Bill Text: TX HB3657 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment of the Texas Competency-Based Education Grant Program for certain students enrolled in competency-based baccalaureate degree programs and to formula funding and dropped and repeated course restrictions for students enrolled in those degree programs at public institutions of higher education.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-05-15 - Referred to Higher Education [HB3657 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB3657-Introduced.html
86R7829 KJE-D | ||
By: Turner of Tarrant | H.B. No. 3657 |
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relating to the establishment of the Texas Competency-Based | ||
Education Grant Program for certain students enrolled in | ||
competency-based baccalaureate degree programs and to formula | ||
funding and dropped and repeated course restrictions for students | ||
enrolled in those degree programs at public institutions of higher | ||
education. | ||
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 COMPETENCY-BASED EDUCATION GRANT PROGRAM | ||
Sec. 56.601. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: | ||
(1) "Competency-based baccalaureate degree program" | ||
means a baccalaureate degree program under which academic credit is | ||
awarded based solely on a student's attainment of competencies. | ||
The term may include a program that is organized around traditional | ||
course-based units, including for online or other distance | ||
education, that a student must earn for degree completion. | ||
(2) "Coordinating board" means the Texas Higher | ||
Education Coordinating Board. | ||
(3) "Eligible institution" means: | ||
(A) a general academic teaching institution; | ||
(B) a private or independent institution of | ||
higher education; | ||
(C) a public junior college authorized to offer | ||
baccalaureate degree programs under Subchapter L, Chapter 130; or | ||
(D) 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. | ||
(4) "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. | ||
(5) "General academic teaching institution," "private | ||
or independent institution of higher education," and "public junior | ||
college" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003. | ||
(6) "Program" means the Texas Competency-Based | ||
Education Grant Program established under this subchapter. | ||
Sec. 56.602. PURPOSE. The purpose of the Texas | ||
Competency-Based Education Grant Program is to provide financial | ||
assistance to enable eligible students to enroll in | ||
competency-based 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 enrolled in a competency-based baccalaureate | ||
degree program at an eligible institution; | ||
(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 nonacademic | ||
requirement adopted by the coordinating board under this | ||
subchapter. | ||
(b) A person is not eligible to receive a grant under the | ||
program if the person has been granted a baccalaureate degree. | ||
(c) A person's eligibility for a grant under the program | ||
ends on the earliest of the following dates: | ||
(1) the fourth anniversary of the initial award of a | ||
grant under the program to the person, if at the time of the initial | ||
award the person had earned less than 60 semester credit hours or an | ||
equivalent number of competency units or credits toward the | ||
person's degree; | ||
(2) the second anniversary of the initial award of a | ||
grant under the program to the person, if at the time of the initial | ||
award the person had earned 60 or more semester credit hours or an | ||
equivalent number of competency units or credits toward the | ||
person's degree; or | ||
(3) the date the person receives a baccalaureate | ||
degree. | ||
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 nonacademic | ||
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's | ||
eligibility for a grant expires under Section 56.604(c), 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 12 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 12 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 | ||
the program may use the money to pay any usual and customary cost of | ||
attendance at an eligible institution incurred by the student. 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. (a) The maximum annual amount | ||
of a grant under the program for a full-time undergraduate student | ||
equivalent enrolled at an eligible institution is an amount equal | ||
to 75 percent of the average state appropriation for the state | ||
fiscal biennium preceding the biennium in which the grant is | ||
awarded for a full-time undergraduate student equivalent enrolled | ||
at a general academic teaching institution, as determined by the | ||
coordinating board. | ||
(b) The coordinating board may adopt rules that allow the | ||
coordinating board to increase or decrease, in proportion to the | ||
number of semester credit hours or competency units or credits in | ||
which a student is enrolled, the amount of a grant award to a | ||
student who is enrolled in a number of semester credit hours or | ||
competency units or credits in excess of or below 12 semester credit | ||
hours or an equivalent number of competency units or credits. | ||
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. Section 51.907, Education Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows: | ||
(b-1) This section does not apply to a student enrolled in a | ||
competency-based baccalaureate degree program, as defined by | ||
Section 56.601. | ||
SECTION 3. Section 61.059, Education Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subsection (s) to read as follows: | ||
(s) Notwithstanding any other law, the board may not exclude | ||
from being counted in the hours reported to the Legislative Budget | ||
Board for formula funding contact hours or semester credit hours | ||
for a student's enrollment in a course for which the student has | ||
previously generated formula funding if the student is enrolled in | ||
a competency-based baccalaureate degree program, as defined by | ||
Section 56.601. | ||
SECTION 4. Section 61.0595, Education Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subsection (f-1) to read as follows: | ||
(f-1) In the formulas established under Section 61.059, the | ||
board shall include without consideration of Subsection (a) or (e) | ||
funding for semester credit hours earned by a student who is | ||
enrolled in a competency-based baccalaureate degree program, as | ||
defined by Section 56.601. | ||
SECTION 5. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 61.088 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 61.088. DROPPED OR REPEATED COURSES UNDER | ||
COMPETENCY-BASED BACCALAUREATE DEGREE PROGRAM. The board by rule | ||
shall develop standards for and limitations on dropping or | ||
repeating courses by students enrolled in a competency-based | ||
baccalaureate degree program, as defined by Section 56.601. | ||
SECTION 6. Section 51.907(b-1), Education Code, as added by | ||
this Act, applies beginning with the fall 2019 semester. | ||
SECTION 7. (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. | ||
(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 2020-2021 academic | ||
year. | ||
SECTION 8. The changes in law made by this Act to Sections | ||
61.059 and 61.0595, Education Code, apply beginning with funding | ||
recommendations made under Section 61.059, Education Code, for the | ||
state fiscal biennium beginning September 1, 2021. | ||
SECTION 9. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board | ||
shall adopt rules under Section 61.088, Education Code, as added by | ||
this Act, as soon as practicable after this Act takes effect. | ||
SECTION 10. 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, 2019. |