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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the Math and Science Scholars Loan Repayment Program |
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for teachers who agree to teach mathematics or science in certain |
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school districts in this state. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 61, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Subchapter II to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER II. MATH AND SCIENCE SCHOLARS LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM |
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Sec. 61.9831. LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZED. The |
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board shall provide, in accordance with this subchapter and board |
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rules, assistance in the repayment of eligible student loans for |
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eligible persons who agree to teach mathematics or science for a |
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specified period in school districts that receive federal funding |
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under Title I, Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 |
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U.S.C. Section 6301 et seq.). |
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Sec. 61.9832. ELIGIBILITY; AGREEMENT REQUIREMENTS. |
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(a) To be eligible to receive loan repayment assistance under this |
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subchapter, a person must: |
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(1) apply annually for the loan repayment assistance |
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in the manner prescribed by the board; |
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(2) have graduated from high school in this state; |
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(3) be a United States citizen; |
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(4) have completed an undergraduate or graduate |
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program in mathematics or science; |
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(5) have a cumulative grade point average of at least |
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3.5 on a four-point scale or the equivalent; |
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(6) be certified under Subchapter B, Chapter 21, to |
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teach mathematics or science in a public school in this state or be |
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enrolled in an educator preparation program to obtain that |
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certification that is accredited by the State Board for Educator |
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Certification and is provided by an institution of higher education |
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or by a private or independent institution of higher education in |
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this state; |
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(7) have been employed for at least one year as a |
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teacher teaching mathematics or science at a public school located |
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in a school district that receives funding under Title I, |
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Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. Section |
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6301 et seq.); |
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(8) not be in default on any other education loan; |
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(9) not receive any other state or federal loan |
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repayment assistance, including a Teacher Education Assistance for |
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College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant or teacher loan |
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forgiveness; |
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(10) enter into an agreement with the board under |
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Subsection (c); and |
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(11) comply with any other requirement adopted by the |
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board under this subchapter. |
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(b) An initial application for loan repayment assistance |
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under this subchapter must include a transcript of the applicant's |
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postsecondary coursework. |
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(c) To receive loan repayment assistance under this |
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subchapter, a person must enter into an agreement with the board |
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that includes the following provisions: |
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(1) the person will accept an offer of full-time |
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employment to teach mathematics or science, as applicable based on |
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the person's certification, in a public school located in a school |
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district that receives funding under Title I, Elementary and |
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Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. Section 6301 et seq.); |
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(2) the person will complete four consecutive years of |
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employment as a full-time classroom teacher in a school described |
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by Subdivision (1) whose primary duty is to teach mathematics or |
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science, as applicable, based on the person's certification; |
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(3) beginning with the school year immediately |
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following the last of the four consecutive school years described |
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by Subdivision (2), the person will complete four additional |
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consecutive school years teaching in any public school in this |
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state; and |
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(4) the person acknowledges the conditional nature of |
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the loan repayment assistance. |
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(d) To satisfy the teaching obligation prescribed by an |
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agreement under this section, a person must teach mathematics or |
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science courses for not less than an average of four hours each |
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school day. |
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Sec. 61.9833. AWARD. (a) Except as provided by Section |
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61.9834, the board shall determine the annual amount of loan |
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assistance payments provided under this subchapter in any year to |
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an eligible person, taking into consideration the amount of |
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available funding and other relevant considerations. |
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(b) The board shall reduce the amount of a single assistance |
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payment or refrain from making a loan assistance payment to an |
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eligible person as necessary to avoid making total payments under |
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this subchapter to the person in an amount greater than the total |
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amount of principal and interest due on the person's eligible |
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loans. |
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Sec. 61.9834. EXCEPTION TO CONSECUTIVE YEARS OF EMPLOYMENT |
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REQUIREMENT. The board shall excuse an otherwise eligible person |
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from a requirement imposed by Section 61.9832 that the employment |
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qualifying the person for loan repayment assistance be performed in |
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consecutive years if the break in employment is a result of the |
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person's: |
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(1) full-time enrollment in a course of study related |
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to the field of teaching that is approved by the State Board for |
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Educator Certification and provided by an institution of higher |
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education or by a private or independent institution of higher |
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education in this state; |
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(2) service on active duty as a member of the armed |
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forces of the United States, including as a member of a reserve or |
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National Guard unit called for active duty; |
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(3) temporary total disability for a period of not |
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more than 36 months as established by the affidavit of a qualified |
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physician; |
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(4) inability to secure employment as required by |
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Section 61.9832 for a period not to exceed 12 months, because of |
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care required by a disabled spouse or child; |
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(5) inability, despite reasonable efforts, to secure, |
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for a single period not to exceed 12 months, employment as required |
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by Section 61.9832; or |
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(6) satisfaction of the provisions of any other |
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exception adopted by the board for purposes of this section. |
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Sec. 61.9835. ELIGIBLE LOANS. (a) The board may provide |
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repayment assistance under this subchapter for the repayment of any |
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student loan that: |
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(1) is for education at a public or private |
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institution of higher education; and |
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(2) is received by an eligible person through an |
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eligible lender. |
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(b) If the loan is not a state or federal guaranteed student |
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loan, the note or other writing governing the terms of the loan must |
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require the loan proceeds to be used for expenses incurred by a |
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person in attending a postsecondary educational institution. |
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(c) The board may not provide loan repayment assistance |
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under this subchapter for a student loan that is in default at the |
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time of the person's application for repayment assistance. |
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Sec. 61.9836. PAYMENT OF ASSISTANCE. (a) The board shall |
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pay any loan repayment assistance under this subchapter in a lump |
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sum delivered on the eligible person's behalf directly to the |
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holder of the loan. |
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(b) Loan repayment assistance provided under this |
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subchapter may be applied to any amount due on the loan. |
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(c) Each fiscal biennium, the board shall attempt to |
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allocate all money available to the board for the purpose of |
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providing loan repayment assistance under this subchapter. |
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Sec. 61.9837. MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE TEACHER INVESTMENT |
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FUND. (a) In this section, "fund" means the mathematics and |
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science teacher investment fund. |
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(b) The fund is a dedicated account in the general revenue |
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fund and consists of: |
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(1) gifts, grants, and other donations received for |
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the fund; and |
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(2) interest and other earnings from the investment of |
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the fund. |
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(c) The fund may be used only to provide repayment |
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assistance for the repayment of loans eligible under Section |
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61.9835, including related administrative costs. |
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(d) The fund is exempt from the application of Sections |
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403.095 and 404.071, Government Code. |
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(e) The board may accept grants, gifts, or donations from |
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any public or private entity for the purposes of this subchapter. |
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All money received under this subchapter shall be deposited in the |
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fund. |
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(f) The legislature may not appropriate general revenue to |
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the fund. |
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Sec. 61.9838. AMOUNT OF LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE. |
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(a) The total amount of loan repayment assistance paid by the |
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board under this subchapter may not exceed the total amount of money |
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available in the fund under Section 61.9837. |
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(b) Not more than 4,000 eligible persons may be provided |
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loan repayment assistance under this subchapter in any school year. |
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(b-1) This subsection expires January 1, 2020. |
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Notwithstanding Subsection (b), not more than the following number |
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of eligible persons may be provided loan repayment assistance under |
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this subchapter in the specified school year: |
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(1) in the 2016-2017 school year, not more than 1,000 |
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eligible persons may be provided loan repayment assistance; |
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(2) in the 2017-2018 school year, not more than 2,000 |
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eligible persons may be provided loan repayment assistance; and |
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(3) in the 2018-2019 school year, not more than 3,000 |
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eligible persons may be provided loan repayment assistance. |
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(c) If in any year the amount of money available for loan |
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repayment assistance under this subchapter is insufficient to |
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provide loan repayment assistance to each eligible applicant or if |
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there are more eligible applicants than the number authorized by |
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this section, the board shall establish criteria to determine which |
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eligible applicants will be provided repayment assistance as the |
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board determines appropriate to further the purposes of this |
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subchapter. |
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(d) Only available money in the mathematics and science |
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teacher investment fund may be used for loan repayment assistance |
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under this subchapter. |
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Sec. 61.9839. REPAYMENT BASED ON CONTINUING EMPLOYMENT. |
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(a) An eligible person may continue to receive loan repayment |
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assistance if the person continues to teach in a public school |
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described by Section 61.9832(a)(7) after the first four years |
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required for eligibility under Section 61.9832(c)(2). |
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(b) If an eligible person transfers to a public school |
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located in a school district that does not receive funding under |
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Title I, Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. |
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Section 6301 et seq.), after the first four years required for |
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eligibility under Section 61.9832(c)(2), the person may not receive |
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more than 75 percent of the maximum annual amount of the loan |
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repayment assistance as determined by the board. |
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(c) A person who does not satisfy the applicable conditions |
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of this subchapter after establishing eligibility for an award of |
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loan repayment assistance under this subchapter is no longer |
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eligible to apply for such assistance. |
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Sec. 61.9840. RULES. The board shall adopt rules necessary |
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for the administration of this subchapter, including a rule |
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providing for: |
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(1) the manner in which a person may apply for loan |
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repayment assistance; and |
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(2) a method of awarding assistance under this |
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subchapter that: |
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(A) gives first priority to applicants who are |
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renewing their applications for loan repayment assistance provided |
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under this subchapter; and |
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(B) awards any remaining available assistance |
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according to a cumulative ranking system developed by the board |
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based on the number of mathematics and science courses completed by |
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the applicant and the grade received by the applicant for each of |
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those courses. |
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Sec. 61.9841. APPLICATION FORM. (a) The board shall by |
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rule adopt a common application form for use by new applicants and |
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renewal applicants. |
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(b) The form must include a section in which the school |
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district for which the applicant has taught for at least one year |
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verifies the applicant's year of employment. |
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SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
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shall begin providing loan repayment assistance under Subchapter |
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II, Chapter 61, Education Code, as added by this Act, for eligible |
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persons teaching in the 2016-2017 school year. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |