BILL ANALYSIS
By: Branch
Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Current Texas law specifies certain requirements for students to be eligible for a rebate of a portion of the undergraduate tuition under the "B on Time" program. The student must meet the following requirements upon graduation to qualify: graduate within the time prescribed by the Texas B-On-Time loan program and within only three hours excess of his or her degree plan. Texas law excludes ROTC members from eligibility due to extra military science credit hours required by the ROTC program that do not apply to the student's major degree plan. House Bill 86 exempts these ROTC military science credit hours allowing Texas ROTC students the chance to be eligible for the rebate.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
SECTION 1: Section 54.0065 (a) of the Education Code is amended. Provides that course credit that is earned to satisfy requirements for a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program is not required to complete the degree program and it is to be excluded when considering eligibility for a tuition rebate under Section 54.0065 (a), Education Code.
SECTION 2: 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.
EFFECTIVE DATE
Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2007.