Amend CSHB 2910 (Senate Committee Printing) by adding the following appropriately numbered SECTIONS to the bill and renumbering the SECTIONS of the bill appropriately:
SECTION ____. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding Subchapter GG to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER GG. TEXAS SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS (T-STEM) CHALLENGE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Sec. 61.9791. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "STEM program" means a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program.
Sec. 61.9792. SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM. The board shall establish and administer, in accordance with this subchapter and board rules, the Texas Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (T-STEM) Challenge Scholarship program under which the board provides a scholarship to a student who meets the eligibility criteria prescribed by Section 61.9793.
Sec. 61.9793. ELIGIBLE STUDENT. (a) To receive an initial scholarship under this subchapter, a student must:
(1) graduate from high school with a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a four-point scale in mathematics and science courses;
(2) enroll in a STEM program at an eligible institution; and
(3) agree to work no more than 15 hours a week for a business participating in the STEM program.
(b) To continue to qualify for a scholarship under this subchapter, a student must:
(1) remain enrolled in a STEM program at an eligible institution;
(2) maintain an overall grade point average of at least 3.0 on a four-point scale;
(3) complete at least 80 percent of all semester credit hours attempted for each semester;
(4) complete at least 30 semester credit hours per academic year; and
(5) work no more than 15 hours a week for a business participating in the STEM program.
Sec. 61.9794. ELIGIBLE INSTITUTION. (a) To qualify as an eligible institution under this subchapter, an institution must:
(1) be a public junior college or public technical institute;
(2) admit at least 50 students into a STEM program each academic year; and
(3) develop partnerships with business and industry to:
(A) identify local employment needs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields; and
(B) provide part-time employment for students enrolled in a STEM program.
(b) To maintain eligibility, beginning with the second year following implementation of a scholarship program under this subchapter, an institution must demonstrate to the board that at least 70 percent of the institution's T-STEM Challenge Scholarship graduates, within three months after graduation, are:
(1) employed by a business in a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) field; or
(2) enrolled in upper-division courses leading to a baccalaureate degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) field.
Sec. 61.9795. AMOUNT; FUNDING. (a) Subject to available funding, the board shall award scholarships, with at least 50 percent of the amount awarded from private funds.
(b) An eligible student may receive a scholarship awarded under this subchapter for not more than two academic years.
(c) The board may use any available revenue, including legislative appropriations, and may solicit and accept gifts and grants for purposes of this subchapter.
SECTION ____. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall award scholarships under Subchapter GG, Chapter 61, Education Code, as added by this Act, beginning with the 2011-2012 academic year. The coordinating board shall adopt the rules required by that subchapter as soon as practicable after this Act takes effect.