SECTION 1. Chapter 56,
Education Code, is amended by adding Subchapter U to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER U. TEXAS
COMPETENCY-BASED EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM
Sec. 56.601. DEFINITIONS. In
this subchapter:
(1) "Coordinating
board" means the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
(2) "Eligible
institution" means
a nonprofit, tax-exempt,
regionally accredited college or university located
in this state that
offers competency-based online or other distance education.
(3) "Expected family
contribution" means the amount of discretionary income that should be
available to a student from the resources of the student and of the
student's family, as determined by the coordinating board following the
methodology prescribed by the United States Department of Education for the
purpose of determining a student's eligibility for need-based student
financial assistance.
(4) "General academic
teaching institution" has the meaning assigned by Section 61.003.
(5) "Program"
means the Texas Competency-Based Education Grant Program established under
this subchapter.
Sec. 56.602. PURPOSE. The
purpose of the Texas Competency-Based Education Grant Program is to provide
financial assistance to enable eligible students to enroll in
competency-based online or other distance
education baccalaureate degree programs at eligible institutions.
Sec. 56.603. ADMINISTRATION
OF PROGRAM; PRIORITY FOR FINANCIAL NEED. (a) The coordinating board shall
administer the program and
adopt any rules necessary
to implement the program or this subchapter. The coordinating board shall
consult with the student financial aid officers of eligible institutions in
developing the rules.
(b) The total amount of
grants awarded under the program may not exceed the amount available for
the program from appropriations, gifts, grants, or other funds.
(c) In determining who
should receive a grant under the program, the coordinating board and the
eligible institutions shall give highest priority to awarding grants to
students who demonstrate the greatest financial need.
Sec. 56.604. INITIAL
ELIGIBILITY FOR GRANT. (a) To be eligible initially for a grant under the
program, a person must:
(1) be a resident of this
state as determined by coordinating board rules;
(2) meet financial need
requirements as defined by coordinating board rules, including a
requirement that the person's expected family contribution for the academic
year does not exceed the maximum expected family contribution established
for this purpose by the coordinating board;
(3) be enrolled in a
competency-based online or other distance
education baccalaureate degree program at an eligible institution;
(4) not be receiving a
grant or other gift aid under any
other state financial aid grant program for the same academic period; and
(5) comply with any
additional nonacademic requirement adopted by the coordinating board under
this subchapter.
(b) A person is not
eligible to receive a grant under the program if the person has been
granted a baccalaureate degree.
(c) A person's eligibility
for a grant under the program ends on the earliest of the following dates:
(1) the fourth anniversary
of the initial award of a grant under the program to the person and the person's enrollment in an eligible
institution, if at the time of the initial award the person had
earned less than 60 semester credit hours or an equivalent number of
competency units or credits toward the person's degree;
(2) the second anniversary
of the initial award of a grant under the program to the person and the person's enrollment in an eligible
institution, if at the time of the initial award the person had
earned 60 or more semester credit hours or an equivalent number of
competency units or credits toward the person's degree; or
(3) the date the person
receives a baccalaureate degree.
Sec. 56.605. CONTINUING
ELIGIBILITY AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS. (a) After initially
qualifying for a grant under the program, a person may continue to receive
a grant under the program during each semester or term in which the person
is enrolled at an eligible institution only if the person:
(1) meets the criteria for
initial eligibility under Section 56.604(a);
(2) makes satisfactory
academic progress toward a baccalaureate degree; and
(3) complies with any
additional nonacademic requirement adopted by the coordinating board.
(b) If a person fails to
meet any of the requirements of Subsection (a) after the completion of any
semester or term, the person may not receive a grant under the program
during the next semester or term in which the person enrolls. Unless the
person's eligibility for a grant expires under Section 56.604(c), a person
may become eligible to receive a grant under the program in a subsequent
semester or term if the person:
(1) completes at least 15 semester credit hours or an equivalent
number of competency units or credits in a semester or term during which
the student is not eligible for a grant; and
(2) meets all the
requirements of Subsection (a).
(c) For the purpose of
this section, a person makes satisfactory academic progress toward a
baccalaureate degree only if the person completes at least 15 semester credit hours or an equivalent
number of competency units or credits in each semester or term in which the
person is enrolled.
(d) The coordinating board
shall adopt rules to allow a person who is otherwise eligible to receive a
grant under the program to receive a grant if the student's completion rate
falls below the satisfactory academic progress requirements of this section
in the event of a hardship or for other good cause shown, including:
(1) a showing of a severe
illness or other debilitating condition that may affect the person's
academic performance; or
(2) a showing that the
person is responsible for the care of a sick, injured, or needy person and
that the person's provision of care may affect the person's academic
performance.
Sec. 56.606. GRANT USE.
Sec. 56.607. GRANT AMOUNT.
(a) The maximum annual amount of a grant under the program for a full-time
undergraduate student equivalent enrolled at an eligible institution is an
amount equal to 75 percent of the average state appropriation for the state
fiscal biennium preceding the biennium in which the grant is awarded for a
full-time undergraduate student equivalent enrolled at a general academic
teaching institution, as determined by the coordinating board.
(b) The coordinating board
may adopt rules that allow the coordinating board to increase or decrease,
in proportion to the number of semester credit hours or competency units or
credits in which a student is enrolled, the amount of a grant award to a
student who is enrolled in a number of semester credit hours or competency
units or credits in excess of or below 15
semester credit hours or an equivalent number of competency units or
credits.
Sec. 56.608. GRANT NOT TO
AFFECT ADMISSION.
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SECTION 1. Chapter 56,
Education Code, is amended by adding Subchapter U to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER U. TEXAS
COMPETENCY-BASED EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM
Sec. 56.601. DEFINITIONS. In
this subchapter:
(1) "Competency-based baccalaureate degree program" means
a baccalaureate degree program under which academic credit is awarded based
solely on a student's attainment of competencies. The term may include a
program that is organized around traditional course-based units, including
for online or other distance education, that a student must earn for degree
completion.
(2) "Coordinating
board" means the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
(3) "Eligible
institution" means:
(A) a general academic teaching institution;
(B) a private or independent institution of higher education;
(C) a public junior college authorized to offer baccalaureate
degree programs under Section 130.0012; or
(D) a nonprofit,
tax-exempt, regionally accredited college or university operating in accordance with a memorandum of
understanding with this state under an executive order issued by the
governor and offering competency-based, exclusively online baccalaureate degree programs.
(4) "Expected family
contribution" means the amount of discretionary income that should be
available to a student from the resources of the student and of the
student's family, as determined by the coordinating board following the
methodology prescribed by the United States Department of Education for the
purpose of determining a student's eligibility for need-based student
financial assistance.
(5) "General academic
teaching institution," "private
or independent institution of higher education," and "public
junior college" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003.
(6) "Program"
means the Texas Competency-Based Education Grant Program established under
this subchapter.
Sec. 56.602. PURPOSE. The
purpose of the Texas Competency-Based Education Grant Program is to provide
financial assistance to enable eligible students to enroll in
competency-based baccalaureate degree programs at eligible institutions.
Sec. 56.603. ADMINISTRATION
OF PROGRAM; PRIORITY FOR FINANCIAL NEED. (a) The coordinating board shall:
(1) administer the
program;
(2) using the negotiated rulemaking procedures under
Chapter 2008, Government Code, adopt rules for determining the allocation
of funds under the program among eligible institutions; and
(3) adopt any other rules
necessary to implement the program or this subchapter.
(b) The coordinating board
shall consult with the student financial aid officers of eligible
institutions in developing the rules adopted under Subsection (a).
(c) The total amount of
grants awarded under the program may not exceed the amount available for
the program from appropriations, gifts, grants, or other funds.
(d) In determining who
should receive a grant under the program, the coordinating board and the
eligible institutions shall give highest priority to awarding grants to
students who demonstrate the greatest unmet
financial need.
Sec. 56.604. INITIAL
ELIGIBILITY FOR GRANT. (a) To be eligible initially for a grant under the
program, a person must:
(1) be a resident of this
state as determined by coordinating board rules;
(2) meet financial need
requirements as defined by coordinating board rules, including a requirement
that the person's expected family contribution for the academic year does
not exceed the maximum expected family contribution established for this
purpose by the coordinating board;
(3) be enrolled in a
competency-based baccalaureate degree program at an eligible institution;
(4) not be receiving a TEXAS grant under
Subchapter M, a tuition equalization grant under Subchapter F, Chapter 61,
or any other state-funded student financial assistance for the same
academic period; and
(5) comply with any additional
nonacademic requirement adopted by the coordinating board under this
subchapter.
(b) A person is not
eligible to receive a grant under the program if the person has been
granted a baccalaureate degree.
(c) A person's eligibility
for a grant under the program ends on the earliest of the following dates:
(1) the fourth anniversary
of the initial award of a grant under the program to the person, if at the
time of the initial award the person had earned less than 60 semester
credit hours or an equivalent number of competency units or credits toward
the person's degree;
(2) the second anniversary
of the initial award of a grant under the program to the person, if at the
time of the initial award the person had earned 60 or more semester credit
hours or an equivalent number of competency units or credits toward the
person's degree; or
(3) the date the person
receives a baccalaureate degree.
Sec. 56.605. CONTINUING
ELIGIBILITY AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS. (a) After initially
qualifying for a grant under the program, a person may continue to receive
a grant under the program during each semester or term in which the person
is enrolled at an eligible institution only if the person:
(1) meets the criteria for
initial eligibility under Section 56.604(a);
(2) makes satisfactory
academic progress toward a baccalaureate degree; and
(3) complies with any
additional nonacademic requirement adopted by the coordinating board.
(b) If a person fails to
meet any of the requirements of Subsection (a) after the completion of any
semester or term, the person may not receive a grant under the program
during the next semester or term in which the person enrolls. Unless the
person's eligibility for a grant expires under Section 56.604(c), a person
may become eligible to receive a grant under the program in a subsequent
semester or term if the person:
(1) completes at least 12 semester credit hours or an equivalent
number of competency units or credits in a semester or term during which
the student is not eligible for a grant; and
(2) meets all the
requirements of Subsection (a).
(c) For the purpose of
this section, a person makes satisfactory academic progress toward a
baccalaureate degree only if the person completes at least 12 semester credit hours or an equivalent number
of competency units or credits in each semester or term in which the person
is enrolled.
(d) The coordinating board
shall adopt rules to allow a person who is otherwise eligible to receive a
grant under the program to receive a grant if the student's completion rate
falls below the satisfactory academic progress requirements of this section
in the event of a hardship or for other good cause shown, including:
(1) a showing of a severe
illness or other debilitating condition that may affect the person's
academic performance; or
(2) a showing that the
person is responsible for the care of a sick, injured, or needy person and
that the person's provision of care may affect the person's academic
performance.
Sec. 56.606. GRANT USE.
Sec. 56.607. GRANT AMOUNT.
(a) The maximum annual amount of a grant under the program for a full-time
undergraduate student equivalent enrolled at an eligible institution is an
amount equal to 75 percent of the average state appropriation for the state
fiscal biennium preceding the biennium in which the grant is awarded for a
full-time undergraduate student equivalent enrolled at a general academic
teaching institution, as determined by the coordinating board.
(b) The coordinating board
may adopt rules that allow the coordinating board to increase or decrease,
in proportion to the number of semester credit hours or competency units or
credits in which a student is enrolled, the amount of a grant award to a
student who is enrolled in a number of semester credit hours or competency
units or credits in excess of or below 12
semester credit hours or an equivalent number of competency units or
credits.
Sec. 56.608. GRANT NOT TO
AFFECT ADMISSION.
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SECTION 2. (a) The Texas
Higher Education Coordinating Board shall adopt rules to administer
Subchapter U, Chapter 56, Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as
practicable after the effective date of this Act. For that purpose, the
coordinating board may adopt the initial rules in the manner provided by
law for emergency rules.
(b) The Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board shall begin awarding
scholarships under Subchapter U, Chapter 56, Education Code, as
added by this Act, for the first academic year for which money is
appropriated for that purpose, except that the coordinating board may not award grants under that subchapter for an
academic year before the 2016-2017 academic year.
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SECTION 2. (a) The Texas
Higher Education Coordinating Board shall adopt rules to administer
Subchapter U, Chapter 56, Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as
practicable after the effective date of this Act. For that purpose, the
coordinating board may adopt the initial rules in the manner provided by
law for emergency rules.
(b) The Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board shall begin allocating
funds to eligible institutions under Subchapter U, Chapter 56,
Education Code, as added by this Act, for the first academic year for which
money is appropriated for that purpose, except that the coordinating board
may not allocate funds under that
subchapter for an academic year before the 2016-2017 academic year.
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