Amend CSSB 37 (senate committee report) as follows:
(1) In SECTION 7 of the bill, in the recital amending Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code (page 7, line 30), strike "Section 61.0522" and substitute "Sections 61.0522 and 61.0523".
(2) In SECTION 7 of the bill, in amended Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code (page 7, between lines 65 and 66), insert the following:
Sec. 61.0523. TEXAS SCHOLARS TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. (a) The board shall establish and administer a tuition assistance program for students who enroll in high-performing degree programs identified under Section 51.316.
(b) A student is eligible to receive tuition assistance under this section if the student:
(1) graduated from a high school in this state with a grade point average in the top 10 percent of the student's high school graduating class;
(2) enrolls full-time, not later than the first fall semester following the student's high school graduation, in a degree program assigned the highest rating available under Section 51.316 at a public institution of higher education;
(3) submits a free application for federal student aid (FAFSA) or Texas application for state financial aid (TASFA);
(4) maintains satisfactory academic progress as determined by board rule; and
(5) has not previously earned a bachelor's degree.
(c) Tuition assistance awarded under this section may only be applied to the payment of tuition and mandatory fees at an institution of higher education.
(d) The board shall adopt rules for the administration of this section, including procedures to prioritize funding if funding for the program is insufficient to cover the cost of providing tuition assistance to all eligible students seeking to participate in the program.
(e) The board may use any available revenue, including legislative appropriations, and may solicit and accept gifts, grants, and donations from any public or private source for the purposes of this section.
(f) The total amount of expenditures under this section may not exceed $500 million per state fiscal year.