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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 First Generation |
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Matching Scholarship Program for certain first generation students |
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at public 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 S to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER S. TEXAS FIRST GENERATION MATCHING SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM |
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Sec. 56.501. 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) "First generation student" means a person: |
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(A) whose parents or legal guardians have not |
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obtained a baccalaureate degree; or |
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(B) who is or was in the conservatorship of the |
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Department of Family and Protective Services. |
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(3) "Program" means the Texas First Generation |
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Matching Scholarship Program. |
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Sec. 56.502. PROGRAM PURPOSE. The purpose of the Texas |
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First Generation Matching Scholarship Program is to provide |
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assistance in the payment of tuition and required fees to enable |
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eligible first generation students to attend institutions of higher |
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education. |
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Sec. 56.503. FIRST GENERATION MATCHING SCHOLARSHIP |
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ACCOUNT. (a) The first generation matching scholarship account is |
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an account in the general revenue fund. |
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(b) The account consists of: |
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(1) money appropriated or transferred to the credit of |
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the account by the legislature; and |
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(2) interest earned on the investment of money in the |
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account. |
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(c) Money in the account may be used only to provide |
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scholarships to eligible first generation students as provided by |
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this subchapter. |
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Sec. 56.504. 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 |
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institutions of higher education in developing the rules. |
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Sec. 56.505. AWARD OF SCHOLARSHIP. From money available |
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for the purpose, each institution of higher education shall award |
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scholarships to eligible students under the program. |
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Sec. 56.506. 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 first generation student; |
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(2) be a resident of this state as determined by |
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coordinating board rules; |
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(3) meet financial need requirements as defined by the |
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coordinating board; |
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(4) be enrolled in an associate or baccalaureate |
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degree or certificate program at an institution of higher |
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education; |
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(5) 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 or baccalaureate degree or certificate program, as |
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determined by the coordinating board; |
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(6) have applied for any available financial aid or |
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assistance; and |
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(7) 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) A 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) A person is not eligible to receive a scholarship under |
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the program if the person has: |
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(1) been granted: |
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(A) a certificate for completion of a certificate |
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program; or |
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(B) an associate or baccalaureate degree; or |
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(2) completed more than the following number of |
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semester credit hours or the equivalent at an institution of higher |
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education: |
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(A) 90 semester credit hours or the equivalent, |
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if the person is enrolled in a degree or certificate program of two |
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years or less; or |
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(B) 135 semester credit hours or the equivalent, |
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if the person is enrolled in a degree or certificate program of more |
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than two years. |
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(d) A person may not receive a scholarship under the program |
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for more than: |
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(1) 75 semester credit hours or the equivalent, if the |
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person is enrolled in a degree or certificate program of two years |
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or less; or |
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(2) 150 semester credit hours or the equivalent, if |
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the person is enrolled in a degree or certificate program of more |
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than two years. |
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(e) A person's eligibility for a scholarship under the |
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program ends on: |
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(1) the third anniversary of the initial award of a |
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scholarship under the program to the person, if the person is |
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enrolled in a degree or certificate program of two years or less; |
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(2) the fifth anniversary of the initial award of a |
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scholarship under the program to the person, if the person is |
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enrolled in a degree or certificate program of more than two years |
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but not more than four years; or |
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(3) the sixth anniversary of the initial award of a |
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scholarship under the program to the person, if the person is |
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enrolled in a degree or certificate program of more than four years. |
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Sec. 56.507. 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 or baccalaureate |
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degree or certificate 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 or baccalaureate degree or |
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certificate program, as determined by the coordinating board; |
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(4) makes satisfactory academic progress toward an |
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associate or baccalaureate 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 or |
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baccalaureate degree or 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 institution of |
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higher education. |
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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. 56.508. SCHOLARSHIP USE. A scholarship awarded under |
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the program may be applied only to the payment of tuition and |
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required fees at an institution of higher education. |
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Sec. 56.509. SCHOLARSHIP AMOUNT; ALLOCATION. (a) The |
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amount of a scholarship awarded by an institution of higher |
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education to an eligible student under the program for a semester or |
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other academic term in which the student is enrolled at the |
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institution may not exceed the difference between the amount of |
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tuition and required fees charged to the student by the institution |
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for that semester or term and the amount of any other gift aid, |
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including state or federal grants or scholarships, awarded to the |
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student for that semester or term. |
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(b) A 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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(c) An institution of higher education that awards a |
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scholarship under the program is responsible for two-thirds of the |
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total amount of the scholarship determined under Subsection (a). |
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The state is responsible for the remainder, to be paid from the |
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first generation matching scholarship account established under |
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Section 56.503 or from other funds appropriated for that purpose. |
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Sec. 56.510. NOTIFICATION OF PROGRAM; RESPONSIBILITIES OF |
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SCHOOL DISTRICTS. (a) The coordinating board, in consultation |
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with all institutions of higher education, shall prepare materials |
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designed to inform prospective students, their parents or |
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guardians, and high school counselors about the program and |
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eligibility for a scholarship under the program. The coordinating |
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board shall distribute to each institution of higher education and |
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to each school district a copy of the materials prepared under this |
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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 and the eligibility |
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requirements of the program. |
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Sec. 56.511. GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS. In addition to |
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other money appropriated by the legislature, each institution of |
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higher education 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 S, 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 public institution of higher education shall begin |
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awarding scholarships under Subchapter S, Chapter 56, Education |
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Code, as added by this Act, for the first academic year for which |
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money is available for that purpose, except that an institution may |
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not award scholarships under that subchapter for an academic year |
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before the 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. |