The bill, H.B. No. 2848, proposes an exemption from or refund of tuition and fees for certain lower-division students enrolled at Texas Southern University or Prairie View A&M University. It introduces a new section, 54.220, to the Education Code, which stipulates that entering freshman students who graduated from a Texas high school (public or private, including home schools), are classified as Texas residents, and achieve a minimum GPA of 2.0 during their first semester are entitled to a refund of tuition and required fees. Additionally, these students are exempt from tuition and fees for the first two academic years, provided they maintain the same GPA criteria.

The bill also outlines that students receiving exemptions must pass an examination before enrolling in their third academic year. It allows the universities to fund these refunds and exemptions from local or appropriated funds, but they are not mandated to provide additional refunds beyond state appropriations. Importantly, the bill specifies that no refunds or exemptions will be available for semesters starting after the 2044-2045 academic year, with the section set to expire on September 1, 2046. The provisions of this act will apply starting with the tuition and fees charged for the fall semester of 2025.

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