Bill Text: TX HB3073 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to eligibility for a TEXAS grant.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-23 - Referred to Higher Education [HB3073 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HB3073-Introduced.html
84R799 KEL-D | ||
By: Springer | H.B. No. 3073 |
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relating to eligibility for a TEXAS grant. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter M, Chapter 56, Education Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 56.3031 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 56.3031. FINANCIAL NEED. (a) The coordinating board | ||
by rule shall establish financial need requirements for applicants | ||
to demonstrate eligibility to receive initial or subsequent TEXAS | ||
grants under this subchapter. | ||
(b) The rules must require each applicant to demonstrate | ||
eligibility for federal financial aid but may not require the | ||
applicant to meet a financial need requirement applicable to a | ||
particular federal financial aid program. | ||
(c) Section 56.3045(b)(2) does not apply to the eligibility | ||
requirement described by Subsection (b). | ||
SECTION 2. Section 56.304(a), Education Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(a) To be eligible initially for a TEXAS grant, a person who | ||
graduated from high school before May 1, 2013, must: | ||
(1) be a resident of this state as determined by | ||
coordinating board rules; | ||
(2) meet either of the following academic | ||
requirements: | ||
(A) be a graduate of a public or accredited | ||
private high school in this state who graduated not earlier than the | ||
1998-1999 school year and who completed the recommended or advanced | ||
high school curriculum established under Section 28.002 or 28.025 | ||
or its equivalent; or | ||
(B) have received an associate degree from a | ||
public or private institution of higher education not earlier than | ||
May 1, 2001; | ||
(3) meet financial need requirements established [ |
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(4) be enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program at | ||
an eligible institution; | ||
(5) be enrolled as: | ||
(A) an entering undergraduate student for at | ||
least three-fourths of a full course load for an entering | ||
undergraduate student, as determined by the coordinating board, not | ||
later than the 16th month after the date of the person's graduation | ||
from high school; or | ||
(B) an entering student for at least | ||
three-fourths of a full course load for an undergraduate student as | ||
determined by the coordinating board, not later than the 12th month | ||
after the month the person receives an associate degree from a | ||
public or private institution of higher education; | ||
(6) have applied for any available financial aid or | ||
assistance; and | ||
(7) comply with any additional nonacademic | ||
requirement adopted by the coordinating board under this | ||
subchapter. | ||
SECTION 3. Section 56.3041(a), Education Code, is amended | ||
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 24 semester 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 under Section 56.3031; | ||
(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 4. Section 56.305(a), Education Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
(a) After initially qualifying for a TEXAS grant, a person | ||
may continue to receive a TEXAS grant during each semester or term | ||
in which the person is enrolled at an eligible institution only if | ||
the person: | ||
(1) meets financial need requirements as established | ||
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(2) is enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program at | ||
an eligible institution; | ||
(3) is enrolled for at least three-fourths of a full | ||
course load for an undergraduate student, as determined by the | ||
coordinating board; | ||
(4) makes satisfactory academic progress toward a | ||
baccalaureate degree; and | ||
(5) complies with any additional nonacademic | ||
requirement adopted by the coordinating board. | ||
SECTION 5. The change in law made by this Act in adding | ||
Section 56.3031, Education Code, applies beginning with initial or | ||
subsequent TEXAS grants awarded for the 2015 fall semester. Initial | ||
or subsequent TEXAS grants awarded for a semester or term before the | ||
2015 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, 2015. |