Honorable Kel Seliger, Chair, Senate Committee on Higher Education
FROM:
Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB414 by Ellis (Relating to authorization by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for certain public junior colleges to offer baccalaureate degree programs.), As Introduced
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated for the 2014-15 biennium.
Beginning in fiscal year 2016, the provisions of the bill are indeterminate but estimated to range from $197,645 to $247,056 for the new nursing programs at Community Colleges.
The provisions of the bill would allow the Higher Education Coordinating Board to authorize a baccalaureate degree program at one or more public junior colleges that offer a nursing degree program at a community college located in a county with a population of greater than 3.3 million. For the purposes of this fiscal note, an estimated range of 100 students to 125 students would matriculate in the new nursing program. It is estimated that each student would take 30 semeter credit hours for the Fall and Spring semesters of each fiscal year. The estimated costs to the state is based on funding equivalent to upper division semester credit hours funding at General Academic Institutions during the 2012-13 biennium.
Local Government Impact
Based on a response from Houston Community College, it is anticipated that any additional costs to establish the new baccalaureate nursing program would be offset with tuition and fees from the additional students anticipated to matriculate in the new nursing program.