TASFAA Fall 2013 Conference
Jane Caldwell, Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board
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Exemptions let “special groups” of Texas residents or
nonresidents pay less tuition and/or fees.
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Waivers allow “special groups” of nonresidents to enroll
and pay a reduced nonresident rate.
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Optional programs give institutions the right to choose not
to award them. However, if the institution makes such
awards, it must make them to all eligible students.
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Mandatory programs, by statute, require institutions to
grant awards to all who meet the qualifications.
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Selective Service Registration required at institutions other
than community colleges if tuition is reduced.
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HB1025 –$30 million to reimburse Legacy costs
SB220 – different way to ID eligible volunteer fire
departments; new citations
SB1158 – amends Hazlewood; transfers administration
to Texas Veterans Commission
SB1159 – establishes new requirements RE
readmission of military personnel to graduate
programs; calls for LBB to conduct Hazlewood study
SB1210 – adds requirements for continuation awards
through certain exemption and waiver programs
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Go to Texas Legislature Online
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http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/BillNumber.aspx
Enter bill number (example, SB215)
Set “information type” as “text”
Select “legislature” of “83(R) – 2013”
Press “submit”
Select the enrolled version of the text, and you can print the
bill as it was passed.
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If we have rulemaking authority, we can help you
interpret statute and rules. See handout to ID
programs for which the CB has rules.
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If we do NOT have rulemaking authority, we will gladly
share our thoughts, but our opinions hold no more
authority than do yours.
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In all cases, the application of statutes to individual
cases is in your hands.
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Goes into effect in fall 2014
Applies to continuation awards only (2nd term+)
REQUIREMENTS: After receiving an initial award, to
receive a continuation award, a student must :
◦ As a undergraduate or graduate student, meet the school’s
financial aid GPA requirement for meeting academic progress
(with hardship exceptions)
◦ At start of undergrad term, have not completed a number of
hours considered excessive under TEC§54.014, unless
permitted to do so by the institution on a showing of good
cause
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Does NOT apply to:
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Dual credit exemptions (TEC 54.216; TEC 130.008)
Foster care exemption (TEC54.366)
Ex-prisoners of war (TEC54.342)
Children or spouses of veterans killed in action, missing in
action, or who died as a result of a service-related illness or
injury; (TEC54.341(a-2)(1)(A), (B), (C), or (D) or
(TEC54.341(b)(1)(A), (B), (C), or (D)) *
◦ Waivers that let nonresidents pay resident tuition
*DOES apply to vets, children/spouse of disabled veterans
(TEC54.341(a-2)(1)(E) or TEC54.341(b)(E)) and Legacy students.
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Does NOT apply to waivers that let nonresidents pay
resident tuition
DOES apply to other waiver programs:
◦ 100 mile waiver, that lets nonresidents pay as little as resident
tuition +$30/hour
◦ Border state/border county waivers that base tuition rates on
reciprocity – what Texas students would pay if attending a
similar institution in the other state/county
◦ Other programs that allow “lowered” rates if your institution
does not lower them to the resident rate
◦ Good Neighbor Scholarship
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Applies to undergraduates and graduates
Based on financial aid GPA requirements
Hardship overrides allowed, based on:
◦ Student’s severe illness or debilitating condition that affects
student’s performance
◦ Student’s responsibility for the care of sick, needy person that
affects student’s performance
◦ Student’s active duty or other service in US armed forces or
Texas National Guard
◦ Other good cause acceptable to institution
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Applies to undergraduates only. “Excess hours” = 30
hours in excess of the student’s degree requirements
Count of hours is the same as the count of hours for
determining formula funding eligibility
Institution can exercise professional judgment on a
showing of good cause
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Applies beginning with continuation awards for fall
2014
PLEASE warn your students that this change is coming,
especially those who are not on course to meet the
requirements
No Grandfathering
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New TEC 54.2002:
Notwithstanding any other law, a mandatory or
discretionary exemption or waiver from the
payment of tuition or other fees under this
subchapter or another provision of this code
applies only to courses for which an institution of
higher education receives formula funding.
Note: Provision already exists in TEC 54.545, but this
wording is simpler to understand
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Appropriates $30M to the CB for reimbursing
institutions for a portion of their costs from the
Hazlewood Legacy Program
CB is to allocate funds based on each school’s
proportionate share of Legacy costs in FY2012, as
reported through student records in the Hazlewood
Exemption Program Database
Funds will be issued to institutions for use in the 20142015 biennium to offset Legacy costs
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Some HAZ program changes effective fall 2014:
◦ “Permanently disabled” or individually unemployable
◦ Proof of eligibility is due by last class date of term (not within
a year)
◦ Vet who assigns hours through Legacy can revoke the
assignment
◦ Academic progress for Legacy limited to financial aid GPA
◦ <=25 age limit only applies to Legacy
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Administrative changes in progress now
◦ Program transferred from CB to TX Veterans Commission
◦ CB rules adopted by TVC; more to come from TVC
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Rufus Coburn, Director, Veterans Education
rufus.coburn@tvc.texas.gov; (512) 463-6160
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Murel Miller, Deputy Director, Veterans Education
murel.miller@tvc.texas.gov; (512) 463-6441
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Texas Veterans Commission
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◦ P.O. Box 12277 | Austin, TX 78711-2277
◦ Fax (512) 463-3932
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Study of Hazlewood is to result in a report to the
Legislature due by December 1, 2014
To be conducted by the Legislative Budget Board, in
consultation with the Coordinating Board and Texas
Veterans Commission.
“Institutions of higher education shall cooperate with
the LBB by providing any requested data and ensuring
the reliability and validity of the data collected and
submitted for the purpose of the study.”
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Data gathered is to be disaggregated by population
served -- veteran, dependent, spouse, and Legacy
Data named in the bill includes:
◦ # by race, ethnicity, institution, FAFSA data
◦ Undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral hours attempted and
earned per term
◦ Degrees attempted and earned & associated hours
◦ GPAs per year
◦ Time to degree; 4- and 6-year grad rates
◦ Developmental education hours taken +
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Unless hardship waivers are granted, the financial aid
GPA requirement for undergraduate and graduate
students and excess hour cut-off time for
undergraduate students WILL apply to:
◦ Veterans using Hazlewood
◦ Spouses of veterans disabled from service-related injuries or
illness
◦ Children of veterans disabled from service-related injuries or
illness
◦ Legacy students (adds excess hour restriction)
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1.
Are the following exemptions mandatory or optional?
a)
c)
2.
3.
Foster care
Valedictorian
b)
d)
Blind/deaf
Hazlewood
True or False? SB1210 adds FA SAP to all exemptions
and waivers.
A foster care exemption recipient has completed 110
of 120 hours of his/her degree plan and registers for
15 hours. Can he/she receive the exemption?
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My GPA dropped because I was in a car accident. Can I
still get my continuation exemption?
True or False. The GPA requirement from SB1210
applies to undergraduates and graduates; the hour
limit restriction only applies to undergraduates.
True or False. If it is a mandatory exemption, you must
grant it, even if the student’s GPA is below the
minimum.
True or False. Beginning in fall 2014, Hazlewood
applicants no longer have a year to prove eligibility.
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For your hard work, cooperation, and devotion to your
students.