Bill Text: TX SB33 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to eligibility for a TEXAS Grant and to administration of the TEXAS grant program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-01-24 - Referred to Higher Education [SB33 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-SB33-Introduced.html
By: Zaffirini | S.B. No. 33 | |
|
||
|
||
relating to eligibility for a TEXAS Grant and to administration of | ||
the TEXAS grant program. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 56.304, Education Code, is amended by | ||
amending Subsection (d) to read as follows: | ||
(d) A person may not receive a TEXAS grant for more than the | ||
lesser of: | ||
(1) 135[ |
||
or | ||
(2) 15 semester credit hours or the equivalent in | ||
excess of the degree requirements of the degree the person is | ||
seeking. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 56.3041, Education Code, is amended by | ||
amending Subsection (a) to read as follows: | ||
(a) To be eligible initially for a TEXAS grant, a person | ||
graduating from high school on or after May 1, 2013, and enrolling | ||
in an eligible institution must: | ||
(1) be a resident of this state as determined by | ||
coordinating board rules; | ||
(2) meet the academic requirements prescribed by | ||
Paragraph (A), (B), (C), or (D) as follows: | ||
(A) be a graduate of a public or accredited | ||
private high school in this state who completed the foundation high | ||
school program established under Section 28.025 or its equivalent | ||
and have accomplished any two or more of the following: | ||
(i) successful completion of the course | ||
requirements of the international baccalaureate diploma program or | ||
earning of the equivalent of at least 12 semester credit hours of | ||
college credit in high school through courses described in Sections | ||
28.009(a)(1), (2), and (3); | ||
(ii) satisfaction of the Texas Success | ||
Initiative (TSI) college readiness benchmarks prescribed by the | ||
coordinating board under Section 51.3062(f) on any assessment | ||
instrument designated by the coordinating board under Section | ||
51.3062(c) or qualification for an exemption as described by | ||
Section 51.3062(p), (q), or (q-1); | ||
(iii) graduation in the top one-third of | ||
the person's high school graduating class or graduation from high | ||
school with a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a four-point | ||
scale or the equivalent; or | ||
(iv) completion for high school credit of | ||
at least one advanced mathematics course following the successful | ||
completion of an Algebra II course or at least one advanced career | ||
and technical or technology applications course; | ||
(B) have received an associate degree from a | ||
public or private institution of higher education; | ||
(C) be an undergraduate student who has: | ||
(i) previously attended another | ||
institution of higher education; | ||
(ii) received an initial Texas Educational | ||
Opportunity Grant under Subchapter P for the 2014 fall semester or a | ||
subsequent academic term; | ||
(iii) completed at least 30[ |
||
credit hours at any institution or institutions of higher | ||
education; and | ||
(iv) earned an overall grade point average | ||
of at least 2.5 on a four-point scale or the equivalent on all | ||
course work previously attempted; or | ||
(D) if sufficient money is available, meet the | ||
eligibility criteria described by Section 56.304(a)(2)(A); | ||
(3) meet financial need requirements established by | ||
the coordinating board; | ||
(4) be enrolled in an undergraduate degree or | ||
certificate program at an eligible institution; | ||
(5) except as provided under rules adopted under | ||
Section 56.304(h), be enrolled as: | ||
(A) an entering undergraduate student for at | ||
least three-fourths of a full course load, as determined by the | ||
coordinating board, not later than the 16th month after the | ||
calendar month in which the person graduated from high school; | ||
(B) an entering undergraduate student who | ||
entered military service not later than the first anniversary of | ||
the date the person graduated from high school and who enrolled for | ||
at least three-fourths of a full course load, as determined by the | ||
coordinating board, at the eligible institution not later than 12 | ||
months after being honorably discharged from military service; | ||
(C) a continuing undergraduate student for at | ||
least three-fourths of a full course load, as determined by the | ||
coordinating board, not later than the 12th month after the | ||
calendar month in which the person received an associate degree | ||
from a public or private institution of higher education; or | ||
(D) an undergraduate student described by | ||
Subdivision (2)(C) who has never previously received a TEXAS grant; | ||
(6) have applied for any available financial aid or | ||
assistance; and | ||
(7) comply with any additional nonacademic | ||
requirements adopted by the coordinating board under this | ||
subchapter. | ||
SECTION 3. Section 56.305, Education Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subsection (e-2) to read as follows: | ||
(e-2) For purposes of this section, a person who is | ||
initially awarded a TEXAS grant during or after the 2017 fall | ||
semester makes satisfactory academic progress toward an | ||
undergraduate degree or certificate only if: | ||
(1) in the person's first academic year the person | ||
meets the satisfactory academic progress requirements of the | ||
institution at which the person is enrolled; and | ||
(2) in a subsequent academic year, the person: | ||
(A) completed at least 30 semester credit hours | ||
in the student's most recent academic year; and | ||
(B) has earned an overall grade point average of | ||
at least 2.5 on a four-point scale or the equivalent on coursework | ||
previously attempted at institutions of higher education. | ||
SECTION 4. Section 56.307, Education Code, is amended by | ||
amending Subsection (f), adding Subsection (f-1), and amending | ||
Subsection (j) to read as follows: | ||
(f) The amount of a TEXAS grant may not be reduced by any | ||
gift aid for which the person receiving the grant is eligible, other | ||
than a federal Pell Grant, unless the total amount of a person's | ||
grant plus any gift aid received exceeds the student's financial | ||
need. | ||
(f-1) The amount of a TEXAS grant may not exceed the | ||
student's total cost of tuition and fees, plus a book stipend. | ||
(j) A public institution of higher education shall use other | ||
available sources of financial aid, other than a loan or | ||
participation in a work-study program, to cover any difference in | ||
the amount of a TEXAS grant awarded to the student and the actual | ||
amount of tuition and required fees at the institution if the | ||
difference results from: | ||
(1) a reduction in the amount of a TEXAS grant under | ||
Subsection (i-1); or | ||
(2) a deficiency in the amount of the grant as | ||
established under Subsection (a) or (e), as applicable, to cover | ||
the full amount of tuition and required fees charged to the student | ||
by the institution. | ||
SECTION 5. The change in law made by this Act applies | ||
beginning with initial or subsequent TEXAS grants awarded for the | ||
2017 fall semester. Initial or subsequent TEXAS grants awarded for | ||
a semester or term before the 2017 fall semester are governed by the | ||
applicable law in effect immediately before the effective date of | ||
this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that | ||
purpose. | ||
SECTION 6. 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. |