-17 as a junior college.
1-18 Sec. 56.352. PROGRAM NAME; PURPOSE. (a) The student
1-19 financial assistance program authorized by this subchapter is known
1-20 as the Texas Rising Star Scholarship Program, and an individual
1-21 scholarship awarded under this subchapter is known as a rising star
1-22 scholarship.
1-23 (b) The purpose of this subchapter is to provide a grant of
1-24 money to enable qualified students to attend junior colleges and
2-1 public technical institutes in this state.
2-2 Sec. 56.353. ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM. (a) The
2-3 coordinating board shall administer the Texas Rising Star
2-4 Scholarship Program and shall adopt any rules necessary to
2-5 implement the program or this subchapter.
2-6 (b) The coordinating board shall adopt rules to determine
2-7 which eligible persons receive rising star scholarships and to
2-8 provide scholarships in the most efficient manner possible.
2-9 (c) The total amount of rising star scholarships awarded in
2-10 a state fiscal year may not exceed the amount available for the
2-11 program from appropriations, gifts, grants, or other funds.
2-12 (d) In determining who should receive a scholarship, the
2-13 coordinating board shall give highest priority to awarding
2-14 scholarships to students who demonstrate the greatest financial
2-15 need.
2-16 Sec. 56.354. ELIGIBLE PERSON. (a) To be eligible initially
2-17 for a rising star scholarship, a person must:
2-18 (1) be a resident of this state as determined by
2-19 coordinating board rules;
2-20 (2) have graduated from a public high school in this
2-21 state or from a private high school in this state accredited by an
2-22 organization recognized for that purpose by the coordinating board
2-23 with an overall grade point average of at least 2.0 on a four-point
2-24 scale or the equivalent;
2-25 (3) meet financial need requirements as determined by
2-26 the governing board of the eligible institution;
2-27 (4) be enrolled in a degree or certificate program at
3-1 an eligible institution;
3-2 (5) enroll for at least one-half of a full course load
3-3 as an entering freshman in a degree or certificate program; and
3-4 (6) comply with any other requirement adopted by the
3-5 governing board of the eligible institution.
3-6 (b) A person is not eligible to receive a rising star
3-7 scholarship if the person has been granted a baccalaureate degree.
3-8 (c) A person may not receive a rising star scholarship for
3-9 more than 75 semester credit hours or the equivalent.
3-10 Sec. 56.355. ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS. (a) After
3-11 initially qualifying for a rising star scholarship, a person may
3-12 receive a rising star scholarship during a subsequent academic year
3-13 in which the person is enrolled at an eligible institution only if
3-14 the person makes satisfactory academic progress toward a degree or
3-15 certificate as determined by the governing board of the eligible
3-16 institution.
3-17 (b) If a person fails to meet the requirements of Subsection
3-18 (a) after the completion of any academic year, the person may not
3-19 receive a scholarship under this subchapter during the next
3-20 semester or term in which the person enrolls. A person may become
3-21 eligible to receive a scholarship in a subsequent semester or term
3-22 if the person:
3-23 (1) completes a semester or term during which the
3-24 student is not eligible for a scholarship; and
3-25 (2) meets the requirements of Subsection (a).
3-26 Sec. 56.356. SCHOLARSHIP PERIOD AND USE. (a) A rising star
3-27 scholarship is awarded to an eligible person for an academic year,
4-1 except that, for a person who regains eligibility for a scholarship
4-2 under Section 56.355(b) after the beginning of an academic year,
4-3 the coordinating board may grant the person a scholarship for the
4-4 remainder of the academic year.
4-5 (b) A person receiving a rising star scholarship may use the
4-6 money for any usual and customary education-related expense
4-7 incurred by the person, including payment of the person's tuition
4-8 and fees, books, room and board, and transportation.
4-9 (c) The coordinating board or an eligible institution may
4-10 not require a person to use the money to pay tuition and fees.
4-11 Sec. 56.357. SCHOLARSHIP AMOUNT. (a) The amount of a
4-12 rising star scholarship is determined by the coordinating board.
4-13 (b) The amount of a rising star scholarship may be reduced
4-14 by any gift aid the person receives from another source.
4-15 Sec. 56.358. FUNDING. (a) The Texas Rising Star
4-16 Scholarship Program is funded by a combination of state and local
4-17 funds as provided by this section.
4-18 (b) The coordinating board may solicit and accept gifts,
4-19 grants, and donations from any public or private source to provide
4-20 state funds for the program in addition to any other state funds
4-21 appropriated for the program.
4-22 (c) An eligible institution may solicit and accept gifts,
4-23 grants, and donations from any public or private source to provide
4-24 rising star scholarships for its students and may use any other
4-25 available funds of the institution for that purpose.
4-26 (d) In the manner prescribed by the coordinating board, the
4-27 governing board of an eligible institution may apply to participate
5-1 in the Texas Rising Star Scholarship Program for a state fiscal
5-2 year. In its application, the governing board shall state the
5-3 total amount of funds from gifts, grants, and donations the
5-4 institution will use to provide rising star scholarships to its
5-5 students in that fiscal year. From the state funds appropriated to
5-6 the program for that fiscal year, the coordinating board shall set
5-7 aside for scholarships at each eligible institution an amount equal
5-8 to one-half of the amount that the institution will use to provide
5-9 rising star scholarships in that fiscal year from gifts, grants,
5-10 and donations. If the amount of state funds appropriated to the
5-11 program for that fiscal year is insufficient to provide each
5-12 eligible institution applying to participate in the program the
5-13 full amount of matching state funds, the coordinating board shall
5-14 set aside for each eligible institution a share of the available
5-15 state funds in proportion to the amount the institution indicates
5-16 it will use to provide rising star scholarships in that fiscal year
5-17 from gifts, grants, and donations.
5-18 (e) State funds set aside for scholarships at an eligible
5-19 institution under this section for a fiscal year may be used to
5-20 provide those scholarships only to the extent the institution
5-21 provides at least twice that amount for rising star scholarships in
5-22 the same fiscal year from gifts, grants, and donations. The
5-23 coordinating board shall establish procedures for the
5-24 administration of this section, including procedures to ensure that
5-25 state funds appropriated for the program are used exclusively to
5-26 provide rising star scholarships in accordance with this
5-27 subchapter.
6-1 SECTION 2. (a) This Act applies beginning with the
6-2 2002-2003 state fiscal year.
6-3 (b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
6-4 establish procedures for the administration of Subchapter N,
6-5 Chapter 56, Education Code, as added by this Act, not later than
6-6 January 1, 2002.
6-7 (c) This Act does not make an appropriation. The Texas
6-8 Higher Education Coordinating Board is not required to award
6-9 scholarships under the Texas Rising Star Scholarship Program
6-10 established by Subchapter N, Chapter 56, Education Code, as added
6-11 by this Act, that are funded by state money unless state money is
6-12 specifically appropriated for that purpose.
6-13 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
6-14 a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
6-15 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
6-16 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
6-17 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.