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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the establishment of the Texas Promise Scholarship |
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Program for certain students at participating two-year public |
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institutions of higher education. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 56, Education Code, is amended by adding |
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Subchapter T to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER T. TEXAS PROMISE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM |
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Sec. 56.521. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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(1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher |
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Education Coordinating Board. |
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(2) "Eligible institution" means a public junior |
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college, public technical institute, or public state college, as |
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those terms are defined by Section 61.003. |
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(3) "Participating institution" means an eligible |
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institution that elects to participate in the program under Section |
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56.524. |
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(4) "Program" means the Texas Promise Scholarship |
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Program established under this subchapter. |
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Sec. 56.522. PROGRAM. The Texas Promise Scholarship |
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Program is an optional program under which participating two-year |
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institutions of higher education may provide assistance in the |
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payment of tuition and mandatory fees to enable eligible students |
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to attend those institutions. |
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Sec. 56.523. ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM. The coordinating |
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board shall administer the program and adopt any rules necessary to |
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implement the program or this subchapter. The coordinating board |
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shall consult with the student financial aid officers of eligible |
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institutions in developing the rules. |
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Sec. 56.524. ELECTION TO PARTICIPATE; AWARD OF SCHOLARSHIP. |
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(a) An eligible institution may elect to participate in the program |
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by notifying the coordinating board of the institution's election. |
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(b) From money available for the purpose, each |
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participating institution shall award scholarships to eligible |
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students under the program. In determining who should receive a |
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scholarship under the program, the institution may give priority to |
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awarding scholarships to students in any major or certificate or |
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degree program designated by the institution. |
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Sec. 56.525. INITIAL ELIGIBILITY FOR SCHOLARSHIP. (a) To |
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be eligible initially for a scholarship under the program, a person |
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must: |
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(1) be a resident of this state as determined by |
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coordinating board rules; |
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(2) meet financial need requirements as defined by the |
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coordinating board; |
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(3) be enrolled in an associate degree or certificate |
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program at a participating institution; |
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(4) be enrolled as an entering student for at least |
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one-half of a full course load for an entering student in the |
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associate degree or certificate program, as determined by the |
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coordinating board; |
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(5) have applied for any available financial aid or |
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assistance; and |
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(6) comply with any additional nonacademic |
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requirement adopted by the coordinating board under this |
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subchapter. |
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(b) person is not eligible to receive a scholarship under |
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the program if the person has been convicted of a felony or an |
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offense under Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code, or under the law |
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of another jurisdiction involving a controlled substance as defined |
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by Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code, unless the person has met |
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the other applicable eligibility requirements under the program and |
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has: |
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(1) received a certificate of discharge by the Texas |
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Department of Criminal Justice or a correctional facility or |
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completed a period of probation ordered by a court, and at least two |
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years have elapsed from the date of the receipt or completion; or |
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(2) been pardoned, had the record of the offense |
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expunged from the person's record, or otherwise been released from |
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the resulting ineligibility to receive a scholarship under the |
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program. |
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(c) person is not eligible to receive a scholarship under |
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the program if the person has been granted an associate or |
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baccalaureate degree. |
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(d) person may not receive a scholarship under the program |
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for more than 75 semester credit hours or the equivalent. |
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(e) person's eligibility for a scholarship under the |
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program ends on the third anniversary of the initial award of a |
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scholarship under the program to the person and the person's |
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enrollment in a participating institution. |
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Sec. 56.526. CONTINUING ELIGIBILITY AND ACADEMIC |
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PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS. (a) After initially qualifying for a |
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scholarship under the program, a person may continue to receive a |
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scholarship under the program during each semester or term in which |
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the person is enrolled at a participating institution only if the |
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person: |
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(1) meets financial need requirements as defined by |
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the coordinating board; |
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(2) is enrolled in an associate degree or certificate |
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program at a participating institution; |
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(3) is enrolled for at least one-half of a full course |
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load for a student in an associate degree or certificate program, as |
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determined by the coordinating board; |
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(4) makes satisfactory academic progress toward an |
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associate degree or certificate; and |
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(5) complies with any additional nonacademic |
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requirement adopted by the coordinating board. |
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(b) A person is not eligible to continue to receive a |
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scholarship under this section if the person has been convicted of a |
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felony or an offense under Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code, or |
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under the law of another jurisdiction involving a controlled |
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substance as defined by Chapter 481, Health and Safety Code, unless |
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the person has met the other applicable eligibility requirements |
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under the program and has: |
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(1) received a certificate of discharge by the Texas |
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Department of Criminal Justice or a correctional facility or |
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completed a period of probation ordered by a court, and at least two |
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years have elapsed from the date of the receipt or completion; or |
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(2) been pardoned, had the record of the offense |
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expunged from the person's record, or otherwise been released from |
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the resulting ineligibility to receive a scholarship under the |
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program. |
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(c) If a person fails to meet any of the requirements of |
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Subsection (a) after the completion of any semester or term, the |
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person may not receive a scholarship under the program during the |
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next semester or term in which the person enrolls. A person may |
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become eligible to receive a scholarship under the program in a |
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subsequent semester or term if the person: |
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(1) completes a semester or term during which the |
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student is not eligible for a scholarship; and |
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(2) meets all the requirements of Subsection (a). |
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(d) For the purpose of this section, a person makes |
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satisfactory academic progress toward an associate degree or |
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certificate only if: |
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(1) in the person's first academic year, the person |
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meets the satisfactory academic progress requirements of the |
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institution at which the person is enrolled; and |
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(2) in the subsequent academic year, the person: |
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(A) completes at least 75 percent of the semester |
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credit hours attempted in the student 's most recent academic year; |
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and |
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(B) has earned an overall grade point average of |
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at least 2.5 on a four-point scale or the equivalent on course work |
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previously attempted at institutions of higher education. |
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(e) A person who is eligible to receive a scholarship under |
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the program continues to remain eligible to receive the scholarship |
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if the person enrolls in or transfers to another participating |
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institution. |
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(f) The coordinating board shall adopt rules to allow a |
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person who is otherwise eligible to receive a scholarship under the |
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program, in the event of a hardship or for other good cause shown, |
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including a showing of a severe illness or other debilitating |
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condition that may affect the person's academic performance or that |
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the person is responsible for the care of a sick, injured, or needy |
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person and that the person's provision of care may affect the |
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person's academic performance, to receive a scholarship under the |
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program: |
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(1) while enrolled in a number of semester credit |
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hours that is less than the number of semester credit hours required |
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under Subsection (a)(3); or |
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(2) if the student's grade point average or completion |
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rate falls below the satisfactory academic progress requirements of |
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Subsection (d). |
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Sec. 56.527. SCHOLARSHIP USE. A scholarship awarded by a |
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participating institution under the program may be applied only to |
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the payment of tuition and mandatory fees at the institution. |
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Sec. 56.528. SCHOLARSHIP AMOUNT. (a) The amount of a |
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scholarship awarded by a participating institution to an eligible |
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student under the program for a semester or other academic term in |
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which the student is enrolled at the institution may not exceed the |
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difference between the amount of tuition and mandatory fees charged |
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to the student by the institution for that semester or term and the |
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amount of any other gift aid, including state or federal grants or |
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scholarships, awarded to the student for that semester or term. |
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(b) scholarship may not be awarded under the program to an |
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eligible student for a semester or other academic term until any |
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other gift aid for which the student is eligible has been awarded to |
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the student and the student's unmet financial need has been |
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established for purposes of determining the appropriate amount of |
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the student's scholarship under Subsection (a). |
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Sec. 56.529. NOTIFICATION OF PROGRAM; RESPONSIBILITIES OF |
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SCHOOL DISTRICTS. (a) The coordinating board, in consultation |
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with all participating institutions, shall prepare materials |
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designed to inform prospective students, their parents, and high |
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school counselors about the program, the institutions |
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participating in the program, and eligibility for a scholarship |
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under the program. The coordinating board shall distribute to each |
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eligible institution and to each school district a copy of the |
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materials prepared under this section. |
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(b) Each school district shall notify its high school |
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students, those students' teachers and school counselors, and those |
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students' parents or guardians of the program, the institutions |
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participating in the program, and the eligibility requirements of |
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the program. |
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Sec. 56.530. GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS. In addition to |
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other money appropriated by the legislature, each participating |
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institution may solicit, accept, and spend gifts, grants, and |
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donations from any public or private source for the purposes of the |
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program. |
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SECTION 2. (a) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating |
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Board shall adopt rules to administer Subchapter T, Chapter 56, |
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Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after |
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the effective date of this Act. |
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(b) Each two-year public institution of higher education |
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that elects to participate in the Texas Promise Scholarship Program |
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established under Subchapter T, Chapter 56, Education Code, as |
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added by this Act, shall begin awarding scholarships under that |
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subchapter for the first academic year for which money is available |
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for that purpose, except that an institution may not award |
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scholarships under that subchapter for an academic year before the |
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2020-2021 academic 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, 2019. |