The bill amends the Education Code regarding the determination of resident status for students at public institutions of higher education in Texas. It specifies that individuals can be considered residents if they establish and maintain a domicile in the state for at least one year before the census date of the academic term in which they are enrolled. The bill removes the previous criteria that included students who graduated from a Texas high school or received an equivalent diploma, thereby streamlining the requirements for establishing residency. Additionally, it introduces a new provision stating that individuals not authorized under federal law to be present in the U.S. cannot be considered residents for the purposes of this title.

Furthermore, the bill allows public institutions to reclassify students from resident to nonresident status under certain conditions, particularly if they were previously classified as residents based on the now-deleted criteria or if they are not authorized to be in the U.S. This reclassification can occur before the start of any semester or academic term. The changes are set to take effect on September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 54.052, Education Code 54.053 (Education Code 54)