SENATE

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

 

COMMITTEE:    Higher Education 

TIME & DATE:  9:00 AM, Wednesday, September 12, 2012 

PLACE:        E1.012 (Hearing Room) 
CHAIR:        Senator Judith Zaffirini 

 

 

 

The Senate Higher Education Committee will hold a public hearing to address three Interim Charges:

 

Study and make recommendations regarding more cost-effective funding of financial aid, including ways to restructure financial aid programs to incentivize student success, particularly among low-income students, and the efficacy of current exemptions and waivers offered to students at institutions of higher education, including in-state tuition for undocumented students. Examine student loan debt, state and federal loan forgiveness programs, and institutional default rates.

 

Consistent with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's legislative directive to work with the Texas State Technical College System (TSTC) and other appropriate state agencies to develop a returned value funding model for TSTC, examine the benefits and challenges such an approach will have on technical education in Texas.

 

Monitor the implementation of legislation addressed by the Senate Committee on Higher Education, 82nd Legislature, Regular and Called Sessions, and make recommendations for any legislation needed to improve, enhance and/or complete implementation. Specifically, monitor the following:

 

·                SB 5, relating to the administration and business affairs of public institutions of higher education;

 

·                SB 28, relating to eligibility for a TEXAS grant and to administration of the TEXAS grant program;

 

·                HB 9, relating to student success-based funding;

 

·                HB 33, relating to measures to increase the affordability of textbooks used for courses at public or private institutions of higher education;

 

 

·                SB 1107, Relating to the vaccination against bacterial meningitis of entering students at public and private or independent institutions of higher education; and

 

·                HB 1000, relating to the distribution of money appropriated from the National Research University Fund.

 

*Public testimony will be limited to three minutes. If submitting written testimony or distributing handouts, please provide 15 copies, with your name on each copy, to the committee when called to testify.