Video & Transcript Research : 'tuition classification'
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TX
Transcript Highlights:
- HB 1065 by DeRozio relating to the classification of employees by a company license holder under the
- HB 1069 by Turner Relating to the classification of certain construction workers in the eligibility of
- enrollment refer to the committee on public health hb1083 by curry relating to the eligibility for tuition
- HB 1105 by Cole relating to the exemption of tuition and laboratory fees of public institutions of higher
LA
Keywords:
TOPS, education funding, workforce development, postsecondary education, Louisiana Works, tech training, declining enrollment, public schools, school districts, Louisiana Department of Education, state superintendent, school closures, budget cuts, teacher layoffs, school consolidation, education policy, enrollment decline, birth rates, migration, private schools
TX
Bills:
SB1071, SB1444, SB1483, SB1556, SB1703, SB1756, SB1854, SB2036, SB2133, SB2297, SB2622, SB2779, SB2955, SB2979
Keywords:
municipality, tax revenue, hotel project, convention center, economic development, hotel tax, municipal authority, local governments, local authority, convention centers, hotel occupancy tax, municipal finance, local tax revenue, tourism, hotel and convention center project, Tax Code Chapter 351, city revenue, special district, Texas municipalities, venue financing
CA
California 2025-2026 Regular Session
Assembly Higher Education Committee Mar 18th, 2025
Transcript Highlights:
- Despite the state's significant investment, the CSU recently approved a tuition hike.
- Students are burdened with rising mandatory CSU recently approved a tuition hike.
- Tuition I'm here today to support AB 530.
- “You know, the bigger problem is the tuition costs are out of control.
- And so I appreciate the perspective on the tuition. Thank you. Thank you. Mr.
Summary:
The committee first adopted its 2025-26 rules on a 7-0 roll call, then approved three consent items—AB 88, AB 240, and AB 313—on a due-pass motion to Appropriations. The hearing then moved to AB 648, which would give community college districts the same zoning authority as the UC and CSU systems to build student and staff housing on property they own or lease. The author and supporters argued the bill would help address severe housing insecurity and homelessness among community college students, while opponents and some members raised concerns about local control, zoning exemptions, and the impact on nearby communities. AB 648 passed the committee on a 5-2 vote and was sent to the Local Government Committee.
The committee next heard AB 466, which would require California Community Colleges and CSU campuses to provide organ and tissue donor registry information during student orientation, and request UC campuses to do the same. Supporters shared personal stories about transplants and donation, saying college orientation is a good opportunity to increase registrations. Some members worried about information overload during orientation and suggested campuses have flexibility in how they present the material, but the bill advanced on a unanimous 7-0 vote to Appropriations.
AB 326 followed, proposing campus-by-campus external audits of the CSU every three years and public release of the audits. The author, faculty supporters, and a student argued that systemwide audits do not provide enough transparency about how money is spent at individual campuses, citing examples of financial mismanagement and fee increases. CSU opposed the bill, saying it already conducts annual consolidated external audits and that campus-level audits would add cost without added benefit. After extensive discussion about transparency, audit scope, and implementation, the bill passed 6-1 to Appropriations. The committee then took up AB 335, which would create a California Black-Serving Institution Grant Program to support Black student success and broader underserved student services; supporters emphasized persistent equity gaps and low completion rates, while an opponent argued the bill needed to be carefully amended to comply with Proposition 209 and equal protection requirements. The transcript ends during that item’s discussion, before a final vote is shown.
ND
North Dakota 2026 1st Special Session
Higher Education Funding Review Committee Mar 25th, 2026 at 09:00 am
Higher Education Funding Review Committee
Transcript Highlights:
- You do it with tuition. So this is student-oriented.
- We, for example, our base band tuition at Williston is 4,600.
- Chair, but on the tuition levels.
- The same thing with tuition waivers.
- We have $80 million a biennium that's being waived in tuition by the campuses.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Tuition equalization grants funding is $203,800,000, and for the two TOG programs, TOG for community
- I will ask at some point, maybe have a meeting with you all as to the classifications and...
- **Collin Brock.** Item 3A provides an overview of the tuition estimate methodology.
- to project the amount of estimated statutory tuition for each institution.
- This aligns with both the current HRI tuition and the current fiscal year data.
MN
Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session
HF2312, the higher education finance bill, passes out of committee 4/21/25
Transcript Highlights:
- interstate tuition reciprocity interstate tuition reciprocity appropriation.<00:02:53.519>
It < - They amend the definition of tuition and fees to ensure that only resident tuition rates are paid under
- Most of it going directly to tuition Most of it going directly to tuition just<00:52:44.240>
- <01:38:05.000>
support, you know, it's great tuition support, you know, it's great tuition - was doing a a cap on the 4-year tuition. was doing a a cap on the 4-year tuition.
Summary:
The committee took up House File 2312 and first adopted the DE1 amendment, after which the amended bill was discussed. Nonpartisan fiscal staff walked through the spreadsheet and explained the bill’s higher education budget changes, including increases for state grants and tribal college assistance, unchanged funding for several existing programs, and reductions or eliminations for items such as state work study, summer academic enrichment, student loan counseling, concurrent enrollment, and the student parent support initiative. Staff also noted transfers to special revenue funds, the cancellation and reappropriation of ALS research funding, and a new licensing/registration revenue item. The committee was told the bill met the committee’s zero target overall, with a net general fund change of zero relative to the February forecast, while also adding some non-general fund expenditures for program licensing and registration.
Members asked several questions about the transfers and specific line items, including whether any new special revenue accounts were being created, the foster care wraparound services line, and the treatment of the University of Minnesota and Centric Care partnership. Staff explained that the transfers generally did not create new accounts, that some items were not in the base, and that the U of M/Centric Care partnership was a one-time appropriation in the prior bill but was now being built into the base at a different amount. The University of Minnesota section also included new or continued funding for medical school development, health training restoration, emergency assistance grants, ALS research, and a weather resiliency program, while the Mayo Foundation section eliminated funding for Mayo Medical School and the Mayo family medicine residency program.
The policy portion of the DE1 was then introduced. It included a maximum tuition and fee amount for state grants, direct appropriation of emergency assistance grants to Minnesota State, a juvenile justice appropriation for Metropolitan State University, and the ALS research reappropriation to the University of Minnesota. It also contained repealers for unfunded programs, including a delayed repealer for the student parent support initiative. In the higher education policy article, the bill would allow Minnesota State to offer applied doctoral degrees in cybersecurity, make technical changes to hunger-free campus and sexual misconduct procedures, extend pregnant and parenting student protections to private institutions, allow OHE to retain up to 10% of certain competitive grants for administration, consolidate reports, change the state grant formula so negative FAFSA contributions count as zero, and reduce the state grant lifetime credit cap from 180 to 120 credits. The Northstar Promise provisions would limit tuition and fees to resident rates and require MnState, and request the University of Minnesota, to ensure eligible students receive the benefit.
AR
Arkansas 2026 Regular Session
LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING-EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS Feb 12th, 2026
LEGISLATIVE JOINT AUDITING-EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
Transcript Highlights:
- Finding two was related to a loss...” “...in tuition revenue totaling $100,000, almost $144,000, due
- So that was a classification error, but the money was not missing.
- So on this, we're not charged student tuition, these kids.
- So are you saying these students, there was a number of students who were not charged tuition?
- Okay, so this error was tuition only.
Summary:
The meeting opened with prayer and approval of the January 8 minutes, then moved to review of education audit reports. The first report concerned Northwest Arkansas Community College, which had three findings, including repeat internal control deficiencies that caused financial statement misstatements and a tuition revenue loss tied to a new student information system. College officials said the issues were largely misclassification and process problems, not missing money, and described corrective steps such as monthly closing checklists, approval controls for journal entries, cross-training, and efforts to address staffing turnover and fill finance vacancies. Members asked about the tuition issue, whether students were notified or billed, and whether the software problem affected other institutions; audit staff said they were not aware of the same scenario elsewhere. The committee then filed the report as reviewed.
The next report was Cedarville School District, which had one finding involving $794 in improper credit card charges by a resigned elementary teacher. The district was reimbursed, a police report was filed, and the matter was referred to the Professional Licensure Standards Board; members asked whether any further action or license-related consequences were known, but staff said they were not aware of additional action. The report was filed as reviewed.
The final finding was for West Memphis School District, where auditors reported repeat capital asset issues, including failure to capitalize about $851,000 in construction costs for a baseball-softball complex and problems with inventory and asset inspection. The superintendent said the district had recently begun using Legislative Audit after prior private audits, and described new controls such as multi-level purchase approvals, separation of duties, tagging of equipment, and a cleanup of old inventory records. Members also discussed the relationship between private audits and Legislative Audit reviews, with staff explaining that private audit reports for public school districts still come before the committee and that the executive committee determines when Legislative Audit performs an audit. The committee filed the West Memphis report as reviewed and noted that 28 school districts had no findings before adjourning.
AR
Transcript Highlights:
- It's a $600,000 transfer from ADHE transition to the National Guard Tuition Waiver Program.
- It's a $600,000 transfer from ADHE transition to the National Guard Tuition Waiver Program.
- These are budget classification transfer requests. L1 are the '26 requests.
- The request is for prior review to make budget classification transfers and provide up to $1 million
- The request is for a prior review to make budget classification transfers and provide up to $1 million
Summary:
The committee met to review a large slate of fiscal year 2026 and 2027 appropriation, transfer, and continuation requests across multiple sections. Early items included temporary appropriations for agencies such as Health, DHS, Education, Public Safety, State Police, Emergency Management, Aeronautics, Military, Economic Development, and Game and Fish, covering items like maternal health outreach, energy assistance repayments, Wynne High School tornado rebuilding, senior food services, cybersecurity, crime victim reparations, aviation grants, conservation incentives, and emergency tower maintenance. Members asked questions on several items, including DHS aging carry-forward funds and Treasury custodial banking fees tied to COVID-era balances; the committee also approved a disclosure by the chair on the Game and Fish-related item before voting to approve the section.
The committee then approved continuation requests, CARES Act and ARPA reallocations, and federal grant appropriations. Notable discussion included the Boonville developmental disability project, ALIGN program reallocations at several universities, a small business technical assistance grant at UA Little Rock, and a Department of Public Safety highway safety grant, for which members requested more detail on operating expenses and professional fees. Additional approvals covered a transfer to the Merit Teacher Incentive program, restricted reserve fund transfers for military medical command and university projects, and a state central services deduction held at 2%. The Department of Commerce also received approval for a reallocation of positions and spending authority tied to its organizational realignment.
Later sections included shared technology and higher education transfers, cash fund appropriations for school Medicaid reimbursements, corrections, youth mental health, narcotics detection canines, bike safety equipment, a state motor pool pilot, and law enforcement safety costs. The committee also reviewed budget classification transfers, including a Governor’s Office legal fee transfer related to a California lawsuit, and heard explanations about E-Rate reimbursements affecting the Office of State Technology. Members asked about VOCA funding levels for crime victim services and about the National Security Grant Program for nonprofits and faith-based organizations; officials said federal funding had declined from prior highs but appeared to have stabilized, and that the nonprofit security grant is an annual federal program. The meeting concluded with review of pay plan requests, DHS overtime funding for child protection caseloads, and a year-end adjustment request allowing DFA to make up to $1 million in transfers to close the books, after which the committee adjourned.
FL
Florida 2026 5th Special Session
Senate in Special Session E May 29th, 2026
Florida Senate Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- For the Department of Military Affairs, we increase funding for tuition assistance for members of the
- And that's where that $4 billion should go and not to be paying and subsidizing private school tuition
- It revises the programs of strategic emphasis, tuition, and fee waiver to cover remaining out-of-pocket
- tuition and fee costs after other federal, state, and institutional gift aid is applied.
- tuition and fee costs after other federal state and institutional gift aid is applied.
Summary:
The Senate took up the conference report on House Bill 501E, the General Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2026-27, with Chair Hooper and the appropriations chairs walking through the $114.5 billion budget. Major highlights included pay increases for state law enforcement, firefighters, park rangers, and correctional officers; funding for teacher salary increases and K-12 enrollment stabilization; workforce and university funding in higher education; major Medicaid, nursing home, waiver, and opioid-related investments in health and human services; corrections and prison-capacity funding; transportation, housing, and emergency management spending; and large environmental appropriations for Florida Forever, Everglades restoration, and water quality projects.
Members then asked detailed questions about specific items. Senators pressed on the Hamilton Center at UF, the difference between assistant state attorney and public defender pay, declining student enrollment funding, private school scholarship vouchers, mental health funding in schools, the lack of preeminence funding, APD’s iBudget waiver wait list and provider rates, ADAP premium assistance and the return of Biktarvy to the formulary, prison staffing and air conditioning, Florida Forever land-buying versus easements, SNAP and Sun Bucks funding, Hope Florida, election audit funding, and the IDD managed care program. Chairs generally explained the negotiated compromises, noted where funding was flat or omitted, and in several cases said items would be revisited next year or depended on agency implementation.
Several senators used debate to praise the budget while also criticizing major policy choices. Leader Berman argued the state should have expanded Medicaid, invested more in public schools instead of vouchers, and accepted federal summer EBT funds. Other senators highlighted local wins such as Biscayne Bay restoration, Tri-Rail, housing assistance, ADAP funding, and declining enrollment support. The transcript ends with debate remarks thanking Chair Hooper for his work on the budget; no final vote is shown in the excerpt.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- Texas Grants, the Texas Educational Opportunity Grants, and Tuition Equalization Grant. Next slide.
- The Tuition Equalization Grant was established in 1971.
- Texas State can save as much as $19,000 in tuition and fees over their college career.
- Free tuition, yeah. Correct. Yes, that's right. Okay. Yeah.
- not raised tuition in eight years, and UNT Dallas has only raised tuition once. in 10 years.
HI
Hawaii 2026 Regular Session
SPEED Task Force (STF) - Tue Jan 6, 2026 @ 9:30 AM HST
Hawaii House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- 44:56.319>
and <00:44:56.720>service saw about tuition support and service saw about tuition - >> so I'm going to look at both tuition >> so I'm going to look at both tuition support
- two, three classifications two, three classifications and<03:51:56.080>
competitive <03:51 - recommendation we identified tuition recommendation we identified tuition support<03:57:03.040><
- Um so classifications don't account for.
KY
Kentucky 2026 Regular Session
2026 Budget Conference Committee (3-20-26)
Transcript Highlights:
- salary and classification report from 2020.
- Moving on to finance on page 55 in general administration, Kentucky affordable prepaid tuition trust
- affordable prepaid tuition trust fund. affordable prepaid tuition trust fund.
- Kentucky Tuition Grant Program, the House appropriated $37.8 million in each fiscal year.
- 07.480>
the Kentucky Tuition Grant Program, the Kentucky Tuition Grant Program, the House<01:04
Summary:
The Free Conference Committee on the 2026 General Assembly budget met to reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions of House Bill 500. Leaders opened by thanking the other chamber’s work, asking members to turn microphones on and off to avoid feedback, and stressing the need to clearly note decision points so both chambers record the same actions. Staff then walked through the bill page by page, explaining that the committee was comparing only House and Senate differences, not the governor’s proposed budget.
The discussion covered a wide range of appropriations and language items, including next generation non-911 services, school safety reporting tools, restored funding for brain injury, epilepsy, veteran service, homeless veterans, and rocket docket programs, debt service changes, rural infrastructure, disaster aid caps, Attorney General and Medicaid fraud funding, agriculture and county fair grants, auditor and pension-related appropriations, school facilities and SEEK funding, and numerous education programs. Members also discussed charter-related funding such as Star Academy, Dolly Parton Imagination Library, school resource officers, school-based mental health providers, AP/IB exams, Governor’s Scholars and Entrepreneurs, and several pilot or initiative programs in economic development, energy, and labor. Several items were described as technical corrections or restorations of language and funding, while others reflected differences in amounts or how funds would be distributed.
There were several questions and comments from members about wording such as “implement and carry out,” the absence of the governor’s budget from the comparison document, and whether SEEK funding should be tied to teacher raises. The chair and other members emphasized that the committee’s role was to reconcile the two chambers’ budgets, not to adopt the governor’s proposal. Members also raised concerns about opioid settlement funds and the Dolly Parton Imagination Library match rate, with one senator urging restoration of the House language. No final vote or formal action was taken in the portion provided; the meeting primarily consisted of explanation, questions, and discussion of proposed budget differences.
VT
Transcript Highlights:
- The language in the conferees' report on classifications and definitions, which also takes up a fair
- And it looks like continuing to change our tax classifications so that we can tax second homes at a rate
- Um, and then they built on our incredibly careful work on property classifications careful work on property
- classifications to close two possible loopholes, one related to lodging establishments and one related
- And then I operate a hybrid district that operates and tuitions. And so we have it all.
MA
Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights, and Inclusion Jun 21st, 2026 at 01:00 pm
Joint Committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights, and Inclusion
Transcript Highlights:
- These state programs were designed to fill the gap after Pell is applied, up to tuition and fees, not
- These state programs were designed to fill the gap after Pell is applied, up to tuition and fees, not
- Without sustained support, the promise of tuition-free college will begin to unravel, threatening the
- The state's new tuition-free college programs were designed with a progressive stipend structure that
- was targeted to those who needed it most, who otherwise did not benefit from the last-dollar tuition
Summary:
The Joint Committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights, and Inclusion held an informational hearing on “Protecting Equity in Higher Education” and emphasized that no bills were being heard. Members and witnesses focused on the effects of recent federal actions on DEI, admissions, financial aid, student loans, international students, and campus equity efforts in Massachusetts. Opening remarks from the co-chairs and the chair of Higher Education highlighted Massachusetts’ investments in free community college, expanded financial aid, and early college programs, while warning that federal policy changes could undermine those gains.
Testimony from BU law professor Jonathan Feingold argued that many DEI practices remain legally defensible after Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, and that the decision did not end all race-conscious or equity-oriented efforts. He said the Trump administration’s anti-DEI actions and funding threats were legally suspect and had created confusion and a chilling effect. Bahar Akman-in-Boden of the Hildreth Institute testified that proposed federal cuts to TRIO, Gear Up, Pell Grants, SEOG, work-study, and student loan programs would disproportionately harm low-income, first-generation, Black, Latino, and other underserved students, and urged the state to prepare hold-harmless and advising supports using Fair Share revenue.
Commissioner Noe Ortega described Massachusetts’ long history of equity in higher education and said the state has expanded aid, success programs, and early college, but still has work to do on attainment and completion. He said the state responded to SFFA by creating ACARE and continuing to defend equity practices, while also warning that federal disruptions and “dear colleague” letters have created uncertainty. In the second panel, state university leaders and campus officials said federal threats to Pell, DEI grants, Medicaid, and international student policies could affect access, campus operations, and the economy; they stressed that most state university graduates stay in Massachusetts and that institutions are continuing their equity practices despite federal pressure. Roxbury Community College’s president said RCC remains committed to open access and inclusion, noted enrollment growth, and said executive orders do not change existing law or the college’s obligations.
FL
Florida 2026 Regular Session
FL House Floor Session - 2025-02-13 (12:00PM Session)
Florida House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- So if the classification or classifications that you're describing meet that criteria, then that affirmative
- However, I could afford to pay for my tuition.
- However, I could afford to pay for my tuition.
- We've talked about the tuition.
- And she's now taking the stance against providing tuition reimbursement and tuition assistance for illegals
Summary:
The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for the Parkland shooting victims, quorum call, and the Pledge of Allegiance. The Rules and Ethics Committee special order report for February 13, 2025 was adopted, setting the day’s special order calendar and debate times. The chamber then took up immigration-related special order items, beginning with Senate Memorial 6C, which urged the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to provide guidance and training for 287(g) agreements. Members debated federal immigration policy and state cooperation with DHS, and the memorial passed 85-27.
The House next considered Senate Bill 4C, an immigration bill creating new state offenses related to unlawful entry and reentry into Florida and requiring a mandatory death sentence for an unauthorized alien convicted of a capital felony. Members questioned the bill’s constitutionality, including Supremacy Clause, due process, and Eighth Amendment concerns, and several speakers argued it would create separate classes of people and invite litigation. Multiple amendments were offered to narrow or expand exemptions, including protections for Venezuelans on TPS, certain Haitian TPS and humanitarian parole recipients, undocumented people brought to Florida as children working in critical professions, and a proposal to delay action pending court rulings; all of those amendments were rejected. The bill passed 85-29.
The chamber then took up Senate Bill 2C, which would create a State Board of Immigration Enforcement led by the Governor and Cabinet, establish a local law enforcement immigration grant program and advisory council, repeal the undocumented-student fee waiver, and appropriate more than $300 million for immigration enforcement. The sponsor described it as supporting cooperation with federal immigration agencies and ending the in-state tuition incentive for undocumented students. Early questioning focused on the impact on “dreamers” and whether the bill would effectively raise their tuition costs; the sponsor said it removed the incentive of in-state tuition but did not bar attendance. The transcript cuts off during that exchange, before final action on SB 2C is shown.
FL
Florida 2026 5th Special Session
FL House Floor Session - 2025-02-13 (12:00PM Session)
Florida House Floor Meeting
Transcript Highlights:
- So if the classification or classifications that you're describing meet that criteria, then that affirmative
- The incentive was not because Florida had in-state tuition.
- However, I could afford to pay for my tuition.
- We've talked about the tuition.
- And she's now taking the stance against providing tuition reimbursement and tuition assistance for illegals
Summary:
The House convened with prayer, a moment of silence for the Parkland shooting victims, the Pledge of Allegiance, and adoption of the special order report for the day. The chamber then moved into a special-order agenda focused almost entirely on immigration-related measures, beginning with Senate Memorial 6C urging the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to provide guidance and training for 287(g) agreements. The memorial was adopted 85-27 after brief debate, with supporters arguing Florida should help maximize federal immigration enforcement and opponents saying Congress, not the state, should fix immigration policy.
The House next took up Senate Bill 4C, an immigration bill creating new state offenses for illegal entry and reentry by adult unauthorized aliens and requiring a mandatory death sentence for an unauthorized alien convicted of a capital felony. Members debated constitutional concerns, due process, racial profiling, fiscal impacts, and whether the bill intruded on federal immigration authority. Several amendments were offered and defeated, including proposals to extend protections to Venezuelans with TPS, to remove the mandatory death penalty, to protect certain long-term immigrant workers and teachers, to expand exemptions for Haitians and humanitarian parole recipients, and to create a task force on best practices for immigration enforcement in schools and other sensitive locations. A final amendment to strip the bill as unconstitutional was also rejected. The bill then passed 85-29.
The final measure discussed was Senate Bill 2C, which creates a State Board of Immigration Enforcement led by the Governor and Cabinet, establishes grants and incentive bonuses for local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities, repeals the fee waiver for undocumented students beginning July 1, 2025, and appropriates more than $300 million for immigration enforcement. The sponsor described it as a broad enforcement package, while questions from members focused on the impact on current students who receive in-state tuition and whether the bill would remove incentives for those already enrolled. The transcript ends during that exchange, before final action on SB 2C is shown.
OK
Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session
Senate Legislative Session Feb 9th, 2026 at 01:30 pm
Oklahoma Senate Floor Meeting
Bills:
SB1423, SB1426, SB1502, SB1377, SB1983, SB1466, SB1645, SB1647, SB1847, SB1565, SB1562, SB1329, SB1383, SB1833, SB1555, SB1344, SB1839, SB1280, SB1832, SB2001, SB1405, SB2143, SB1989, SB1393, SB1392, SB1395, SB1400, SB1220, SB1516, SB1239, SB1531, SB1349, SB1221, SB1538, SB1309, SB1434, SB2108, SB2121, SB2171, SB2061, SB2112, SB2138
Keywords:
Oklahoma Hospital Advisory Council, hospital licensure, public health, State Department of Health, State Board of Health, hospital regulations, healthcare regulation, hospital standards, hospital construction, hospital operations, stroke care, stroke system, emergency medical services, EMS transport, psychiatric treatment, chemical dependency treatment, substance use disorder, drug storage, pharmacy, quality indicators
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- The Texas tuition fee waiver offers a life-changing opportunity for former foster youth.
- As someone who benefited from this, I can attest to the tuition waiver’s power in helping me become the
- My life today demonstrates the transformative power of the tuition waiver.
- I am even more fortunate to be applying to medical school, where I plan to utilize my tuition waiver.
- Although I was fortunate enough to utilize the tuition and fee waiver right after high school, so many
Keywords:
district composition, congressional election, Texas, legislature, voting districts, fraudulent solicitation, disaster relief, nonprofit organizations, criminal penalties, consumer protection, fraud prevention, charitable donations
Summary:
The Senate Committee on Education K-16 heard a series of higher education and K-12 bills, initially without a quorum and with several measures left pending subject to the call of the chair. Early bills included HB 1868, which would direct a study on lowering the dual-credit funding threshold for public junior colleges from 15 to 9 semester credit hours; HB 2598, which would replace statutory references to “licensed specialist in school psychology” with “school psychologist”; HB 3629, which would bar registered sex offenders from serving on independent school district boards of trustees; and HB 4361, which would require the Higher Education Coordinating Board to adopt rules for timely emergency notifications at public institutions of higher education. Each received brief sponsor explanations, no opposition testimony, and was left pending.
The committee also heard HB 4848, requiring public higher education systems to ensure at least one institution offers affordable competency-based bachelor’s degree programs in high-demand fields, and HB 1211, which would remove the age 25 deadline for former foster youth to use public college tuition waivers. HB 1211 drew extensive supportive testimony from Texas CASA, a former foster youth who benefited from the waiver, and a current student headed to medical school, all arguing the change would better match the realities faced by youth aging out of care. Members discussed the bill’s fiscal uncertainty and the argument that the waiver is an investment in workforce participation; the bill was left pending.
Later, the committee heard HB 20, creating an Applied Sciences Pathway Program to let high school students earn certificates in targeted industries such as welding, plumbing, electrical work, manufacturing, and oil and gas while in school. Industry and workforce groups strongly supported the bill as a way to address labor shortages, while Texas 2036 raised concerns about allowing applied versions of core academic courses to substitute for traditional instruction. HB 4687, which would extend governmental immunity protections to certain campus/district charter schools and adult charter high schools, also received support from a charter-school attorney who said it would align statutes with existing case law and not expand charter rights. HB 4236, as substituted, would create a study group to examine the property value study’s effect on school finance and alternative valuation methods; it was adopted as a committee substitute and left pending. The committee also heard HB 824 on civics instruction in high school government courses and HB 2243, which would create a commission on teacher job satisfaction and retention; the latter prompted debate over removing “ethnic diversity” language from the commission’s makeup. After adopting the substitute for HB 2243 by roll call, the committee recessed subject to the call of the chair.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
- The tuition equalization grant was established in 1971, and it provides grant funding to students who
- And as you know, those students actually don't pay tuition.
- We do have, um, 90% of our students are fully funded for tuition and fees at the same time.
- From affordability commitment, the Health Science Center has not raised tuition in 12 years.
- UNT has not raised tuition in 8 years, and UNT Dallas has only raised tuition once in 10 years.