HBA-EDN, CBW H.B. 152 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 152
By: Brown, Fred
Higher Education
7/26/2001
Enrolled



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Generally, undergraduate tuition rates are uniform for the spring, summer,
and fall sessions at Texas institutions of higher education.  In Texas,
more classes are taken during the fall and spring semesters than during the
summer session.  Because financial aid is usually packaged on a nine-month,
two-semester basis, there is not as much financial aid available for summer
session students.  Many Texas students spend more than five years obtaining
a bachelors degree, so an incentive to take a larger course load during a
summer session decreases the time it takes most students to earn a degree.
Students who graduate in an expedient manner incur less debt and create
less of a financial burden to the state. House Bill 152  creates a special
summer tuition rate pilot program for certain students enrolled for a
summer term or session at Texas A&M University and Texas A&M
University-Kingsville. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

t is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 152 amends the Education Code to create a special summer tuition
rate pilot program for a resident undergraduate student enrolled for a
summer term or session at Texas  A&M University or Texas A&M
University-Kingsville (institution) and to provide that tuition, other than
the building use fee redesignated as tuition,  is one-half of the amount
that would otherwise be charged.  The bill prohibits the governing board of
an institution from charging the building use fee redesignated as tuition
to a student in an amount in excess of one-half of the amount the governing
board would otherwise be authorized to charge to the student. The Act
applies to the institutions only if the legislature specifically
appropriates money to the institution for the state fiscal biennium ending
August 31, 2003 to cover the tuition revenue lost to the institution by the
application of the Act.  The Act applies only to a summer term or session
in 2002 or 2003.  

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.