The Senate Committee on Higher Education met to take up several bills. This report focuses only on SB 34 (Zaffirini) relating to the maximum number of semester credit hours allowed for and funding sources used to supplement a TEXAS grant; SB 330 (Zaffirini) relating to the award of a grant under the Texas Educational Opportunity Grant Program to certain students enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program; and SB 1324 (Taylor) relating to the filing of a degree plan by students at public institutions of higher education.
This report is intended to give you an overview and highlight of the discussions on the various topics the committee took up. It is not a verbatim transcript of the hearing but is based upon what was audible or understandable to the observer and the desire to get details out as quickly as possible with few errors or omissions.
SB 34 (Zaffirini) relating to the maximum number of semester credit hours allowed for and funding sources used to supplement a TEXAS grant
Committee substitute laid out, Zaffirini
- Demand for Texas grants will not diminish anytime soon
- Bill would free $11.2 million approx. 2,400 new students to receive an award each year, exceptions could still be made
- Language would say not more than 135 semester hours or 15 hours above what is required in the program and eliminate work study as means to cover difference
- CS corrects a drafting error, delay effective date from 2019 to 2021 to allow enough time to prepare
- West – asked about “other than loan or work study”
- Work study comes in later, not up front, just a little bit at a time
- Believes higher education is a right not a privilege, would prefer it to be tuition free but will sponsor bills like this because it helps
Commissioner Raymund Paredes
- Consistent with what THECB is doing, thinks bill language is reasonable
- Could fund an additional 2,400 students with this bill
- Creighton – what happened, what is not working
- Not working as efficient as it should
- West – other states that do this, how many hours do they provide grant assistance?
- Range btw. 135-150
- Does not think information is readily available but can look into this
- Menendez – concerned if student had been misadvised or some hardship, could they apply for a waiver
- Yes, in rules and it is a very generous policy
- Powell – has there been analysis on impact of bill to 60×30 goals, student debt increase
- Need to recruit more low-income students to go to higher education
- The more students you can fund, the better it will be
- Thinks it helps with 60×30 goals
- Powell – also appreciated delay of effective date until 2021
- Zaffirini – in 1993 and following years a cap was placed on the number of hours that a student could complete above the required degree plan, the more they fund one particular degree the more they restrict admission
- Zaffirini – have we freed up a lot of space because of caps
- In some areas it does make a difference
- Have to do a better job, 4 years is sufficient time to finish a BS and stay as close as possible to 120 hours makes sense
- Zaffirini – waiver includes students who need remedial work
- Yes, but there is a lot of remediation in Universities
Ashley Williams, CPPP
- Against the bill
- Bill adds additional restrictions by reducing maximum hours
- Understands and respects goals of stretching limited Texas resources
- But respectively disagrees with bill approach at providing solution
- Gave personal story, was over hours because she tripled majored and she lost her funding
- Tuition is the same after the flat rate of a certain number of hours are taken
- Recommendations: adding language to exceptions to prevent over achieving students, adding notification if they are off track, let students know what they need to do to keep eligibility
- Taylor – obviously the witness is an exception but want to do something for exceptional students, maybe can make a change to address this
- Zaffirini – can work on this language, does favor tuition free but since it is not going to happen need to work on this
- Zaffirini – Williams has already met with the office and they are working on this
- Menendez – did you ask for a waiver, does waiver language get explained
- Did not know that was an option
- Does not recall that
- Zaffirini – it is in the statute now but could add language to clarify this must occur
- Menendez – agrees
Zaffirini Closes
- It is critical to use funds as wisely as possible to help the most students as possible
- Preference would be tuition free education but the reality is that is not going to happen
- West confirms with Zaffirini that she is taking some of the language suggestions
CSSB 34 reported favorably to the full Senate 5 ayes and 0 nays
SB 330 (Zaffirini) Relating to the award of a grant under the Texas Educational Opportunity Grant Program to certain students enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program.
Bill laid out, Zaffirini
- Would eliminate eligibility gap for students enrolled at 2-year institutions
- Would extend grant to students at public 2-year institutions
- CS aligns TLG for bachelors, from 8 to 5 years, greater of not lessor of 150/15 and ensures award is made to top of program which student is enrolled
- West – would same issues discussed previously by Menendez and Taylor apply here as well
- Yes absolutely
CSSB 330 reported favorably to the full Senate with 5 ayes and 0 nays
SB 1324 (Taylor) relating to the filing of a degree plan by students at public institutions of higher education
- Bill came out of interim report, students be advised if they have 15 hours credit hours
- After completing 15 credit semester hours of dual credit, student must file degree plan
- Requires institution of higher education to provide formal advising after 15 hours and THECB should administer rules to comply
- Effective 2019-2020
- West – thinks there is similar language in a bill they will be looking at next week but it is for 30 hours
- This is primarily for students in high school getting dual credit hours
Jacob Fraire, Texas Assoc of Community Colleges
- Thanks Taylor for introducing the bill, supports the bill
- Gradual increase in high school students (public and home school) taking dual credit
- Taking them through PTech and ECH but vast majority are not enrolled in those models
- This bill allows them to provide advising to a vast majority of those students
- Bill helps to make students are on right path, wants students to have an advising session with college before graduating
- Likes dual credit because it works for students, some graduate a little early, equal or better GPA and aims at demographics
Wanda Mercer, University of Texas System
- Supports bill
- Co-chaired a task force on dual credit
- Thanks Taylor for putting the bill forward
- Advising students earlier so courses are relevant for their ongoing work
- Taylor – many students are first generation college students so advising is really important, this is the demographic we need to reach
Dave Hinds, TACC
- Supports bill
- Can help students find viable paths in college degree and will help reduce chance of those credits transferring/being counted
- Bill helps reach 60×30 goal
- Will need to put in additional resources, will work with district model to supplement need for counselors
Bill left pending