Bill Text: TX HB2755 | 2013-2014 | 83rd Legislature | Comm Sub
Bill Title: Relating to student financial assistance for certain students of WGU Texas or similar online nonprofit colleges or universities.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-04-24 - Committee report sent to Calendars [HB2755 Detail]
Download: Texas-2013-HB2755-Comm_Sub.html
| 83R21496 KSD-F | |||
| By: Branch | H.B. No. 2755 | ||
| Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2755: | |||
| By: Branch | C.S.H.B. No. 2755 | ||
|
|
||
|
|
||
| relating to student financial assistance for certain students of | ||
| WGU Texas or similar online nonprofit colleges or universities. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 56, Education Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 56.009 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 56.009. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR STUDENTS ENROLLED AT | ||
| WGU TEXAS OR SIMILAR ONLINE COLLEGES OR UNIVERSITIES. (a) In this | ||
| section, "general academic teaching institution" and "private or | ||
| independent institution of higher education" have the meanings | ||
| assigned by Section 61.003. | ||
| (b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board by rule | ||
| shall: | ||
| (1) provide student financial assistance grants | ||
| during the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 academic years for students | ||
| enrolled: | ||
| (A) at WGU Texas, or a similar nonprofit, | ||
| tax-exempt, regionally accredited college or university operating | ||
| in accordance with a memorandum of understanding with this state | ||
| pursuant to an executive order issued by the governor and offering | ||
| competency-based, exclusively online or other distance education; | ||
| and | ||
| (B) in a degree program approved by the | ||
| coordinating board for purposes of this section; and | ||
| (2) in consultation with representatives of the | ||
| coordinating board's financial aid advisory committee, | ||
| representatives of financial aid offices of institutions of higher | ||
| education and private or independent institutions of higher | ||
| education offering online or other distance education courses and | ||
| programs similar to those offered by nonprofit colleges or | ||
| universities described by Subdivision (1)(A), and representatives | ||
| of financial aid offices of nonprofit colleges or universities | ||
| described by Subdivision (1)(A): | ||
| (A) conduct a study regarding, and prepare | ||
| proposed draft legislation for, the creation of a state-funded | ||
| student financial assistance program: | ||
| (i) that is available only to students of | ||
| nonprofit, tax-exempt, regionally accredited universities or | ||
| colleges domiciled in this state that offer competency-based, | ||
| exclusively online or other distance education; and | ||
| (ii) under which the highest priority is | ||
| given to awarding grants to those eligible students who demonstrate | ||
| the greatest financial need; and | ||
| (B) not later than October 1, 2014, submit to | ||
| each standing committee of the legislature with primary | ||
| jurisdiction of higher education a report of the results of the | ||
| study conducted under Paragraph (A), together with the proposed | ||
| draft legislation prepared under that paragraph. | ||
| (c) The rules adopted under Subsection (b)(1) must | ||
| prescribe eligibility requirements for an award of a grant under | ||
| that subdivision, including: | ||
| (1) a requirement that a student: | ||
| (A) be a resident of this state; and | ||
| (B) demonstrate financial need; and | ||
| (2) any additional eligibility requirements, such as | ||
| academic achievement, satisfactory academic progress, course load, | ||
| or course completion requirements, that the coordinating board | ||
| considers reasonable and appropriate for students enrolled in | ||
| online or other distance education programs. | ||
| (d) The amount of a grant awarded to a student under | ||
| Subsection (b)(1) for an academic year may not exceed the lesser of: | ||
| (1) the amount prescribed under Section 61.227(c) as | ||
| the maximum annual amount of a tuition equalization grant paid to a | ||
| student; or | ||
| (2) the amount of the difference between: | ||
| (A) the tuition charged to the student by the | ||
| college or university in which the student is enrolled for that | ||
| academic year; and | ||
| (B) the average tuition charged to a similarly | ||
| situated student by a general academic teaching institution for | ||
| that academic year, as determined by the coordinating board. | ||
| (e) This section expires January 1, 2016. | ||
| SECTION 2. (a) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating | ||
| Board shall adopt any rules necessary under Section 56.009, | ||
| Education Code, as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after | ||
| this Act takes effect. For that purpose, the coordinating board may | ||
| adopt the initial rules in the manner provided by law for emergency | ||
| rules. | ||
| (b) The coordinating board shall begin awarding grants in | ||
| accordance with Section 56.009(b)(1), Education Code, as added by | ||
| this Act, as soon as practicable after this Act takes effect. | ||
| 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. | ||
