BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3577

By: Gonzales, Larry

Higher Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Texas Educational Opportunity Grant program was created to provide tuition grants to students attending two-year colleges who meet certain financial need criteria. The program has grown to provide over $6 million worth of grants to more than 4,000 students, many of whom come from families with a household income of less than $30,000. A similar tuition grant program, the TEXAS grant, has curriculum requirements for which many graduating high school students qualify, which has lead to a drain on the amount of funding available for TEXAS grants.

H.B. 3577 seeks to allow a student who is eligible for a both a TEXAS grant and a Texas Educational Opportunity Grant for the same academic term to receive only the grant of the greater amount.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 3577 amends the Education Code to prohibit a person from receiving a Texas Educational Opportunity Grant and a TEXAS grant for the same semester or other term, regardless of whether the person is otherwise eligible for both grants during that semester or term, rather than prohibiting a person from receiving a Texas Educational Opportunity Grant if the person is eligible for a TEXAS grant. The bill entitles a person who would be awarded both grants, if not for this prohibition, to receive only the grant of the greater amount.

H.B. 3577 makes the change in law made by its provisions relating to the eligibility of a student for a Texas Educational Opportunity Grant applicable beginning with grants awarded for the 2011-2012 academic year.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2011.