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        |  | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED | 
      
        |  | AN ACT | 
      
        |  | relating to student eligibility for tuition rebates offered by | 
      
        |  | general academic teaching institutions. | 
      
        |  | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | 
      
        |  | SECTION 1.  Section 54.0065(a), Education Code, is amended | 
      
        |  | to read as follows: | 
      
        |  | (a)  A qualified student is eligible for a rebate of a | 
      
        |  | portion of the undergraduate tuition the student has paid if the | 
      
        |  | student: | 
      
        |  | (1)  is awarded a baccalaureate degree from a general | 
      
        |  | academic teaching institution within the period prescribed by | 
      
        |  | Section 56.462(1)(A) or (B), as applicable, to qualify for | 
      
        |  | forgiveness of a Texas B-On-time loan; and | 
      
        |  | (2)  has attempted no more than three hours in excess of | 
      
        |  | the minimum number of semester credit hours required to complete | 
      
        |  | the degree program: | 
      
        |  | (A)  including: | 
      
        |  | (i)  transfer credits; and | 
      
        |  | (ii)  course credit earned exclusively by | 
      
        |  | examination, except that, for purposes of this subsection, only the | 
      
        |  | number of semester credit hours earned exclusively by examination | 
      
        |  | in excess of nine semester credit hours is treated as hours | 
      
        |  | attempted; and | 
      
        |  | (B)  excluding: | 
      
        |  | (i)  course credit that is earned to satisfy | 
      
        |  | requirements for a Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program | 
      
        |  | but that is not required to complete the degree program; and | 
      
        |  | (ii)  course credit, other than course | 
      
        |  | credit earned exclusively by examination, that is earned before | 
      
        |  | graduating from high school. | 
      
        |  | SECTION 2.  The change in law made by this Act applies only | 
      
        |  | to a student who is awarded a baccalaureate degree from a general | 
      
        |  | academic teaching institution on or after the effective date of | 
      
        |  | this Act. | 
      
        |  | SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | 
      
        |  | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | 
      
        |  | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this | 
      
        |  | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | 
      
        |  | Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |