| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to a limitation on increases in the total amount of tuition |
|
|
charged by public institutions of higher education. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 54, Education Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 54.0514 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 54.0514. LIMITATION ON INCREASE IN TOTAL AMOUNT OF |
|
|
TUITION. (a) In this section, "tuition" includes: |
|
|
(1) tuition for which the rates are prescribed by this |
|
|
chapter; and |
|
|
(2) tuition charged by an institution of higher |
|
|
education under Section 54.0513 or another law authorizing an |
|
|
institution to establish tuition rates. |
|
|
(b) The total amount of tuition charged by an institution of |
|
|
higher education to a student may not exceed the total amount of |
|
|
tuition that the institution would have charged to a similarly |
|
|
situated student in the preceding academic year by more than five |
|
|
percent. For purposes of this subsection, students are similarly |
|
|
situated if they share the same residency status, degree program, |
|
|
course load, course level, tuition exemption status, and other |
|
|
circumstances affecting the tuition charged to the student. This |
|
|
subsection does not ensure that the total amount of tuition charged |
|
|
to an individual student does not increase by more than five percent |
|
|
based on a change in the student's residency status, degree |
|
|
program, course load, course level, tuition exemption status, or |
|
|
other circumstance affecting the tuition charged to the student. |
|
|
(c) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board may adopt |
|
|
rules as necessary to administer this section. |
|
|
(d) In addition to the limitation on tuition increases |
|
|
provided by Subsection (b), the total amount of tuition charged by |
|
|
an institution of higher education to a student for the 2007-2008 |
|
|
academic year may not be more than five percent higher than the |
|
|
total amount of tuition charged for the 2004-2005 academic year to a |
|
|
similarly situated student as determined under Subsection (b). |
|
|
(e) If a student has paid an amount of tuition for the 2007 |
|
|
fall semester in excess of the maximum amount permitted by this |
|
|
section, the institution, not later than January 1, 2008, shall |
|
|
refund to the student the excess amount of tuition paid. This |
|
|
subsection expires September 1, 2008. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with tuition charged |
|
|
by public institutions of higher education for the 2007-2008 |
|
|
academic year. |
|
|
SECTION 3. 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, 2007. |