Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the College Affordability topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bill would require clearer student notices after financial-aid reconciliation
Summary
Senate Bill 2995 would require the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to produce a standardized financial-aid "displacement" notice and require institutions to include the notice in common applications to reduce student confusion about reconciling multiple awards.
Senate Bill 2995 was presented May 1 to the Senate Committee on Education; the bill would require a prescribed financial-aid displacement notice to be developed by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and included in institutions' common application materials.
Senator West, who explained the committee substitute, told the committee the measure addresses student confusion when state-based financial aid is reconciled with private scholarships. "Sometimes students believe that they're getting a windfall ... and once those dollars are reconciled ... the student's state‑based need is clawed back," West said.
The substitute removes an additional notification requirement and reporting burdens that stakeholders said would have required substantial reporting system changes. West said the bill instead focuses on a single standardized notice and additional guidance about timelines and best practices to help students maximize and protect awards.
The committee received a resource witness from the coordinating board; no public testimony was registered. Public testimony closed and the bill was left pending subject to the call of the chair.
