79R11528 KEL-D


By:  Brown of Brazos                                              H.B. No. 1172

Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1172:                                   

By:  Brown of Brazos                                          C.S.H.B. No. 1172


A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the tuition charged to resident undergraduate students of institutions of higher education for excess credit hours and to related formula funding. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Sections 54.068(a) and (c), Education Code, are amended to read as follows: (a) An institution of higher education may charge a resident undergraduate student tuition at a higher rate than the rate charged to other resident undergraduate students, not to exceed the rate charged to nonresident undergraduate students, if before the semester or other academic session begins the student has previously attempted a number of semester credit hours for courses taken at any institution of higher education while classified as a resident student for tuition purposes that equals or exceeds 115 percent of [by at least 45 hours] the minimum number of semester credit hours required for completion of the degree program or programs in which the student is enrolled, including minors and double majors, and for completion of any certificate or other special program in which the student is also enrolled, including a program with a study-abroad component. For purposes of this subsection, an undergraduate student who is not enrolled in a degree program is considered to be enrolled in a degree program requiring a minimum of 120 semester credit hours. (c) Subsection (a) applies only [does not apply] to the tuition charged to a student who initially enrolled as an undergraduate student in an institution of higher education during or after [before] the 1999 fall semester, except that the institution of higher education may not require a student who initially enrolls as an undergraduate student in an institution of higher education before the 2006 fall semester to pay higher tuition as permitted by Subsection (a) until the number of semester credit hours previously attempted by the student as described by that subsection exceeds the number of semester credit hours required for the student's degree program or programs by at least 45 hours. SECTION 2. Section 61.0595, Education Code, is amended by amending Subsections (a) and (e) and adding Subsection (f) to read as follows: (a) In the formulas established under Section 61.059, the board may not include funding for semester credit hours earned by a resident undergraduate student who before the semester or other academic session begins has previously attempted a number of semester credit hours for courses taken at any institution of higher education while classified as a resident student for tuition purposes that equals or exceeds 115 percent of [by at least 45 hours] the minimum number of semester credit hours required for completion of the degree program or programs in which the student is enrolled, including minors and double majors, and for completion of any certificate or other special program in which the student is also enrolled, including a program with a study-abroad component. (e) Subsection (a) applies only [does not apply] to funding for semester credit hours earned by a student who initially enrolled as an undergraduate student in any institution of higher education during or after [before] the 1999 fall semester, except that with respect to semester credit hours earned by a student who initially enrolls as an undergraduate student in any institution of higher education before the 2006 fall semester, the board may not reduce funding under this section until the number of semester credit hours previously attempted by the student as described by this section exceeds the number of semester credit hours required for the student's degree program or programs by at least 45 hours. (f) In the formulas established under Section 61.059, the board shall include without consideration of Subsection (a) funding for semester credit hours earned by a student who initially enrolled as an undergraduate student in any institution of higher education before the 1999 fall semester [for those semester credit hours without consideration of Subsection (a)]. SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies beginning with the 2005 fall semester. SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.