HBA-CBW H.B. 3524 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 3524
By: Hochberg
Higher Education
4/1/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Under current law, students who attend institutions of higher education
(institution) are charged tuition and fees based on the number of semester
credit hours taken. The differing rate charges for students who take more
than twelve semester credit hours could cause confusion among students and
parents. A simplified and more uniform tuition rate may create more of an
incentive for students to take heavier course loads and move more quickly
towards graduation, while addressing the differing tuition rate fee
structures in various degree programs within the institution. House Bill
3524 authorizes the board of regents of The University of Texas System to
establish a flat rate tuition pilot program to be conducted at The
University of Texas at Austin within a specified period that applies to not
more than ten percent of  all full-time residential and non-residential
undergraduate students. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It 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 3524 authorizes the board of regents of The University of Texas
System (board) to establish a flat rate tuition pilot program that will
apply to not more than ten percent of the total full-time student
equivalents enrolled in undergraduate degree programs at The University of
Texas at Austin (university). The bill authorizes the board to establish
flat rate tuition to be charged to all non-resident and resident
undergraduate students who are enrolled in colleges or schools at the
university that are specified by the board. The bill prohibits the flat
rate tuition from requiring a full-time student to pay more than an amount
equal to the average amount of tuition, designated tuition, and mandatory
fees that a student would otherwise have paid for enrolling in the
university for twelve semester credit hours under existing laws that apply
to a student on the date of enrollment.  

The bill requires the board to evaluate the effect of flat rate tuition on
the number of semester credit hours taken by students in the program each
semester and requires the board to report the results of the evaluation to
the legislature on or before December 31, 2002.  

The provisions of the bill expire September 1, 2003.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act
takes effect September 1, 2001.