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Amend Floor Amendment No. 14 by Branch to CSSB 215 (house committee printing) in added Section 56.009, Education Code, by striking page 1, line 11, through page 3, line 20, and substituting the following:
(b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall, in consultation with representatives of the coordinating board's financial aid advisory committee, representatives of financial aid offices of WGU Texas and any similar nonprofit, tax-exempt, regionally accredited college or university operating in accordance with a memorandum of understanding with this state pursuant to an executive order issued by the governor and offering competency-based, exclusively online or other distance education, and representatives of financial aid offices of institutions of higher education and private or independent institutions of higher education offering online or other distance education courses and programs similar to those offered by WGU Texas or any similar nonprofit colleges or universities:
(1) conduct a study regarding, and prepare proposed draft legislation for, the creation of a state-funded student financial assistance program:
(A) that is available only to students of nonprofit, tax-exempt, regionally accredited universities or colleges domiciled in this state that offer competency-based, exclusively online or other distance education; and
(B) under which the highest priority is given to awarding grants to those eligible students who demonstrate the greatest financial need; and
(2) not later than October 1, 2014, submit to each standing committee of the legislature with primary jurisdiction over higher education a report of the results of the study conducted under Subdivision (1), together with the proposed draft legislation prepared under that subdivision.
(c) This section expires January 1, 2016.