LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD

Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 83RD LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION

March 4, 2013

TO:	Honorable Kel Seliger, Chair, Senate Committee On Higher Education
FROM:	Ursula Parks, Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:	SB497 by Seliger (Relating to the number of semester credit hours required to earn an associate degree at public institutions of higher education.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The bill adds a new section to the Education Code as it relates to the number of semester credit hours required to earn an associate degree at public institutions of higher education. Under provisions of the bill, to earn an associate degree, a student may not be required by an institution of higher education to complete more than the minimum number of semester credit hours required by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools unless the institution determines that this is a compelling academic reason for requiring completion of additional semester credit hours. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board may review one or more of an institution's associate degree programs to ensure compliance with this new section. Provisions of the bill would be implemented within existing resources.

Local Government Impact

No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

710 Texas A&M University System Administrative and General Offices, 720 The University of Texas System Administration, 758 Texas State University System, 768 Texas Tech University System Administration, 769 University of North Texas System Administration, 781 Higher Education Coordinating Board, 783 University of Houston System Administration

LBB Staff:

UP, KK, SK, GO