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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to eligibility for a TEXAS grant and to administration of |
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the TEXAS grant program. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 56.301(2), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(2) "Eligible institution" means: |
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(A) for a person who graduates from high school |
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on or after May 1, 2013, a general academic teaching institution as |
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defined by Section 61.003; and |
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(B) for any other person, an institution of |
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higher education that offers one or more undergraduate degree or |
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certification programs. |
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SECTION 2. Section 56.303, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsections (e) and (f) to read |
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as follows: |
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(d) From money appropriated by the legislature for the |
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purposes of this subchapter, the coordinating board annually shall |
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determine the allocation among eligible institutions of money |
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available for TEXAS grants and shall distribute the money |
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accordingly. In allocating available grant money among general |
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academic teaching institutions, the coordinating board shall |
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ensure that each of those institutions' percentage share of the |
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total amount of grant money allocated to general academic teaching |
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institutions under this subsection for an academic year does not, |
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as a result of the number of students who establish eligibility at |
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the institution for an initial TEXAS grant under Section |
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56.3041(a)(2)(A), change from the institution's percentage share |
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of the total amount allocated to those institutions under this |
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subsection for the preceding academic year. |
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(e) In determining who should receive a TEXAS grant, the |
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coordinating board and the eligible institutions shall give |
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[highest] priority to awarding TEXAS grants to students who |
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demonstrate the greatest financial need. |
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(f) Beginning with TEXAS grants awarded for the 2013-2014 |
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academic year, in determining who should receive an initial TEXAS |
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grant, each eligible institution, in addition to giving priority as |
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provided by Subsection (e), shall give highest priority to students |
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who meet the eligibility criteria described by Section |
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56.3041(a)(2)(A). If there is money available in excess of the |
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amount required to award an initial TEXAS grant to all students |
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meeting those criteria, an institution shall make awards to other |
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students who meet the eligibility criteria described by Section |
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56.304(a)(2)(A), provided that the institution continues to give |
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priority to students as provided by Subsection (e). |
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SECTION 3. Subchapter M, Chapter 56, Education Code, is |
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amended by amending Section 56.3041 and adding Section 56.3042 to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 56.3041. INITIAL ELIGIBILITY OF PERSON GRADUATING FROM |
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HIGH SCHOOL ON OR AFTER MAY 1, 2013. (a) To be eligible initially |
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for a TEXAS grant, a person graduating from high school on or after |
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May 1, 2013, must: |
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(1) be a resident of this state as determined by |
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coordinating board rules; |
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(2) meet the academic requirements prescribed by |
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Paragraph (A), (B), or (C) as follows: |
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(A) be a graduate of a public or accredited |
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private high school in this state who completed the recommended |
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high school program established under Section 28.025 or its |
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equivalent and have accomplished any one or more of the following: |
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(i) graduation under the advanced high |
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school program established under Section 28.025 or its equivalent, |
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successful completion of the course requirements of the |
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international baccalaureate diploma program, or earning of four or |
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more credits in high school through courses described in Sections |
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28.009(a)(1), (2), and (3); |
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(ii) graduation in the top one-third of the |
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person's high school graduating class or graduation from high |
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school with a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a four-point |
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scale or the equivalent; or |
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(iii) completion for high school credit of |
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at least one advanced mathematics course following the successful |
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completion of an Algebra II course, as permitted by Section |
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28.025(b-3), or at least one advanced career and technical course, |
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as permitted by Section 28.025(b-2); |
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(B) have received an associate degree from a |
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public or private institution of higher education; or |
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(C) if sufficient money is available, meet the |
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eligibility criteria described by Section 56.304(a)(2)(A); |
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(3) meet financial need requirements established by |
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the coordinating board; |
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(4) be enrolled in an undergraduate degree program at |
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an eligible institution; |
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(5) except as provided under rules adopted under |
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Subsection (g), be enrolled as: |
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(A) an entering undergraduate student for at |
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least three-fourths of a full course load, as determined by the |
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coordinating board, not later than the 16th month after the date the |
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person graduates from high school; |
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(B) an entering undergraduate student who |
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entered military service not later than 12 months after graduating |
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from high school and who enrolled at an eligible institution not |
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later than 12 months after being honorably discharged from military |
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service; or |
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(C) a continuing undergraduate student for at |
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least three-fourths of a full course load, as determined by the |
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coordinating board, not later than the 12th month after the date the |
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person receives an associate degree from a public or private |
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institution of higher education; |
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(6) have applied for any available financial aid or |
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assistance; and |
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(7) comply with any additional nonacademic |
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requirements adopted by the coordinating board under this |
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subchapter. |
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(b) A person is not eligible to receive a TEXAS grant if the |
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person has been convicted of a felony or an offense under Chapter |
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481, Health and Safety Code, or under the law of another |
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jurisdiction involving a controlled substance as defined by Chapter |
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481, Health and Safety Code, unless the person has met the other |
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applicable eligibility requirements under this subchapter and has: |
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(1) received a certificate of discharge from the Texas |
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Department of Criminal Justice or a correctional facility or |
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completed a period of probation ordered by a court and at least two |
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years have elapsed from the date of the receipt of completion; or |
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(2) been pardoned, had the record of the offense |
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expunged from the person's record, or otherwise been released from |
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the resulting ineligibility to receive a grant under this |
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subchapter. |
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(c) A person is not eligible to receive a TEXAS grant if the |
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person has been granted a baccalaureate degree. |
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(d) A person may not receive a TEXAS grant for more than 150 |
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semester credit hours or the equivalent. |
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(e) Except as provided under rules adopted under Subsection |
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(f), a person's eligibility for a TEXAS grant ends on: |
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(1) the fifth anniversary of the initial award of a |
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TEXAS grant to the person if the person is enrolled in a degree or |
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certificate program of four years or less; or |
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(2) the sixth anniversary of the initial award of a |
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TEXAS grant to the person if the person is enrolled in a degree or |
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certificate program of more than four years. |
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(f) The coordinating board shall adopt rules to provide a |
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person who is otherwise eligible to receive a TEXAS grant |
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additional time during which the person may receive a TEXAS grant in |
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the event of a hardship or other good cause shown that prevents the |
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person from continuing the person's enrollment during the period |
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the person would otherwise have been eligible to receive a TEXAS |
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grant, including a showing of: |
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(1) severe illness or other debilitating condition |
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experienced by the person; or |
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(2) responsibility of the person for the care of a |
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sick, injured, or needy person. |
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(g) The coordinating board shall adopt rules to allow a |
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person who is otherwise eligible to receive a TEXAS grant in the |
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event of a hardship or for other good cause shown, including a |
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showing of a severe illness or other debilitating condition that |
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may affect the person's academic performance or that the person is |
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responsible for the care of a sick, injured, or needy person and |
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that the person's provision of care may affect the person's academic |
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performance, to receive a TEXAS grant while enrolled in a number of |
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semester credit hours that is less than the number required by |
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Subsection (a)(5). The coordinating board may not allow a person to |
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receive a TEXAS grant while enrolled in fewer than six semester |
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credit hours or the equivalent. |
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Sec. 56.3042. INITIAL QUALIFICATION [ELIGIBILITY] OF |
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PERSON ON TRACK TO MEET ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS [COMPLETE
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RECOMMENDED OR ADVANCED CURRICULUM]. (a) If at the time an |
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eligible institution awards TEXAS grants to initial recipients for |
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an academic year an applicant has not completed high school or the |
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applicant's final high school transcript is not yet available to |
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the institution, the student is considered to have satisfied the |
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eligibility requirements of Section 56.304(a)(2)(A) or |
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56.3041(a)(2)(A) if the student's available high school transcript |
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indicates that at the time the transcript was prepared the student |
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was on schedule to graduate from high school and to meet the |
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eligibility requirements [complete the recommended or advanced
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high school curriculum or its equivalent], as applicable to the |
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student, in time to be eligible for a TEXAS grant for the academic |
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year. |
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(b) The coordinating board or the eligible institution may |
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require the student to forgo or repay the amount of an initial TEXAS |
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grant awarded to the student as described by Subsection (a) if the |
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student fails to meet the eligibility requirements of Section |
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56.3041(a)(2)(A) [complete the recommended or advanced high school
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curriculum or its equivalent] after the issuance of the available |
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high school transcript. |
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(c) A person who is required to forgo or repay the amount of |
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an initial TEXAS grant under Subsection (b) may become eligible to |
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receive an initial TEXAS grant under Section 56.304 or 56.3041 by |
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satisfying the associate degree requirement prescribed by Section |
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56.304(a)(2)(B) or 56.3041(a)(2)(B) and the other applicable |
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requirements of the [that] section applicable to the person at the |
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time the person reapplies for the grant. |
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(d) A person who receives an initial TEXAS grant under |
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Subsection (a) and is not required to forgo or repay the amount of |
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the grant under Subsection (b) may become eligible to receive a |
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subsequent TEXAS grant under Section 56.305 only by satisfying the |
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associate degree requirement prescribed by Section 56.304(a)(2)(B) |
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or 56.3041(a)(2)(B), as applicable to the person, in addition to |
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the requirements of Section 56.305 at the time the person applies |
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for the subsequent grant. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect January 1, 2013. |