BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center H.B. 86
80R761 CAS-D By: Branch et al. (Ogden)
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
For students to be eligible for a rebate of a portion of the undergraduate tuition, current law requires students to graduate within the time prescribed by the tuition rebate program and have attempted no more than three semester credit hours above the minimum amount required for the degree the student receives. This effectively excludes Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) members from eligibility because they are required to take extra military science credit hours that often force them to go over that limit.
H.B. 86 remedies this problem by exempting ROTC military science credit hours from being counted in determining the hours a student is credited with or has attempted for purposes of the program.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 54.0065(a), Education Code, to provide that a qualified student is eligible for a rebate of a portion of the undergraduate tuition the student has paid if the student has attempted no more than three hours in excess of the minimum number of semester credit hours required to complete the degree program, excluding course credit that is earned to satisfy requirements for a Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program but that is not required to complete the degree program.
SECTION 2. Provides that the change in law made by this Act applies only to a student who is awarded a baccalaureate degree from a general academic teaching institution on or after the effective date of this Act.
SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2007.