Bill Text: TX SB1237 | 2021-2022 | 87th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to authorizing the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to award grants to public institutions of higher education for alternative student financial assistance plans.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-04-21 - Left pending in committee [SB1237 Detail]
Download: Texas-2021-SB1237-Introduced.html
| 87R7530 KJE-D | ||
| By: Zaffirini | S.B. No. 1237 | |
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| relating to authorizing the Texas Higher Education Coordinating | ||
| Board to award grants to public institutions of higher education | ||
| for alternative student financial assistance plans. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 61.07763 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 61.07763. GRANTS FOR ALTERNATIVE FINANCIAL AID PLANS. | ||
| (a) Using funds described by Subsection (d), the board shall award | ||
| grants to eligible institutions of higher education for the | ||
| provision of student financial assistance in accordance with this | ||
| section. | ||
| (b) The board shall develop a competitive application | ||
| process to award grants to eligible institutions of higher | ||
| education under this section. In awarding grants, the board shall | ||
| consider the potential of proposals to use financial aid funds to | ||
| effectively achieve desired purposes and outcomes identified by the | ||
| board or targeted by a proposal. The board shall make a reasonable | ||
| effort to ensure that the selected institutions are geographically | ||
| diverse and serve students that represent the demographic diversity | ||
| of this state. | ||
| (c) To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an | ||
| institution of higher education must adopt a plan to provide | ||
| financial assistance to students enrolled at the institution using | ||
| the grant funds. The plan must: | ||
| (1) provide that only students who meet the financial | ||
| need requirements as defined by the board are eligible to receive | ||
| financial assistance; and | ||
| (2) require a student receiving financial assistance | ||
| to use the funds only for costs associated with attending the | ||
| institution, as identified by the institution. | ||
| (d) The board may use a portion, not to exceed three | ||
| percent, of the funds appropriated for the TEXAS grant program | ||
| under Subchapter M, Chapter 56, and a portion, not to exceed three | ||
| percent, of the funds appropriated for the Texas Educational | ||
| Opportunity Grant Program under Subchapter P, Chapter 56, for | ||
| purposes of this section. | ||
| (e) The board shall include in its annual report to the | ||
| legislature on financial aid in this state a report on the | ||
| effectiveness of the student financial assistance plans funded by | ||
| grants awarded under this section and any recommendations for | ||
| legislative or other action. | ||
| (f) The board may adopt rules as necessary to implement this | ||
| section. | ||
| SECTION 2. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board | ||
| shall award grants under Section 61.07763, Education Code, as added | ||
| by this Act, beginning with the 2023-2024 academic year. | ||
| SECTION 3. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board | ||
| shall include the board's initial report required under Section | ||
| 61.07763(e), Education Code, as added by this Act, in the board's | ||
| annual report to the legislature on financial aid in this state | ||
| awarded during the 2023-2024 academic year. | ||
| SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. | ||
