| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to authorizing a public junior college district to exempt |
|
|
from the payment of tuition and fees certain students enrolled |
|
|
concurrently in certain training programs and adult education |
|
|
courses. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 130, Education Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 130.0901 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 130.0901. EXEMPTION FROM TUITION AND FEES FOR CERTAIN |
|
|
ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAM STUDENTS. (a) The governing board of a |
|
|
junior college district may exempt from the payment of all or a part |
|
|
of the tuition and fees charged by the junior college district a |
|
|
student who: |
|
|
(1) is enrolled in a training program offered by the |
|
|
junior college district leading to a degree or industry |
|
|
certification in a high-skill and high-growth occupation as |
|
|
identified by the applicable local workforce development board; |
|
|
(2) at the time the student enters the training |
|
|
program, has not obtained a high school diploma or its equivalent; |
|
|
(3) is enrolled in a contextualized adult education |
|
|
course under Subchapter H, Chapter 29, that provides training |
|
|
related to the training program and is simultaneously operated by |
|
|
or affiliated by agreement with the junior college district; |
|
|
(4) remains continuously enrolled in and regularly |
|
|
meets the established proficiency criteria for the training program |
|
|
and the adult education course described by Subdivision (3); |
|
|
(5) maintains acceptable overall performance and |
|
|
attendance as determined by the governing board for purposes of |
|
|
this section; and |
|
|
(6) is eligible for legal employment in the United |
|
|
States. |
|
|
(b) The governing board of a junior college district may not |
|
|
exempt a student from the payment of tuition and fees under this |
|
|
section: |
|
|
(1) for more than 18 semester credit hours or the |
|
|
equivalent; |
|
|
(2) after the first anniversary of the date of the |
|
|
student's entry into the training program; or |
|
|
(3) after the student's completion of or withdrawal |
|
|
from the training program. |
|
|
(c) The grant of an exemption from tuition and fees under |
|
|
Subsection (a) does not affect the right of a junior college to a |
|
|
proportionate share of state appropriations under Section 130.003 |
|
|
attributable to the contact hours of the junior college with the |
|
|
student receiving the exemption. |
|
|
SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply |
|
|
beginning with the 2013-2014 academic year. |
|
|
SECTION 3. 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. |