The bill, S.B. No. 166, proposes amendments to the Education Code regarding tuition and fee exemptions for students who were under the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services. It specifies that students are exempt from tuition and fees if they were under conservatorship on the day before their 18th birthday, on or after their 14th birthday if eligible for adoption, on the day they graduated high school, or during an academic term in which they were enrolled in a dual credit course. The bill removes previous conditions related to enrollment by the student's 25th birthday and clarifies eligibility for children who exit conservatorship and return to their parents.

Additionally, the bill mandates that the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission develop eligibility criteria for tuition exemptions in consultation with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The changes will take effect for tuition and fees charged starting in the fall semester of 2025, while previous laws will remain in effect for any terms before that date. The bill will become effective immediately if it receives a two-thirds majority vote in both houses; otherwise, it will take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 54.366 (Education Code 54)