Bill

SB 27

83(R) - 2013
Higher Education

Vote Recommendation

Neutral
  • Neutral
  • Neutral
  • Neutral
  • Neutral
  • Neutral

Author(s)

Judith Zaffirini

Bill Caption

Relating to eligibility for a Texas B-on-Time loan.

Fiscal Notes

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated. No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Bill Analysis

Summary: SB 27 amends the current Texas B-On-Time Loan in three primary ways. First, it would remove community college students as eligible recipients of the Loan due to these types of students not typically being traditional students who have full-time status as the loan currently requires. (Also, community college students can benefit from the current Texas Educational Opportunity Grant Program.) Second, institutions would have the flexibility to provide loan amounts now up to the statewide average rather than the requirement to provide the statewide average. Third, under current law, institutions have set asides that are a portion of each institution's student's tuition that goes to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The Board then takes this money and distributes it to all institutions participating in the Texas B-On-Time Loan. This legislation would change the distribution of funds by allowing set asides to be distributed to the institution from which the funds came. The institutions have up to one year to use their funds for the B-On-Time Loan after which time any remaining funding will be distributed to all institutions.

Analysis: SB 27 makes administrative changes to the Texas B-On-Time Loan that neither uplift nor offend our liberty principles. We are neutral on SB 27.