Bill Text: TX HB2290 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of the Texas Returning Adult Student Grant Program for certain students enrolled in baccalaureate degree programs at certain postsecondary educational institutions.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-05-11 - Placed on General State Calendar [HB2290 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB2290-Comm_Sub.html
85R7340 MM-F | ||
By: Lozano, Zerwas | H.B. No. 2290 |
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relating to the establishment of the Texas Returning Adult Student | ||
Grant Program for certain students enrolled in baccalaureate degree | ||
programs at certain postsecondary educational institutions. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Chapter 56, Education Code, is amended by adding | ||
Subchapter U to read as follows: | ||
SUBCHAPTER U. TEXAS RETURNING ADULT STUDENT GRANT PROGRAM | ||
Sec. 56.601. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: | ||
(1) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher | ||
Education Coordinating Board. | ||
(2) "Eligible institution" means: | ||
(A) a general academic teaching institution; or | ||
(B) a nonprofit, tax-exempt, regionally | ||
accredited college or university operating in accordance with a | ||
memorandum of understanding with this state under an executive | ||
order issued by the governor and offering competency-based, | ||
exclusively online baccalaureate degree programs. | ||
(3) "Expected family contribution" means the amount of | ||
discretionary income that should be available to a student from the | ||
resources of the student and of the student's family, as determined | ||
by the coordinating board following the methodology prescribed by | ||
the United States Department of Education for the purpose of | ||
determining a student's eligibility for need-based student | ||
financial assistance. | ||
(4) "General academic teaching institution" has the | ||
meaning assigned by Section 61.003. | ||
(5) "Program" means the Texas Returning Adult Student | ||
Grant Program established under this subchapter. | ||
(6) "Returning adult student" means a student who: | ||
(A) is over the age of 25; | ||
(B) has earned college credit but has not | ||
obtained a postsecondary degree; and | ||
(C) is enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program | ||
at an eligible institution. | ||
Sec. 56.602. PURPOSE. The purpose of the Texas Returning | ||
Adult Student Grant Program is to provide financial assistance to | ||
eligible returning adult students enrolling in baccalaureate | ||
degree programs at eligible institutions. | ||
Sec. 56.603. ADMINISTRATION OF PROGRAM; PRIORITY FOR | ||
FINANCIAL NEED. (a) The coordinating board shall: | ||
(1) administer the program; | ||
(2) using the negotiated rulemaking procedures under | ||
Chapter 2008, Government Code, adopt rules for determining the | ||
allocation of funds under the program among eligible institutions; | ||
and | ||
(3) adopt any other rules necessary to implement the | ||
program or this subchapter. | ||
(b) The coordinating board shall consult with the student | ||
financial aid officers of eligible institutions in developing the | ||
rules adopted under Subsection (a). | ||
(c) The total amount of grants awarded under the program may | ||
not exceed the amount available for the program from | ||
appropriations, gifts, grants, or other funds. | ||
(d) In determining who should receive a grant under the | ||
program, the coordinating board and the eligible institutions shall | ||
give highest priority to awarding grants to students who | ||
demonstrate the greatest unmet financial need. | ||
Sec. 56.604. INITIAL ELIGIBILITY FOR GRANT. (a) To be | ||
eligible initially for a grant under the program, a person must: | ||
(1) be a resident of this state as determined by | ||
coordinating board rules; | ||
(2) meet financial need requirements as defined by | ||
coordinating board rules, including a requirement that the person's | ||
expected family contribution for the academic year does not exceed | ||
the maximum expected family contribution established for this | ||
purpose by the coordinating board; | ||
(3) be a returning adult student; | ||
(4) not be receiving a TEXAS grant under Subchapter M, | ||
a tuition equalization grant under Subchapter F, Chapter 61, or any | ||
other state-funded student financial assistance for the same | ||
academic period; and | ||
(5) comply with any additional requirement adopted by | ||
the coordinating board under this subchapter. | ||
(b) A person may not receive a grant under the program for | ||
more than the greater of: | ||
(1) 135 semester credit hours or the equivalent; or | ||
(2) 15 semester credit hours or the equivalent in | ||
excess of the number of semester credit hours required for the | ||
degree program in which the person is enrolled. | ||
Sec. 56.605. CONTINUING ELIGIBILITY AND ACADEMIC | ||
PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS. (a) After initially qualifying for a | ||
grant under the program, a person may continue to receive a grant | ||
under the program during each semester or term in which the person | ||
is enrolled at an eligible institution only if the person: | ||
(1) meets the criteria for initial eligibility under | ||
Section 56.604(a); | ||
(2) makes satisfactory academic progress toward a | ||
baccalaureate degree; and | ||
(3) complies with any additional requirement adopted | ||
by the coordinating board. | ||
(b) If a person fails to meet any of the requirements of | ||
Subsection (a) after the completion of any semester or term, the | ||
person may not receive a grant under the program during the next | ||
semester or term in which the person enrolls. Unless the person is | ||
no longer eligible for a grant under Section 56.604(b), a person | ||
may become eligible to receive a grant under the program in a | ||
subsequent semester or term if the person: | ||
(1) completes at least 15 semester credit hours or an | ||
equivalent number of competency units or credits in a semester or | ||
term during which the student is not eligible for a grant; and | ||
(2) meets all the requirements of Subsection (a). | ||
(c) For the purpose of this section, a person makes | ||
satisfactory academic progress toward a baccalaureate degree only | ||
if the person completes at least 15 semester credit hours or an | ||
equivalent number of competency units or credits in each semester | ||
or term in which the person is enrolled. | ||
(d) The coordinating board shall adopt rules to allow a | ||
person who is otherwise eligible to receive a grant under the | ||
program to receive a grant if the student's completion rate falls | ||
below the satisfactory academic progress requirements of this | ||
section in the event of a hardship or for other good cause shown, | ||
including: | ||
(1) a showing of a severe illness or other | ||
debilitating condition that may affect the person's academic | ||
performance; or | ||
(2) a showing that the person is responsible for the | ||
care of a sick, injured, or needy person and that the person's | ||
provision of care may affect the person's academic performance. | ||
Sec. 56.606. GRANT USE. A person receiving a grant under | ||
this subchapter may use the money only to pay the amount of tuition | ||
and required fees and the cost of required textbooks incurred by the | ||
student at an eligible institution. The institution may disburse | ||
all or part of the proceeds of a grant under the program to an | ||
eligible person only if the tuition and required fees incurred by | ||
the person at the institution have been paid. | ||
Sec. 56.607. GRANT AMOUNT. The amount of a grant awarded to | ||
a person under the program for a semester or other academic term is | ||
an amount not to exceed the lesser of: | ||
(1) the difference between: | ||
(A) the amount of tuition and required fees | ||
incurred by the student at an eligible institution for that | ||
semester or term plus a textbook stipend in an amount determined by | ||
the coordinating board; and | ||
(B) the amount of the Pell Grant for which the | ||
student is eligible, if any; or | ||
(2) the student's unmet financial need for that | ||
semester or term. | ||
Sec. 56.608. GRANT NOT TO AFFECT ADMISSION. An eligible | ||
institution may not deny admission to or enrollment in the | ||
institution based on a person's eligibility to receive a grant | ||
under the program or a person's receipt of a grant under the | ||
program. | ||
SECTION 2. (a) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating | ||
Board shall adopt rules to administer Subchapter U, Chapter 56, | ||
Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after | ||
the effective date of this Act. For that purpose, the coordinating | ||
board may adopt the initial rules in the manner provided by law for | ||
emergency rules. | ||
(b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall | ||
begin allocating funds to eligible institutions under Subchapter U, | ||
Chapter 56, Education Code, as added by this Act, for the first | ||
academic year for which money is appropriated for that purpose, | ||
except that the coordinating board may not allocate funds under | ||
that subchapter for an academic year before the 2018-2019 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, 2017. |