Coordinating Board reviews proposed residency rules; advocates warn of privacy and access harms

The Higher Education Coordinating Board’s Committee on Innovation, Data, and Educational Analytics heard public testimony and staff presentation on proposed new rules governing determination of resident status for in-state tuition.

The rules under consideration (proposed relocation from chapter 21 to chapter 13, subchapter K, sections 13.191–13.203) would clarify domicile and dependency rules, apply a clear-and-convincing evidentiary standard to residency classifications, list acceptable documentation, and give institutions flexibility to request additional documents, according to staff presentation.

Why it matters: The proposed rules respond to a recent federal court order limiting in-state tuition eligibility to students lawfully present in the United States, and they would shape how Texas colleges determine who qualifies for in-state tuition rates.

In testimony before the committee, Trudy Taylor Smith of Children’s Defense Fund…