Highlights of the 79th Texas Legislature - Senate

EDUCATION/HIGHER
Tuition and Residency—S.B. 1528
By Senator Zaffirini—House Sponsor: Representative Morrison
State residents qualify for low in-state tuition rates at public colleges and universities. The process for determining
residency confuses admissions personnel and provides inconsistent determinations, even for siblings with the same
residency. This bill:
Authorizes the commissioner of higher education (commissioner), in consultation with institutions of higher education
(IHEs), to adopt rules for determining residency for tuition and fees application, exemptions, and waivers to provide
consistency among IHEs and students.
Defines multiple terms including residence, domicile, and dependent; provides a list of conditions which identify a
person as a resident of the state, and permits an IHE to reclassify a student for tuition when additional information
becomes available before the date on which IHEs must report final enrollment for the purpose of state funding.
Lists the documents a person must provide to determine residency and provides that resident status will continue for
a student who maintains enrollment at any public IHE unless the student does not enroll for two consecutive regular
semesters after which documentation will be required.
Permits an IHE to charge nonresident tuition and fees for the first term beginning after reclassification and to request
the person pay the difference in tuition for an earlier term, and provides sanctions for non-payment.
Requires an IHE that erroneously classified a resident as a nonresident for tuition and fees to immediately lower
tuition and fees and to refund any overpayments.
Requires students who either do not provide new information in a timely manner or who provide false information to
pay the difference in resident and nonresident tuition and fees within 30 days of notice, and permits an IHE to
withhold a certificate, degree, or official transcript.
Prohibits an IHE that misclassifies a person as a resident from collecting the difference in tuition and fees.
Provides that a nonresident may qualify for resident tuition and fees when the person or a dependent moved to the
state for specific economic development identified under state law or is a nonresident classified in accordance with
the Agreement between the Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty Regarding the Status of Their Forces (4 U.S.T.
1792).
Permits a junior college district to charge higher fees for a course or program that has extraordinary costs without
regard for exemptions included in this section.
Prohibits IHEs from considering whether an applicant is eligible for exemptions in this section when evaluating an
application for admissions.
72 HIGHLIGHTS - 79 TH TEXAS LEGISLATURE