BILL ANALYSIS

 

 

Senate Research Center

S.B. 1727

82R9660  KSD-D

By: Zaffirini

 

Higher Education

 

4/18/2011

 

As Filed

 

 

 

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

This bill would allow general academic teaching institutions to offer a fixed tuition rate program for students who transfer from a two-year institution with an associate's degree.

 

As proposed, S.B. 1727 amends current law relating to a fixed tuition rate program for certain students who transfer to a state university after completing an associate degree program.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in  SECTION 1 (Section 54.016, Education Code) of this bill.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1.  Amends Subchapter A, Chapter 54, Education Code, by adding Section 54.016, as follows:

 

Sec.  54.016.  FIXED TUITION RATE PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN TRANSFER STUDENTS AT GENERAL ACADEMIC TEACHING INSTITUTIONS.  (a) Defines, in this section, "coordinating board," "general academic teaching institution," and "lower-division institution of higher education."

 

(b) Authorizes a general academic teaching institution to develop a fixed tuition rate program for qualified students who agree to transfer to the institution after successfully earning an associate degree at a lower-division institution of higher education.  Requires a general academic teaching institution, under a program developed under this section to:

 

(1) guarantee to a participating student enrolled in an associate degree program at a lower-division institution of higher education, on successful completion of the associate degree program, transfer admission to the general academic teaching institution and acceptance into the student's degree program of choice; and

 

(2) notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, charge tuition to a participating student for any semester or other academic term at the same rate the general academic teaching institution would have charged to the student during the fall semester of the student's freshman year at another institution of higher education had the student entered the general academic teaching institution as a freshman student.

 

(c) Requires a general academic teaching institution that develops a fixed tuition rate program under this section to prescribe eligibility requirements for participation in the program and notify applicants for transfer admission from lower-division institutions of higher education regarding the program.

 

(d) Requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) to adopt any rules THECB considers appropriate for the administration of this section.

 

SECTION 2.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2011.