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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 financial and academic |
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information maintained by public institutions of higher education |
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and to a fixed tuition rate provided by certain institutions of |
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higher education to students for satisfactory academic |
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performance. |
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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. Subchapter A, Chapter 54, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 54.0105 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 54.0105. FIXED TUITION RATE FOR SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC |
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PERFORMANCE. (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) Except as otherwise provided by this section, in a |
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semester or other academic term, the governing board of a general |
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academic teaching institution may not charge an undergraduate |
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student tuition under Section 54.0513, or under any other law |
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granting the institution discretion to set the tuition rate, at a |
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rate that exceeds the rate the institution charged the student |
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during the first semester or other academic term the student |
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enrolled in the institution if the student: |
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(1) enrolled in the institution: |
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(A) as a first-time freshman; or |
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(B) not later than the first fall semester |
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following the student's graduation from high school; |
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(2) has been continuously enrolled at the institution |
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since initial enrollment in the institution; |
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(3) is currently and at all times while enrolled at the |
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institution has been a resident of this state for purposes of |
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Subchapter B or was otherwise entitled to pay tuition at the rate |
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provided for residents of this state; |
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(4) is enrolled for a full course load for an |
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undergraduate student, as determined by the coordinating board, in |
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a baccalaureate degree program; |
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(5) has completed at least 75 percent of the semester |
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credit hours previously attempted at the institution; and |
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(6) has earned a cumulative grade point average of at |
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least 2.5 on a four-point scale or the equivalent on all coursework |
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previously attempted at the institution. |
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(c) Subsection (b) does not apply to a student enrolled in a |
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general academic teaching institution after: |
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(1) the fourth anniversary of the date the student |
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first enrolls in the institution, if on that anniversary the |
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student is enrolled in a four-year baccalaureate degree program; or |
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(2) the end of the standard completion period |
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established by the institution for the student's degree program, if |
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the student is enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program of longer |
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than four years. |
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(d) Each general academic teaching institution shall notify |
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each entering undergraduate student of the eligibility |
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requirements for a fixed tuition rate under this section. |
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(e) In consultation with general academic teaching |
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institutions, the coordinating board shall adopt any rules the |
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coordinating board considers appropriate for the administration of |
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this section, including rules necessary for purposes of Subsection |
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(f). |
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(f) The coordinating board shall adopt rules requiring a |
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general academic teaching institution to provide a fixed tuition |
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rate under this section to a student who satisfies the other |
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requirements of this section but, solely as a result of a hardship |
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or other good cause shown as determined by board rule, is unable to |
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satisfy the requirements of Subsection (b)(1), (2), (4), or (5). |
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(g) This section does not apply to a student who transfers |
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from one institution of higher education to another. |
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(h) This section does not apply to a student who enters a |
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general academic teaching institution for the first time before the |
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2010 fall semester. This subsection expires January 1, 2016. |
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SECTION 3. (a) Not later than January 1, 2010, the Texas |
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Higher Education Coordinating Board shall adopt guidelines as |
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required by Section 51.973, Education Code, as added by this Act, |
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and rules as required by Section 54.0105, Education Code, as added |
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by this Act. |
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(b) Not later than August 1, 2010, each public institution |
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of higher education shall provide a method by which the |
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institution's students may access financial and academic |
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information as required by Section 51.973, Education Code, as added |
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by this Act. |
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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. |