By: Van de Putte S.B. No. 722
(In the Senate - Filed February 26, 2003; March 3, 2003,
read first time and referred to Committee on Education;
May 13, 2003, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; May 13, 2003,
sent to printer.)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 722 By: Van de Putte
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to providing education loan repayment assistance to
encourage certain individuals to pursue careers in the faculty or
administration of institutions of higher education.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 56, Education Code, is amended by adding
Subchapter F to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER F. DOCTORAL INCENTIVE LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM
Sec. 56.091. ESTABLISHMENT; ADMINISTRATION. (a) The
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall establish and
administer the doctoral incentive loan repayment program as
provided by this subchapter and shall adopt rules as necessary to
administer the program.
(b) The purpose of the doctoral incentive loan repayment
program is to provide education loan repayment assistance to
individuals from groups that are underrepresented among the faculty
and administration of public and independent institutions of higher
education in this state to increase the number of individuals from
those underrepresented groups among the faculty and administration
of public and independent institutions of higher education in this
state.
(c) For purposes of this subchapter, an individual is from a
group that is underrepresented among the faculty and administration
of public and independent institutions of higher education in this
state if:
(1) the individual was from a low socioeconomic
background while pursuing the individual's undergraduate
education; or
(2) when the individual graduated from high school the
individual resided in an area from which a disproportionately low
number of high school graduates enrolled in postsecondary
educational institutions.
Sec. 56.092. ELIGIBILITY. To be eligible for loan
repayment assistance under the doctoral incentive loan repayment
program, an individual must:
(1) be employed as a full-time faculty or
administration member in a public or independent institution of
higher education in this state for at least one year;
(2) be a Texas resident;
(3) be from a group that is underrepresented among the
faculty and administration of public and independent institutions
of higher education in this state;
(4) have qualified for student financial aid based on
financial need while enrolled in a graduate-level degree program;
and
(5) comply with any other requirements adopted by the
coordinating board for the effective administration of the program.
Sec. 56.093. ELIGIBLE LOANS. The coordinating board may
provide repayment assistance under the doctoral incentive loan
repayment program for the repayment of any education loan received
by an eligible individual through any lender.
Sec. 56.094. LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE. (a) The
coordinating board may provide assistance in the repayment of an
eligible loan to an eligible individual in the amounts and under the
terms the coordinating board considers appropriate to further the
purposes of the doctoral incentive loan repayment program and the
best interests of this state.
(b) An individual may receive loan repayment assistance
under the doctoral incentive loan repayment program in a total
amount not to exceed $100,000.
Sec. 56.095. FUNDING; LIMITATION ON FUNDING. (a) The
doctoral incentive loan repayment program may be funded only from a
source provided by this section. The total amount of loan repayment
assistance paid under the program may not exceed the amount of money
available for the program under this section.
(b) Each institution of higher education shall set aside a
portion of the tuition collected from each student enrolled in a
doctoral degree program, other than a law or health professional
degree program, equal to $2 for each semester credit hour for which
the student is enrolled. The institution shall deliver the money
set aside to the coordinating board in the manner and at the time
prescribed by the coordinating board. The coordinating board shall
transfer the money to the comptroller to be maintained in the state
treasury for the sole purpose of providing loan forgiveness under
this subchapter and paying the costs of administering this
subchapter. The money may be used only for those purposes.
(c) The coordinating board may solicit and accept gifts and
grants from any public or private source for the purposes of the
doctoral incentive loan repayment program.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2003.
SECTION 3. (a) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board shall award loan repayments under the doctoral incentive loan
repayment program established under Subchapter F, Chapter 56,
Education Code, as added by this Act, beginning with the 2004 fall
semester.
(b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall
adopt the initial rules for awarding loans under the doctoral
incentive loan repayment program established under Subchapter F,
Chapter 56, Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as
practicable after the effective date of this Act. The coordinating
board may adopt those initial rules in the manner provided by law
for emergency rules.
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