HB 277

relating to the measures to encourage eligible students to claim
certain tuition and fee exemptions at public institutions of higher
education for students who are or have been in foster or other
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1.  Section 54.366(b), Education Code, is amended to
(b)  The Texas Education Agency and the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board shall develop outreach programs to
ensure that students in the conservatorship of the Department of
Family and Protective Services and in grades 9 through 12 [9-12] are
aware of the availability of the exemption from the payment of
tuition and fees provided by this section.  The outreach programs
must include the provision of informational materials regarding the
(1)  residential child-care facility as defined by
Section 42.002, Human Resources Code;
(2)  foster parent or relative or other designated
caregiver for a student enrolled in grade 9 through 12; and
(3)  school district, open-enrollment charter school,
and private school offering grade nine or above.
SECTION 2.  Section 54.367(b), Education Code, is amended to
(b)  The Texas Education Agency and the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board shall develop outreach programs to
ensure that adopted students in grades 9 through 12 [9-12] formerly
in foster or other residential care are aware of the availability of
the exemption from the payment of tuition and fees provided by this
section.  The outreach programs must include the provision of
informational materials regarding the exemption to each:
(1)  residential child-care facility as defined by
Section 42.002, Human Resources Code;
(2)  adoptive parent of a student in grade 9 through 12
who was formerly in foster or other residential care; and
(3)  school district, open-enrollment charter school,
and private school offering grade nine or above.
SECTION 3.  Subchapter D, Chapter 54, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 54.3671 to read as follows:
Sec. 54.3671.  STREAMLINED ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION AND
APPLICATION PROCESS FOR CERTAIN STUDENTS.  The Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board, in consultation with the Department
of Family and Protective Services, shall design and implement a
streamlined eligibility determination and application process for
the tuition and fee exemptions provided by Sections 54.366 and
54.367.  The streamlined process must:
(1)  be designed to decrease the administrative burden
on the department and students in determining exemption eligibility
by reducing data collection, data entry, and the copying and
(2)  include a system through which a student may apply
for an exemption electronically through the department's Internet
(3)  for a student determined by the department to be
eligible for an exemption, provide for the automatic submission by
the department to the institution of higher education indicated by
the student of the tuition waiver letter or other documentation
required by the institution to verify the student's eligibility.
SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2025.