Agenda Item 7003

September 14, 1998

SUBJECT: Proposed Amendment to Policy E-8, Tuition and Fee Rates

PROPOSED ACTION
That the Board of Trustees modify its policy on tuition and fee rates [E-8] for high school students within the ACC service area.

RELATED BOARD POLICY OR PLANNING DIRECTIVE
This item is consistent with Policy E-8, Tuition and Fee Rates.

RATIONALE
The proposed modification in Board Policy would clarify administrative authority to implement State legislation [HB 1336] allowing tuition and fee waivers for high school students. This change should facilitate the College's program to significantly expand the early "College-Start" initiative. Although this authority has existed in statute for several years, ACC has not utilized its provision.

RESOURCE PERSONNEL
Hunter Ellinger, Trustee
Richard Fonte, President
Steve Kinslow, Vice President, School Relations, and Provost, Northridge and Open Campuses

ATTACHMENTS
Proposed Amended Policy

PROPOSED

E-8. TUITION AND FEE RATES [proposed amendments in bold italic)

[1] The tuition rates for in-district students shall be set by the Board. Except when the Board explicitly directs otherwise, tuition rates for other students shall be set by the President in accordance with this policy.

[2] The per-credit-hour differential in tuition rates for students whose residence status is within Texas but outside the ACC district shall be approximately matched to the ratio of annual property-tax revenues to annual in-district credit-hours, except that any term-to-term increase in the differential shall be no more than $2 per credit-hour.

For any student eligible to receive college tuition assistance funds under Pell Grant, and if such student applies or has applied for a Pell Grant for the academic term, ACC shall make available a scholarship program, upon a schedule developed by the President, to offset such differential until such time as the Pell Grant is received by the student.

[3] The further per-credit-hour differential in tuition rates for students who do not qualify as Texas residents shall be no less than the ratio of all revenues from state government to total credit hours by in-state students.

[4] Student fees must be approved annually by the Board, with justifications, revenue/cost estimates, and proposed changes listed during budget deliberations.

[5] The President may adopt rules waiving all or part of the tuition and/or other charges for senior citizens or students enrolled under a joint-credit agreement with a school district, with an annual report to the Board on the nature and extent of such waivers.

By approval of the Board of Trustees: April 23, 1996; and as amended September 9, 1996; October 6, 1997; April 6, 1998