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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to rebates of tuition paid by certain freshman students |
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who maintain satisfactory grades at public institutions of higher |
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education. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 54, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 54.0061 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 54.0061. TEXAS FIRST SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM: TUITION |
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REBATES FOR RESIDENT FRESHMAN STUDENTS MAINTAINING SATISFACTORY |
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GRADES. (a) In this section, "coordinating board" means the Texas |
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Higher Education Coordinating Board. |
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(b) A student who enrolls as a first-time freshman at an |
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institution of higher education and who completes the first two |
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semesters or summer terms for which the student is enrolled at an |
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institution of higher education is entitled to a rebate of the |
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tuition paid by the student under this chapter for those semesters |
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or terms if the student: |
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(1) graduated from: |
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(A) a public high school in this state; |
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(B) a private high school in this state, |
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including a home school; or |
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(C) a high school operated by the United States |
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Department of Defense; |
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(2) is a resident of this state for purposes of this |
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title or is entitled under Section 54.058 to pay tuition at the rate |
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charged to residents of this state; |
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(3) in each of those semesters or terms completes a |
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full course load for a student in an undergraduate degree or |
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certificate program; |
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(4) earns a cumulative grade point average of at least |
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2.0 on a four-point scale or the equivalent for all courses |
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attempted during those semesters or terms; and |
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(5) meets other eligibility requirements, including |
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financial need requirements, that are established by coordinating |
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board rule and are substantially similar to the eligibility |
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requirements for receiving a federal Pell grant. |
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(c) To receive a rebate under Subsection (b), not later than |
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the first anniversary of the last class day of the second semester |
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or term for which the rebate is sought, the student must apply to |
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the institution of higher education to which the student paid the |
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tuition, in the manner required by the institution. A student who |
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attended different institutions for each of those semesters or |
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terms must apply separately to each institution. |
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(d) An institution of higher education shall pay costs of |
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rebates under this section using appropriated money available for |
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the purpose. For the purposes of this section, the institution also |
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may solicit, receive, and spend grants, gifts, and donations from |
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any public or private source. |
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(e) The coordinating board shall adopt rules as necessary to |
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implement this section, including rules establishing: |
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(1) the requirements for completing a full course load |
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for purposes of Subsection (b)(3); and |
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(2) additional eligibility requirements in accordance |
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with Subsection (b)(5). |
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SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
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may adopt initial rules under Section 54.0061, Education Code, as |
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added by this Act, in the manner provided by law for emergency |
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rules. |
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SECTION 3. Section 54.0061, Education Code, as added by |
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this Act, does not apply to a student who first enrolled in an |
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institution of higher education before the 2009 fall semester. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |