The bill, H.B. No. 2834, amends Section 54.366(a) of the Education Code to expand eligibility for tuition and fee exemptions at public institutions of higher education for students who were under the conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services. The amendments specify that students are exempt from tuition and fees if they were under conservatorship on the day preceding 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. Notably, the bill removes the previous stipulation that these conditions only applied if the relevant dates were on or after September 1, 2009.

The bill also establishes that the changes will take effect for tuition and fees charged starting with the 2025 fall semester, while maintaining the previous law for any terms or semesters before that date. Additionally, the bill will take effect immediately if it receives a two-thirds vote from both houses of the legislature; otherwise, it will become effective on September 1, 2025.

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