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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to a maximum tuition rate under a fixed tuition price plan. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 54, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 54.017(h), to read as follows: |
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Sec. 54.017. FIXED TUITION PRICE PLAN FOR UNDERGRADUATE |
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STUDENTS AT CERTAIN GENERAL ACADEMIC TEACHING INSTITUTIONS. (a) |
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In this section, "general academic teaching institution" and |
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"public state college" have the meanings assigned by Section |
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61.003. |
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(b) This section applies only to a general academic teaching |
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institution other than a public state college. |
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(c) The governing board of an institution to which this |
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section applies shall offer entering undergraduate students, |
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including undergraduate students who transfer to the institution, |
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the opportunity to participate in a fixed tuition price plan under |
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which the institution agrees not to increase tuition charges per |
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semester credit hour for a participating student for at least the |
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first 12 consecutive semesters that occur after the date of the |
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student's initial enrollment at any public or private institution |
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of higher education, regardless of whether the student enrolls at |
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any institution in those semesters, and subject to any restrictions |
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or qualifications adopted by the governing board. For purposes of |
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this section, one or more summer terms occurring in the same summer |
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is considered a semester. |
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(d) Unless the institution does not offer other tuition |
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payment options, an institution to which this section applies may |
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require an entering undergraduate student to accept or reject |
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participation in the fixed tuition price plan offered under this |
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section before the date of the student's initial enrollment at the |
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institution. |
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(e) This section does not require an institution to which |
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this section applies to offer a variable tuition price plan or other |
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tuition payment options to undergraduate students enrolled in the |
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institution. |
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(f) Fees charged by an institution to a student |
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participating in a fixed tuition price plan under this section may |
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not exceed the fees charged by the institution to a similarly |
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situated student who elects not to participate in the plan, if the |
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institution offers other tuition payment options. For purposes of |
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this subsection, students are similarly situated if they share the |
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same residency status, degree program, course load, course level, |
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and other circumstances affecting the fees charged to the students. |
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(g) This section does not apply to the tuition charged by an |
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institution to which this section applies to a student who enters |
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the institution for the first time before the 2014 fall semester. |
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(h) The fixed tuition price plan under subsection (c) of an |
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institution not offering other tuition payment options may include |
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a maximum tuition rate. Notwithstanding subsection (c), the |
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institution’s tuition charges may vary between semesters during |
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the period covered by the fixed tuition price plan, but the |
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institution’s tuition charges may not exceed the established |
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maximum tuition rate. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |