By Giddings, Brown of Brazos H.B. No. 2276
77R6799 JSA-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to tuition rebate incentives for persons who complete
1-3 certain degree and certificate programs without excessive credit
1-4 hours.
1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-6 SECTION 1. Section 54.0065, Education Code, is amended to
1-7 read as follows:
1-8 Sec. 54.0065. TUITION REBATE FOR CERTAIN UNDERGRADUATES. (a)
1-9 In this section:
1-10 (1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher
1-11 Education Coordinating Board.
1-12 (2) "General academic teaching institution," "public
1-13 junior college," and "public technical institute" have the meanings
1-14 assigned by Section 61.003.
1-15 (b) A qualified student at a general academic teaching
1-16 institution is eligible for a rebate of a portion of the
1-17 undergraduate tuition the student has paid if the student:
1-18 (1) is awarded a baccalaureate degree from the [a
1-19 general academic teaching] institution; and
1-20 (2) has attempted no more than three hours in excess
1-21 of the minimum number of semester credit hours required to complete
1-22 the degree, including transfer credits and course credit earned
1-23 exclusively by examination.
1-24 (c) A qualified student at a public junior college, public
2-1 technical institute, or general academic teaching institution that
2-2 offers only freshman-level and sophomore-level courses is eligible
2-3 for a rebate of a portion of the undergraduate tuition the student
2-4 has paid if the student:
2-5 (1) is awarded an associate degree or other degree or
2-6 certificate in a program that requires at least 60 semester credit
2-7 hours; and
2-8 (2) has attempted no more than three hours in excess
2-9 of the minimum number of semester credit hours required to complete
2-10 the degree or certificate, including transfer credits and course
2-11 credit earned exclusively by examination.
2-12 (d) [(b)] The amount of tuition to be rebated to a student
2-13 under Subsection (b) [this section] is $1,000 and the amount of
2-14 tuition to be rebated to a student under Subsection (c) is $500,
2-15 unless the total amount of undergraduate tuition paid by the
2-16 student to the institution of higher education awarding the degree
2-17 or certificate was less than that amount [$1,000], in which event
2-18 the amount of tuition to be rebated is an amount equal to the
2-19 amount of undergraduate tuition paid by the student to the
2-20 institution. However, a student who paid the institution awarding
2-21 the degree or certificate an amount of undergraduate tuition less
2-22 than the applicable rebate amount specified by this subsection
2-23 [$1,000] may qualify for an increase in the amount of the rebate,
2-24 not to exceed a total rebate in the applicable amount specified by
2-25 this subsection [of $1,000], for any amount of undergraduate
2-26 tuition the student paid to other institutions of higher education
2-27 by providing the institution with proof of the total amount of that
3-1 tuition paid to other institutions of higher education.
3-2 (e) [(c)] A student who has transferred from another
3-3 institution of higher education shall provide the institution
3-4 awarding the degree or certificate an official transcript from each
3-5 institution attended by the student in order that the total number
3-6 of hours attempted by the student can be verified.
3-7 (f) [(d)] To qualify for a rebate under this section, the
3-8 student must have been a resident of this state and entitled to pay
3-9 tuition at the rate provided by this chapter for a resident student
3-10 at all times while pursuing the degree or certificate.
3-11 (g) [(e)] All institutions of higher education shall notify
3-12 each first-time freshman student of the tuition rebate program
3-13 under this section.
3-14 (h) [(f)] The institution awarding the degree or certificate
3-15 shall pay the rebate under this section from local funds.
3-16 (i) [(g)] If a student entitled to a rebate under this
3-17 section has an outstanding student loan, including an emergency
3-18 loan, owed or guaranteed by this state, including the Texas
3-19 Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation, the institution shall apply
3-20 the amount of the rebate to the student's loan. If a student has
3-21 more than one outstanding loan, the institution shall apply the
3-22 amount of the rebate to the loans as directed by the student or, if
3-23 the student fails to provide timely instructions on the application
3-24 of the amount, the institution shall apply the amount of the rebate
3-25 to the loans according to priorities established by the
3-26 coordinating board. If the amount of the rebate exceeds the amount
3-27 of the loan indebtedness, the institution shall pay the student the
4-1 excess amount.
4-2 (j) [(h)] The legislature shall account in the General
4-3 Appropriations Act for the rebates authorized by this section to an
4-4 institution other than a public junior college in a way that
4-5 provides a corresponding increase in the general revenue funds
4-6 appropriated to the institution. It is the intent of the
4-7 legislature that rebates authorized by this section shall be
4-8 financed by savings to the state resulting from reductions in the
4-9 number of courses taken by undergraduate students.
4-10 (k) In addition to the amount appropriated for allocation to
4-11 public junior colleges under Section 130.003, the legislature shall
4-12 appropriate an amount sufficient to reimburse each public junior
4-13 college for any rebates paid by the college under this section in
4-14 the period used to determine the contact hours for the allocation
4-15 under Section 130.003. The coordinating board shall transfer the
4-16 appropriate portion of the amount appropriated under this
4-17 subsection to each public junior college in the same manner as the
4-18 coordinating board transfers money allocated to the college under
4-19 Section 130.003.
4-20 (l) [(i)] The coordinating board, in consultation with the
4-21 institutions of higher education, shall adopt rules for the
4-22 administration of this section.
4-23 SECTION 2. (a) This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
4-24 (b) The change in law made by this Act applies only to a
4-25 person who receives an associate degree or other degree or
4-26 certificate from a public junior college, public technical
4-27 institute, or general academic teaching institution that offers
5-1 only freshman-level and sophomore-level courses on or after the
5-2 effective date of this Act.