| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to a limitation on the amount of tuition charged by public |
|
|
institutions of higher education. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 54, Education Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 54.0514 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 54.0514. LIMITATION ON TOTAL AMOUNT OF TUITION. (a) |
|
|
In this section, "tuition" includes: |
|
|
(1) tuition for which the rates are prescribed by this |
|
|
chapter; and |
|
|
(2) tuition charged by an institution of higher |
|
|
education under Section 54.0513 or another law authorizing an |
|
|
institution to establish tuition rates. |
|
|
(a-1) This section does not apply to tuition charged by an |
|
|
institution of higher education for an academic period before the |
|
|
2024-2025 academic year. This subsection expires January 1, 2025. |
|
|
(b) The total amount of tuition charged by an institution of |
|
|
higher education to a student for an academic year may not exceed |
|
|
the total amount of tuition that the institution would have charged |
|
|
under this chapter to a similarly situated student for the |
|
|
2023-2024 academic year. For purposes of this subsection, students |
|
|
are similarly situated if they share the same residency status, |
|
|
degree program, course load, course level, tuition exemption |
|
|
status, and other circumstances affecting the tuition charged to |
|
|
students. This subsection does not ensure that the total amount of |
|
|
tuition charged to an individual student does not increase based on |
|
|
a change in the student's residency status, degree program, course |
|
|
load, course level, tuition exemption status, or other circumstance |
|
|
affecting the tuition charged to the student. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Sections 54.0513(a) and (b), Education Code, are |
|
|
amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(a) In addition to amounts that a governing board of an |
|
|
institution of higher education is authorized to charge as tuition |
|
|
under the other provisions of this chapter, the governing board[, |
|
|
under the terms the governing board considers appropriate,] may |
|
|
charge any student an amount designated as tuition, not to exceed |
|
|
the amount that enables the institution to comply with Section |
|
|
54.0514, that the governing board considers necessary for the |
|
|
effective operation of the institution. |
|
|
(b) Subject to the limit provided by Subsection (a) on the |
|
|
amount designated as tuition charged under this section, a [A] |
|
|
governing board may set a different tuition rate under this section |
|
|
for each program and course level offered by each institution of |
|
|
higher education[. A governing board may set a different tuition |
|
|
rate] as the governing board considers appropriate to increase |
|
|
graduation rates, encourage efficient use of facilities, or enhance |
|
|
employee performance. |
|
|
SECTION 3. Sections 54.0515(e) and (f), Education Code, are |
|
|
amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(e) It is the legislature's intent that each institution of |
|
|
higher education[, as a condition to tuition deregulation under |
|
|
Section 54.0513,] reasonably implement the following: |
|
|
(1) each institution shall make satisfactory progress |
|
|
towards the goals provided in its master plan for higher education |
|
|
and in "Closing the Gaps," the state's master plan for higher |
|
|
education, or a successor state master plan; and |
|
|
(2) each institution shall meet acceptable |
|
|
performance criteria, including measures such as graduation rates, |
|
|
retention rates, enrollment growth, educational quality, efforts |
|
|
to enhance minority participation, opportunities for financial |
|
|
aid, and affordability. |
|
|
(f) The committee shall: |
|
|
(1) meet at the call of either chair; |
|
|
(2) monitor and regularly report to the legislature on |
|
|
each institution of higher education's compliance with the |
|
|
requirements of Subsection (e); and |
|
|
(3) receive and review information concerning the |
|
|
affordability and accessibility of higher education[, including |
|
|
the impact of tuition deregulation]. |
|
|
SECTION 4. This Act applies beginning with tuition charged |
|
|
by public institutions of higher education for the 2024 fall |
|
|
semester. Tuition charged by an institution of higher education in |
|
|
an academic period before that semester is covered by the law in |
|
|
effect before the effective date of this Act, and the former law is |
|
|
continued in effect for that purpose. |
|
|
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect January 1, 2024. |