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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to tuition and fee exemptions for undergraduate students |
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eligible for automatic admission to general academic teaching |
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institutions. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 54, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 54.202 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 54.202. HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES ELIGIBLE FOR AUTOMATIC |
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ADMISSION. (a) In this section: |
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(1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher |
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Education Coordinating Board. |
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(2) "General academic teaching institution" has the |
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meaning assigned by Section 61.003. |
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(b) This section applies only to a person who: |
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(1) qualifies for automatic admission under Section |
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51.803; and |
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(2) is admitted to and enrolls in a general academic |
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teaching institution. |
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(c) Each general academic teaching institution shall exempt |
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a person to whom this section applies from the payment of tuition |
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and special course fees, laboratory fees, and student teaching |
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fees. |
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(d) The exemption from tuition under Subsection (c) does not |
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apply to designated tuition charged under Section 54.0513. |
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(e) To continue to receive an exemption under this section |
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after the person has received an exemption under this section for |
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two or more academic years or the equivalent, a person must: |
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(1) enroll for a full course load for an undergraduate |
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student, as determined by the coordinating board, in an |
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undergraduate degree or certificate program at a general academic |
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teaching institution; and |
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(2) have a cumulative grade point average of at least |
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2.5 on a four-point scale or the equivalent on all coursework |
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previously attempted at institutions of higher education, if the |
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person is enrolled in any academic year after the person's second |
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academic year. |
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(f) The legislature shall account in the General |
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Appropriations Act for the exemptions authorized by Subsection (c) |
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in a way that provides a corresponding increase in the general |
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revenue funds appropriated to the institution. |
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(g) In addition to the exemptions authorized by Subsection |
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(c), the legislature may appropriate money to the coordinating |
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board to be used to reimburse general academic teaching |
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institutions for reducing as provided by Subsection (h) the amount |
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of designated tuition charged under Section 54.0513 to persons |
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receiving exemptions from tuition and fees under Subsection (c). |
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(h) Based on the amount of appropriations under Subsection |
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(g) that are available for each academic year, the coordinating |
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board shall estimate the amount by which the designated tuition |
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charged under Section 54.0513 to each person who receives an |
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exemption from tuition and fees under Subsection (c) in that |
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academic year may be reduced from the amount that the applicable |
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institution would otherwise charge the person. The coordinating |
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board shall distribute the amount of appropriations under this |
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subsection available for the academic year to general academic |
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teaching institutions in proportion to the number of semester |
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credit hours for which the coordinating board estimates students |
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will receive exemptions under Subsection (c) in that academic year |
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at each institution. |
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(i) Each general academic teaching institution that |
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receives money under Subsection (h) shall reduce the amount of |
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designated tuition charged to each student who receives an |
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exemption under Subsection (c) by the amount determined by the |
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coordinating board for that academic year. |
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SECTION 2. Section 54.202, Education Code, as added by this |
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Act, applies beginning with tuition, fees, and other charges for |
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the 2010 fall semester. Tuition, fees, and other charges for a term |
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or semester before the 2010 fall semester are covered by the law in |
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effect immediately before the effective date of this Act, and the |
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former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 3. 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. |