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AN ACT
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relating to eligibility for a TEXAS grant and to administration of |
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the TEXAS grant program. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the TEXAS Grant |
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College Readiness Reform Act. |
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SECTION 2. Section 56.303, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsections (d-1), (e), and (f) |
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to read as follows: |
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(d) From money appropriated by the legislature for the |
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purposes of this subchapter, the coordinating board annually shall |
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determine the allocation of money available for TEXAS grants among |
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general academic teaching institutions and other eligible |
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institutions and shall distribute the money accordingly. |
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(d-1) In allocating among general academic teaching |
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institutions money available for initial TEXAS grants for an |
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academic year, the coordinating board shall ensure that each of |
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those institutions' percentage share of the total amount of money |
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for initial grants that is allocated to general academic teaching |
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institutions under this subsection for that year does not, as a |
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result of the number of students who establish eligibility at the |
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institution for an initial grant under Section 56.3041(2)(A), |
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change from the institution's percentage share of the total amount |
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of money for initial grants that is allocated to those institutions |
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under this subsection for the preceding academic year. |
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(e) In determining who should receive a TEXAS grant, the |
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coordinating board and the eligible institutions shall give |
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[highest] priority to awarding TEXAS grants to students who |
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demonstrate the greatest financial need and whose expected family |
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contribution, as determined according to the methodology used for |
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federal student financial aid, does not exceed 60 percent of the |
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average statewide amount of tuition and required fees described by |
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Section 56.307(a). In giving priority based on financial need as |
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required by this subsection to students who meet the requirements |
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for the highest priority as provided by Subsection (f), a general |
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academic teaching institution shall determine financial need |
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according to the relative expected family contribution of those |
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students, beginning with students who have the lowest expected |
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family contribution. |
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(f) Beginning with TEXAS grants awarded for the 2013-2014 |
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academic year, in determining who should receive an initial TEXAS |
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grant, each general academic teaching institution, in addition to |
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giving priority as provided by Subsection (e), shall give highest |
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priority to students who meet the eligibility criteria described by |
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Section 56.3041(2)(A). If there is money available in excess of the |
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amount required to award an initial TEXAS grant to all students |
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meeting those criteria, a general academic teaching institution |
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shall make awards to other students who meet the eligibility |
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criteria described by Section 56.304(a)(2)(A), provided that the |
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institution continues to give priority to students as provided by |
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Subsection (e). |
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SECTION 3. Subsection (h), Section 56.304, Education Code, |
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is amended to read as follows: |
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(h) The coordinating board shall adopt rules to allow a |
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person who is otherwise eligible to receive a TEXAS grant, in the |
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event of a hardship or for other good cause shown, including a |
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showing of a severe illness or other debilitating condition that |
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may affect the person's academic performance or that the person is |
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responsible for the care of a sick, injured, or needy person and |
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that the person's provision of care may affect the person's academic |
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performance, to receive a TEXAS grant while enrolled in a number of |
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semester credit hours that is less than the number of semester |
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credit hours required under Subsection (a)(5) or Section |
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56.3041(5), as applicable. The coordinating board may not allow a |
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person to receive a TEXAS grant while enrolled in fewer than six |
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semester credit hours. |
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SECTION 4. Subchapter M, Chapter 56, Education Code, is |
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amended by amending Section 56.3041 and adding Section 56.3042 to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 56.3041. INITIAL ELIGIBILITY OF PERSON GRADUATING FROM |
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HIGH SCHOOL ON OR AFTER MAY 1, 2013, AND ENROLLING IN A GENERAL |
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ACADEMIC TEACHING INSTITUTION. Notwithstanding Section 56.304(a), |
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to be eligible initially for a TEXAS grant, a person graduating from |
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high school on or after May 1, 2013, and enrolling in a general |
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academic teaching institution must: |
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(1) be a resident of this state as determined by |
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coordinating board rules; |
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(2) meet the academic requirements prescribed by |
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Paragraph (A), (B), or (C) as follows: |
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(A) be a graduate of a public or accredited |
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private high school in this state who completed the recommended |
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high school program established under Section 28.025 or its |
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equivalent and have accomplished any two or more of the following: |
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(i) graduation under the advanced high |
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school program established under Section 28.025 or its equivalent, |
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successful completion of the course requirements of the |
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international baccalaureate diploma program, or earning of the |
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equivalent of at least 12 semester credit hours of college credit in |
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high school through courses described in Sections 28.009(a)(1), |
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(2), and (3); |
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(ii) satisfaction of the Texas Success |
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Initiative (TSI) college readiness benchmarks prescribed by the |
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coordinating board under Section 51.3062(f) on any assessment |
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instrument designated by the coordinating board under Section |
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51.3062(c) or (e) or qualification for an exemption as described by |
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Section 51.3062(p), (q), or (q-1); |
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(iii) graduation in the top one-third of |
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the person's high school graduating class or graduation from high |
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school with a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a four-point |
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scale or the equivalent; or |
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(iv) completion for high school credit of |
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at least one advanced mathematics course following the successful |
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completion of an Algebra II course, as permitted by Section |
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28.025(b-3), or at least one advanced career and technical course, |
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as permitted by Section 28.025(b-2); |
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(B) have received an associate degree from a |
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public or private institution of higher education; or |
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(C) if sufficient money is available, meet the |
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eligibility criteria described by Section 56.304(a)(2)(A); |
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(3) meet financial need requirements established by |
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the coordinating board; |
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(4) be enrolled in an undergraduate degree or |
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certificate program at the general academic teaching institution; |
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(5) except as provided under rules adopted under |
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Section 56.304(h), be enrolled as: |
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(A) an entering undergraduate student for at |
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least three-fourths of a full course load, as determined by the |
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coordinating board, not later than the 16th month after the |
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calendar month in which the person graduated from high school; |
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(B) an entering undergraduate student who |
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entered military service not later than the first anniversary of |
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the date the person graduated from high school and who enrolled for |
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at least three-fourths of a full course load, as determined by the |
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coordinating board, at the general academic teaching institution |
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not later than 12 months after being honorably discharged from |
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military service; or |
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(C) a continuing undergraduate student for at |
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least three-fourths of a full course load, as determined by the |
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coordinating board, not later than the 12th month after the |
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calendar month in which the person received an associate degree |
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from a public or private institution of higher education; |
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(6) have applied for any available financial aid or |
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assistance; and |
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(7) comply with any additional nonacademic |
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requirements adopted by the coordinating board under this |
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subchapter. |
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Sec. 56.3042. INITIAL QUALIFICATION [ELIGIBILITY] OF |
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PERSON ON TRACK TO MEET ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS [COMPLETE
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RECOMMENDED OR ADVANCED CURRICULUM]. (a) If at the time an |
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eligible institution awards TEXAS grants to initial recipients for |
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an academic year an applicant has not completed high school or the |
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applicant's final high school transcript is not yet available to |
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the institution, the student is considered to have satisfied the |
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eligibility requirements of Section 56.304(a)(2)(A) or |
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56.3041(2)(A) if the student's available high school transcript |
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indicates that at the time the transcript was prepared the student |
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was on schedule to graduate from high school and to meet the |
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eligibility requirements [complete the recommended or advanced
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high school curriculum or its equivalent], as applicable to the |
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student, in time to be eligible for a TEXAS grant for the academic |
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year. |
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(a-1) If at the time an eligible institution awards TEXAS |
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grants to initial recipients for an academic year an applicant who |
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is an associate degree candidate has not completed that degree or |
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the applicant's final college transcript is not yet available to |
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the institution, the student is considered to have satisfied the |
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associate degree requirement of Section 56.304(a)(2)(B) or |
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56.3041(2)(B) if the student's available college transcript |
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indicates that at the time the transcript was prepared the student |
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was on schedule to complete the associate degree in time to be |
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eligible for a TEXAS grant for the academic year. |
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(b) The coordinating board or the eligible institution may |
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require the student to forgo or repay the amount of an initial TEXAS |
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grant awarded to the student as described by Subsection (a) or (a-1) |
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if the student fails to meet the eligibility requirements of |
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Section 56.304(a)(2)(A), 56.3041(2)(A), 56.304(a)(2)(B), or |
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56.3041(2)(B), as applicable to the student, [complete the
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recommended or advanced high school curriculum or its equivalent] |
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after the issuance of the available high school or college |
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transcript. |
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(c) A person who is required to forgo or repay the amount of |
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an initial TEXAS grant under Subsection (b) may subsequently become |
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eligible to receive an initial TEXAS grant under Section 56.304 or |
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56.3041 by satisfying the associate degree requirement prescribed |
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by Section 56.304(a)(2)(B) or 56.3041(2)(B) and the other |
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[applicable] requirements of those sections applicable to the |
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person [that section] at the time the person reapplies for the |
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grant. |
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(d) A person who receives an initial TEXAS grant under |
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Subsection (a) or (a-1) and is not required to forgo or repay the |
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amount of the grant under Subsection (b) may become eligible to |
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receive a subsequent TEXAS grant under Section 56.305 only by |
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satisfying the associate degree requirement prescribed by Section |
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56.304(a)(2)(B) or 56.3041(2)(B), as applicable to the person, in |
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addition to the requirements of Section 56.305 at the time the |
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person applies for the subsequent grant. |
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SECTION 5. Subchapter M, Chapter 56, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 56.3045 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 56.3045. TOLLING OF ELIGIBILITY FOR INITIAL AWARD. |
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(a) This section applies only to a person who: |
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(1) was eligible to receive an initial TEXAS grant in |
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an academic year for which sufficient money was not available |
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through legislative appropriations to allow the coordinating board |
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to award initial TEXAS grants to at least 10 percent of the persons |
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eligible for initial TEXAS grants in that year, as determined by the |
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coordinating board; |
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(2) has not previously been awarded a TEXAS grant; and |
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(3) has not received a baccalaureate degree. |
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(b) Provided that the person meets the requirements |
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described by Section 56.305(a), a person to whom this section |
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applies is eligible to receive an initial TEXAS grant in any |
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academic year in which funding is sufficient to award initial TEXAS |
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grants to eligible applicants for that year. The person's |
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eligibility for an initial TEXAS grant under this section is not |
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affected by: |
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(1) the period for which the person has been enrolled |
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at an eligible institution; or |
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(2) any statutory changes to the eligibility |
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requirements for initial TEXAS grants that are enacted after the |
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person first established eligibility for an initial TEXAS grant as |
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described by Subsection (a)(1). |
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(c) A person who is eligible for an initial TEXAS grant |
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under this section is entitled to the highest priority as described |
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by Section 56.303(f) if the person was entitled to that priority |
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when the person first established eligibility for an initial TEXAS |
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grant as described by Subsection (a)(1). |
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(d) A person who receives an initial TEXAS grant under this |
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section: |
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(1) may receive subsequent TEXAS grants as provided by |
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Section 56.305; and |
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(2) is not entitled to TEXAS grants for any previously |
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completed academic year. |
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SECTION 6. Section 56.311, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (c-1) to read as follows: |
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(c-1) Not later than September 1 of each year, the |
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coordinating board shall provide a report to the committee |
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regarding the operation of the TEXAS grant program, including |
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information from the three preceding state fiscal years as follows: |
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(1) allocations of TEXAS grants by eligible |
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institution, disaggregated by initial and subsequent awards; |
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(2) the number of TEXAS grants awarded to students |
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disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and expected family |
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contribution; |
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(3) disaggregated as required by Subdivision (2) and |
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reported both on a statewide basis and for each eligible |
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institution, the number of TEXAS grants awarded to students who |
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meet: |
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(A) only the eligibility criteria described by |
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Section 56.304; or |
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(B) the eligibility criteria described by |
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Section 56.3041(2)(A); and |
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(4) the persistence, retention, and graduation rates |
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of students receiving TEXAS grants. |
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SECTION 7. The change in law made to Subchapter M, Chapter |
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56, Education Code, by this Act applies beginning with TEXAS grants |
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awarded for the 2013 fall semester. Grants awarded for a semester |
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or term before the 2013 fall semester are governed by the applicable |
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law in effect immediately before the effective date of this Act, and |
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the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |
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______________________________ |
______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
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I hereby certify that S.B. No. 28 passed the Senate on |
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April 6, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 24, Nays 7; |
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May 5, 2011, Senate refused to concur in House amendments and |
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requested appointment of Conference Committee; May 17, 2011, House |
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granted request of the Senate; May 29, 2011, Senate adopted |
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Conference Committee Report by the following vote: Yeas 28, |
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Nays 3. |
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______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that S.B. No. 28 passed the House, with |
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amendments, on April 21, 2011, by the following vote: Yeas 136, |
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Nays 12, one present not voting; May 17, 2011, House granted |
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request of the Senate for appointment of Conference Committee; |
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May 24, 2011, House adopted Conference Committee Report by the |
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following vote: Yeas 143, Nays 1, two present not voting. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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Approved: |
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______________________________ |
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Date |
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______________________________ |
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Governor |