| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to a fixed tuition rate provided by general academic |
|
|
teaching institutions and public junior colleges to certain |
|
|
undergraduate students. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 54, Education Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 54.017 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 54.017. FIXED TUITION RATE FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS. |
|
|
(a) In this section: |
|
|
(1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher |
|
|
Education Coordinating Board. |
|
|
(2) "General academic teaching institution" and |
|
|
"public junior college" have the meanings assigned by Section |
|
|
61.003. |
|
|
(b) Except as otherwise provided by this section, in a |
|
|
semester or other academic term, the governing board of a general |
|
|
academic teaching institution or public junior college may not |
|
|
charge tuition to an undergraduate student under Section 54.0513, |
|
|
or under any other law granting the institution or college |
|
|
discretion to set the tuition rate, at a rate that exceeds the rate |
|
|
the institution or college charged the student during the first |
|
|
semester or other academic term the student enrolled in the |
|
|
institution or college if the student is currently and at all times |
|
|
while enrolled at the institution or college has been a resident of |
|
|
this state for purposes of Subchapter B or was otherwise entitled to |
|
|
pay tuition at the rate provided for residents of this state. |
|
|
(c) If a student enrolls in a general academic teaching |
|
|
institution after transferring from another public or private |
|
|
institution of higher education, Subsection (b) does not apply to |
|
|
the student after the second anniversary of the date of that |
|
|
enrollment, regardless of whether the student was ever previously |
|
|
enrolled at the institution. For any other student enrolled in a |
|
|
general academic teaching institution, Subsection (b) does not |
|
|
apply to the student after: |
|
|
(1) the fourth anniversary of the date the student |
|
|
first enrolls at the institution, if the student is enrolled in a |
|
|
four-year degree program; or |
|
|
(2) the end of the standard completion period for the |
|
|
degree program in which the student is enrolled, as established by |
|
|
the institution awarding the degree, if the student is enrolled in a |
|
|
degree program other than a four-year degree program. |
|
|
(d) For a student enrolled in a public junior college, |
|
|
Subsection (b) does not apply to the student after the second |
|
|
anniversary of the date the student first enrolls at the college. |
|
|
(e) Each general academic teaching institution or public |
|
|
junior college shall notify each entering undergraduate student, |
|
|
including each undergraduate student who transfers to the |
|
|
institution or college, of the eligibility requirements for a fixed |
|
|
tuition rate under this section. |
|
|
(f) In consultation with the general academic teaching |
|
|
institutions and public junior colleges, the coordinating board |
|
|
shall adopt any rules the coordinating board considers appropriate |
|
|
for the administration of this section. |
|
|
(g) This section does not apply to a student enrolled in a |
|
|
general academic teaching institution who is entitled to pay a |
|
|
lower rate of tuition than that prescribed by this section under a |
|
|
fixed tuition rate program for transfer students offered under |
|
|
Section 54.016. |
|
|
(h) This section does not apply to a student who enters a |
|
|
general academic teaching institution or public junior college for |
|
|
the first time before the 2013 fall semester. This subsection |
|
|
expires January 1, 2020. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |