79R2237 KEL-D
By: Brown of Brazos 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 in which
the student is enrolled. 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 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 in which the student is enrolled.
(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 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.