House Bill 1833 aims to amend various sections of the Tennessee Code Annotated related to higher education. Key provisions include the appointment process for voting members of the governing boards of public higher education institutions, with specific terms and conditions for appointments by the governor, the speaker of the senate, and the speaker of the house of representatives. The bill also introduces a definition of "on-time graduation" for the purposes of the state's higher education policy and outcomes-based funding formula, establishing target graduation rates for institutions and requiring publication of these rates every five years.

Additionally, the bill modifies tuition and fee policies, allowing for separate maximum allowable increases for institutions based on their specific circumstances and demonstrated growth in on-time graduation rates. It prohibits public institutions from charging excessive tuition for online courses compared to in-person courses unless a comparable in-person option is available. Furthermore, it mandates that governing boards adopt policies regarding the use of revenues from out-of-state undergraduate tuition to help mitigate costs for in-state students, with implementation required by July 1, 2026. The bill's initial sections take effect immediately, while the remaining provisions will apply starting in the 2026-2027 academic year.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 49-7-204(a)(1)(B), 49-7-204, 49-7-204(b)(1), 49-7-202(f), 49-7-202, 49-7-202(n)(2)(B)