| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
| |
|
|
relating to conditions on the receipt of tuition and fee exemptions |
|
|
at public institutions of higher education. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 54, Education Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 54.2001 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 54.2001. CONTINUED RECEIPT OF EXEMPTIONS CONDITIONAL. |
|
|
(a) Notwithstanding any other law but subject to Subsection (f), |
|
|
after initially qualifying under this subchapter for a mandatory or |
|
|
discretionary exemption from the payment of tuition or other fees |
|
|
for enrollment during a semester or term at an institution of higher |
|
|
education, a person may continue to receive the exemption for a |
|
|
subsequent semester or term only if the person: |
|
|
(1) maintains a grade point average that satisfies the |
|
|
institution's grade point average requirement for making |
|
|
satisfactory academic progress toward a degree or a certificate in |
|
|
accordance with the institution's policy regarding eligibility for |
|
|
financial aid; and |
|
|
(2) as of the beginning of the semester or term, has |
|
|
not completed more than 30 semester credit hours, or a greater |
|
|
number of hours as permitted by the institution on a showing of good |
|
|
cause, in excess of the minimum number of semester credit hours |
|
|
required to complete the person's degree or certificate program. |
|
|
(b) For purposes of Subsection (a)(2), the computation of a |
|
|
person's total number of completed semester credit hours includes |
|
|
transfer credit hours that count toward the person's degree or |
|
|
certificate program course requirements, but excludes: |
|
|
(1) hours earned exclusively by examination; |
|
|
(2) hours earned for a course for which the person |
|
|
received credit toward the person's high school academic |
|
|
requirements; and |
|
|
(3) hours earned for developmental coursework that an |
|
|
institution of higher education required the person to take under |
|
|
Section 51.3062 or under the former provisions of Section 51.306. |
|
|
(c) If on the completion of any semester or term a person |
|
|
fails to meet any requirement of Subsection (a), the person may not |
|
|
receive an exemption from the payment of tuition or other fees |
|
|
described by Subsection (a) for the next semester or term in which |
|
|
the person enrolls. A person may become eligible to receive an |
|
|
exemption in a subsequent semester or term if the person: |
|
|
(1) completes a semester or term during which the |
|
|
person is not eligible for an exemption; and |
|
|
(2) meets each requirement of Subsection (a). |
|
|
(d) Each institution of higher education shall adopt a |
|
|
policy to allow a student who fails to maintain a grade point |
|
|
average as required by Subsection (a)(1) to receive an exemption in |
|
|
any semester or term on a showing of hardship or other good cause, |
|
|
including: |
|
|
(1) a showing of a severe illness or other |
|
|
debilitating condition that could affect the student's academic |
|
|
performance; |
|
|
(2) an indication that the student is responsible for |
|
|
the care of a sick, injured, or needy person and that the student's |
|
|
provision of care could affect the student's academic performance; |
|
|
(3) the student's active duty or other service in the |
|
|
United States armed forces; or |
|
|
(4) any other cause considered acceptable by the |
|
|
institution. |
|
|
(e) An institution of higher education shall maintain |
|
|
documentation of each exception granted to a student under |
|
|
Subsection (d). |
|
|
(f) If a requirement imposed by this section for the |
|
|
continued receipt of a specific exemption conflicts with another |
|
|
requirement imposed by statute for that exemption, the stricter |
|
|
requirement prevails. |
|
|
(g) This section does not apply to: |
|
|
(1) the exemption provided by Section 54.216 or to any |
|
|
other exemption provided to a high school student for enrollment in |
|
|
a dual credit course or other course for which the student may earn |
|
|
joint high school and college credit; or |
|
|
(2) any provision of this code that authorizes or |
|
|
requires the payment of tuition or fees at the rates provided for |
|
|
residents of this state by a person who is not a resident of this |
|
|
state for purposes of Subchapter B. |
|
|
SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies to |
|
|
eligibility for an exemption from the payment of tuition or other |
|
|
fees beginning with tuition and fees charged for the 2012 fall |
|
|
semester. |
|
|
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. |
|
|
|
|
|
* * * * * |