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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| HOUSE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY M. SMITH, BARRAR, BELFANTI, BENNINGHOFF, D. COSTA, DeLUCA, DePASQUALE, FRANKEL, GIBBONS, GOODMAN, HALUSKA, MANN, McGEEHAN, PALLONE, SIPTROTH, VULAKOVICH, WALKO AND WHITE, FEBRUARY 13, 2009 |
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| REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, FEBRUARY 13, 2009 |
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| AN ACT |
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1 | Providing for a fixed tuition rate schedule by institutions of |
2 | higher education for undergraduate students. |
3 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
4 | hereby enacts as follows: |
5 | Section 1. Short title. |
6 | This act shall be known and may be cited as the Truth in |
7 | Tuition Act. |
8 | Section 2. Definitions. |
9 | The following words and phrases when used in this act shall |
10 | have the meanings given to them in this section unless the |
11 | context clearly indicates otherwise: |
12 | "Community college." An institution now or hereafter created |
13 | pursuant to Article XIX-A of the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, |
14 | No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949. |
15 | "Fees." All charges imposed by an institution of higher |
16 | education upon students in excess of tuition. |
17 | "Independent institution of higher education." An |
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1 | institution of higher education that is operated not for profit, |
2 | located in and incorporated or chartered by the Commonwealth, |
3 | entitled to confer degrees as set forth in 24 Pa.C.S. Ch. 65 |
4 | (relating to private colleges, universities and seminaries) and |
5 | entitled to apply to itself the designation "college" or |
6 | "university" as provided for by standards and qualifications |
7 | prescribed by the State Board of Education pursuant to 24 |
8 | Pa.C.S. Ch. 65. |
9 | "Institution of higher education." An independent |
10 | institution of higher education, a community college, a State- |
11 | owned institution or a State-related institution. |
12 | "State-owned institution." An institution that is part of |
13 | the State System of Higher Education pursuant to Article XX-A of |
14 | the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public |
15 | School Code of 1949. |
16 | "State-related institution." Any of the following: The |
17 | Pennsylvania State University; the University of Pittsburgh; |
18 | Temple University and Lincoln University and their branch |
19 | campuses. |
20 | Section 3. Scope. |
21 | This act relates to institutions of higher education in this |
22 | Commonwealth. |
23 | Section 4. Fixed tuition rate schedule for undergraduate |
24 | students. |
25 | (a) Tuition schedule.--A State-owned institution, State- |
26 | related institution or community college shall provide a |
27 | prospective or incoming undergraduate student with a schedule |
28 | stating the tuition and fees for the four academic years |
29 | immediately following enrollment. The schedule shall include an |
30 | explanation of the purpose of the fees. An independent |
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1 | institution of higher education may provide a four-year schedule |
2 | of fixed tuition and fees to prospective and incoming students. |
3 | (b) Fixed rate.--Except as otherwise provided by this |
4 | section, a State-owned institution, State-related institution or |
5 | community college may not charge tuition and fees to an |
6 | undergraduate student at a rate that exceeds the rate shown on |
7 | the tuition schedule provided under subsection (a). |
8 | (c) Transfer students.--If a student enrolls in a State- |
9 | owned institution, State-related institution or community |
10 | college after transferring from another institution of higher |
11 | education, subsection (a) does not apply to the student after |
12 | the fourth anniversary of the date of that first enrollment, |
13 | regardless of whether the student was ever previously enrolled |
14 | at the institution. |
15 | (d) Other students.--Subsection (b) does not apply to the |
16 | student after the end of the standard completion period for the |
17 | degree program in which the student is enrolled, as established |
18 | by the institution awarding the degree, if the student is |
19 | enrolled in a degree program other than a four-year degree |
20 | program. |
21 | Section 5. Applicability. |
22 | This act does not apply to a student who enters a university |
23 | for the first time before the 2010 fall semester. |
24 | Section 6. Effective date. |
25 | This act shall take effect September 1, 2009, or immediately, |
26 | whichever is later. |
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