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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to student Internet access to certain financial and |
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academic information maintained by 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 Z, Chapter 51, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 51.973 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 51.973. STUDENT INTERNET ACCESS TO FINANCIAL AND |
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ACADEMIC INFORMATION. In accordance with guidelines adopted by the |
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Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and to the extent the |
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institution is legally authorized to provide access to relevant |
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information, each institution of higher education shall provide a |
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method by which each student enrolled in the institution may |
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access, through the institution's Internet website: |
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(1) the student's current financial status, including: |
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(A) any amount of tuition or fees the student |
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owes; |
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(B) any institutional, state, federal, private, |
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or other grant, loan, or other financial aid available specifically |
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to the student through the institution's financial aid office, |
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including the applicable amounts of aid; and |
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(C) any amount of money the student owes on a |
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student financial aid loan the student received through the |
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institution's financial aid office; and |
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(2) the student's current academic status, including: |
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(A) a list of the courses in which the student is |
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currently enrolled; |
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(B) a list of the courses that the student has |
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completed at the institution or at another institution for which |
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the institution has granted or will grant the student course |
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credit, and the grade assigned for each course; and |
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(C) information concerning the required and |
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elective courses, including the number of semester credit hours, |
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that the student must complete for the student's degree plan. |
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SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2010, the Texas Higher |
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Education Coordinating Board shall adopt guidelines as required by |
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Section 51.973, Education Code, as added by this Act. Not later |
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than August 1, 2010, each public institution of higher education |
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shall provide a method by which the institution's students may |
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access financial and academic information as required by that |
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section. |
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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. |