82R9656 KEL-D

By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 1725

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a tuition exemption at a four-year public institution of higher education based on a student's academic performance and timely progress toward completion of a baccalaureate degree program.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter D, Chapter 54, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 54.223 to read as follows:

Sec. 54.223. TUITION EXEMPTION BASED ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND TIMELY PROGRESS TOWARD DEGREE COMPLETION. (a) In this section, "general academic teaching institution" has the meaning assigned by Section 61.003.

(b) This section applies only to a baccalaureate degree program other than a degree program in engineering or architecture or any other program determined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to typically require more than four academic years to complete.

(c) The governing board of a general academic teaching institution shall exempt an eligible student from the payment of tuition and fees for any semester credit hour in which the student enrolls, beginning on the later of the following dates:

(1) the date the student begins the student's fifth academic year at the institution; or

(2) the date the student enrolls in the student's 121st semester credit hour at the institution.

(d) To be eligible for an exemption under Subsection (c), a student must:

(1) be a Texas resident entitled to pay tuition at the rate provided by Subchapter B for Texas residents;

(2) have been enrolled for a period of at least four consecutive academic years or have successfully completed at least 120 consecutive semester credit hours in a baccalaureate degree program at one or more public or private institutions of higher education in or outside of this state;

(3) have maintained an overall grade point average of at least 2.5 on a four-point scale;

(4) have successfully completed at least 80 percent of all semester credit hours attempted for each semester;

(5) have successfully completed at least 30 semester credit hours in each academic year;

(6) have selected a baccalaureate degree program by the end of the student's first academic year at the general academic teaching institution or, for a transfer student, by the beginning of the student's third academic year;

(7) have met with the student's academic advisor at least once during each academic year;

(8) have enrolled in only courses in the core curriculum during the student's first academic year and in only courses in the student's baccalaureate degree program for any subsequent academic year; and

(9) have committed to completing the student's degree requirements within four academic years by signing and returning a copy of the written, four-year course of study provided to the student under Subsection (e)(2) to the advising center at the institution or to the student's assigned academic advisor.

(e) Any person assigned by a general academic teaching institution to provide course selection advice to an incoming freshman or transfer student shall:

(1) during the student's first semester or term at the institution, provide the student with written notice of the tuition exemption available under Subsection (d) and the eligibility requirements for the exemption; and

(2) at the time the student declares a major, provide the student with a written, four-year course of study signed by the institution's chief operating officer, president, or dean that provides a recommended sequence for all course requirements for completion of most bachelor's degrees within four academic years.

(f) Each general academic teaching institution shall publish a recommended course sequence and recommended schedule by academic term for each degree offered by the institution. The recommended course sequence schedule must be included in the institution's course catalog and departmental publications and on the institution's Internet website.

(g) Each general academic teaching institution shall offer and make available courses in a time, sequence, and manner that will enable students to complete requirements for a degree within the period provided by the recommended course sequence schedule. If a course required for the degree program of a student who has committed to completing the student's degree requirements within four academic years under Subsection (d)(9) is unavailable to the student in the sequence required by the degree program, the institution must:

(1) permanently waive the student's required enrollment in that course;

(2) allow the student at that time to satisfy the course requirement by selecting for the student and substituting:

(A) a different course that the student is eligible to take and that is available to the student; or

(B) an independent study assignment; or

(3) exempt the student from the payment of tuition and required fees for the course at the time the student is first able to enroll in the course at the institution.

(h) A student who has completed more than 150 semester credit hours or the equivalent may not continue to receive an exemption under Subsection (d).

(i) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall adopt rules governing the administration of this section.

SECTION 2. (a) The change in law made by this Act in adding Section 54.223, Education Code, applies only to students enrolling as first-time freshmen or transfer students at general academic teaching institutions beginning with the 2011-2012 academic year.

(b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall adopt rules for the administration of Section 54.223, Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after this Act takes effect. For that purpose, the coordinating board may adopt the rules in the manner provided by law for emergency rules.

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.