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Policy and Procedure Statements

UPPS 03.01.13 - Tuition Rebate Program

Tuition Rebate Program

UPPS No. 03.01.13
Issue No. 7
Effective Date: 10/07/2022
Next Review Date: 5/01/2026 (E4Y)
Sr. Reviewer: Assistant Vice President and Treasurer

POLICY STATEMENT

Texas State University is committed to providing a financial incentive for students to complete their first baccalaureate degree with as few courses outside the degree plan as possible.

  1. SCOPE

    1. This policy details the Texas State University procedures for administration of the state’s Tuition Rebate Program, in accordance with Texas Education Code 54.0065 and with Texas Administrative Code Title 19, Part 1, Chapter 13, Subchapter E, Sections 13.80-13.87.

    2. The Tuition Rebate Program provides a financial incentive for undergraduate students to prepare for university studies while completing their high school work, avail themselves of academic advising, make early career decisions, and complete their baccalaureate studies with as few courses outside the degree plan as possible. Minimizing the number of courses taken by students, results in financial savings to students, parents, and the state. Tuition rebates shall be paid from institutional local funds. However, the enabling legislation provides that the legislature shall account in the General Appropriations Act for the rebates in a way that provides a corresponding increase in the general revenue funds appropriated to the institution.

  2. GUIDELINES FOR THE REBATE PROGRAM

    1. Eligibility – To be eligible for a rebate under this program, a student must:

      1. have enrolled for the first time in an institution of higher education in the fall 1997 semester or later;

      2. request a rebate for coursework related to a first baccalaureate degree received from a general academic teaching institution;

      3. have been a resident of Texas, as set forth under Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, Part 1, Chapter 21, Subchapter B, Section 21.24 and have been entitled to pay resident tuition at all times while pursuing the degree;

      4. graduate within four calendar years for a four-year degree, or within five calendar years for a five-year degree (if the degree is in architecture, engineering, or any other program determined by the Texas Higher Education Coordination Board (THECB) to require more than four years to complete), if enrolled for the first time in fall 2005 or later; and

      5. have attempted no more than three hours in excess of the minimum number of semester credit hours required to complete the degree under the catalog under which the student graduated.

        1. Hours attempted shall include:

          1. transfer credits;

          2. course credit earned exclusively by examination (except that, for the purposes of this program, only the number of semester credit hours earned exclusively by examination in excess of nine semester credit hours is treated as hours attempted);

          3. courses dropped after the official census date;

          4. optional internship and cooperative education courses; and

          5. repeated courses.

        2. Hours attempted shall not include:

          1. course credit that is earned to satisfy requirements for a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program but that is not required to complete the degree program;

          2. course credit, other than course credit earned exclusively by examination, that is earned before graduating from high school; and

          3. courses dropped for reasons that are determined by the institution to be totally beyond the control of the student (see Section 02.02 for hardship provisions for required documentation).

        3. For students concurrently earning a baccalaureate degree and a Texas teaching certificate, required teacher education courses shall not be counted to the extent that they are over and above the free electives allowed in the baccalaureate degree program.

    2. Hardship Provisions – Effective for students who enroll for the first time in fall 2005 or later, an otherwise eligible student may be eligible for a tuition rebate without satisfying the requirements of Section 02.01, if the student is awarded a baccalaureate degree and the college dean or the director of the college academic advising center certifying the degree has determined, with the completion of the Tuition Rebate Program – Hardship Justification form, that the student has demonstrated a hardship under any of the following conditions:

      1. a severe illness or other debilitating condition that may affect the student’s academic performance;

      2. an indication that the student is responsible for the care of a sick, injured, or needy person and that the student’s provision of care may affect academic performance; or

      3. performance of active-duty military service.

    3. Tuition – Education & General (E&G) tuition is the only tuition or fee that is eligible for rebate under the Tuition Rebate Program (per the THECB).

    4. Amount of Tuition Rebates

      1. The amount of tuition to be rebated to a student under this program is $1,000, unless the total amount of undergraduate tuition paid by the student to the institution awarding the degree was less than $1,000, in which event the amount of tuition to be rebated is an amount equal to the amount of undergraduate tuition paid by the student to the institution.

      2. A student who paid the institution awarding the degree an amount of undergraduate tuition less than $1,000 may qualify for an increase in the amount of the rebate, not to exceed a total rebate of $1,000, for any amount of undergraduate tuition the student paid to other Texas public institutions of higher education by providing the institution awarding the degree with proof of the total amount of that tuition paid to other institutions.

      3. Tuition rebates shall be reduced by the amount of any outstanding student loan, including an emergency loan, owed to or guaranteed by this state, including the Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation. If a student has more than one outstanding student loan, the institution shall apply the amount of the rebate to the loans as directed by the student. If the student fails to provide timely instructions on the application of the amount, the institution shall apply the amount of the rebate to retire the loans with the highest interest rates first.

  3. PROCEDURES ASSOCIATED WITH THE TUITION REBATE PROGRAM

    1. Students must complete the Tuition Rebate Program Application form and submit it to the college academic advising center by no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Monday immediately following their commencement. The application for the tuition rebate is online. The undergraduate catalog also contains general information about the Tuition Rebate Program. The director of the college academic advising center reviews the student’s academic records and, if submitted, reviews the Tuition Rebate Program – Hardship Justification form, and then makes a recommendation to the college dean about the student’s eligibility for the Tuition Rebate Program. The college dean, or designee, will review the rebate application, if necessary, the Tuition Rebate Program – Hardship Justification form, and the director of the college academic advising center’s recommendation, and then approve or deny the rebate application. If the rebate application is denied based on the student’s academic eligibility, the college dean, or designee, provides written notice to the student of the reason for the denial.

    2. The Student Business Services office will verify resident tuition status and calculate outstanding indebtedness and the rebate amount upon receipt of the approved Tuition Rebate Program Application and, if necessary, the Tuition Rebate Program – Hardship Justification form. The Student Business Services office will then process the rebate and notify, in writing, students with denied applications, citing the denial reason.

  4. DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCEDURES

    1. Ineligibility – Students determined as ineligible for participation in the Tuition Rebate Program may file a written dispute with their college dean. Failure to adhere to all the following requirements will constitute grounds for dismissal of the dispute.

      1. Format – The dispute, in writing, must specify the reasons why the student believes they qualify for the Tuition Rebate Program.

      2. Documentation – All supporting documentation (such as official transcripts from previous institutions attended and hardship justification forms) must accompany the dispute.

      3. Deadline for Dispute – The student must file the dispute no later than 30 business days after the date the college dean or director of the college academic advising center determines ineligibility.

      4. The college dean, or designee, will provide written notice to the student of the results of their review no later than 30 business days after receipt of the dispute. The decision of the college dean constitutes a final decision for eligibility for the Tuition Rebate Program. For disputes resulting in a determination of Tuition Rebate Program eligibility, the college dean, or designee, will forward the approved rebate application and an approval memorandum to the Student Business Services office for processing the rebate payment.

    2. Amount – Students who desire to dispute the dollar amount of their rebate must follow the steps detailed below. Failure to adhere to all the following requirements will nullify their dispute as to the amount of the rebate.

      1. Format – The student must file a written dispute which must include:

        1. calculations documenting the rebate amount that the student expected; and

        2. the specific differences between the expected and actual rebate.

        The dispute must then be forwarded to the Student Business Services office.

      2. Documentation – All supporting documentation (such as receipts from previous institutions attended or others as necessary) must accompany the dispute.

      3. Deadline for Dispute as to Amount – The student must file the dispute regarding the rebate amount no later than 30 business days after the refund date for rebate issued. For students whose rebate amounts did not exceed outstanding obligations, the Student Business Services office must receive the dispute no later than 30 business days after the date of the Student Business Services office’s notice regarding the balance. The Student Business Services office will provide written notice to the student of the results of their review of the dispute no later than 30 business days after receipt. For disputes resulting in additional funds owed the student, the university will process payment in accordance with UPPS No. 02.01.12, Tuition and Fees Refund Appeal Policy within 30 days of the determination, unless otherwise specified by the student.

  5. RESPONSIBILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE REBATE PROGRAM

    1. Responsibilities associated with the Tuition Rebate Program are as follows:

      1. Students

        1. Students desiring to qualify for tuition rebates are responsible for complying with all rules and regulations related to administration of the program.

        2. Students desiring to qualify for tuition rebates are solely responsible for enrolling only in courses that will qualify them for the rebates.

        3. Students who have transferred from another public or independent institution of higher education are responsible for providing to the institution awarding the degree, official transcripts from all institutions attended.

        4. Students must submit the Tuition Rebate Program Application form and, if appropriate, the Tuition Rebate Program – Hardship Justification form by no later than 5:00 p.m. on the Monday immediately following their commencement.

        5. Students must keep the institution apprised of their mailing address for at least 60 days after their graduation date.

      2. Director of the College Academic Advising Center

        1. Director must display a link to the Tuition Rebate Program Application form on the advising center’s webpage.

        2. Director must provide general information about the Tuition Rebate Program.

        3. Director must review students’ Tuition Rebate Program Applications for academic eligibility and the Tuition Rebate Program – Hardship Justification form, and if designated by the college dean, certify that the students are eligible or ineligible for the Tuition Rebate Program.

        4. Director must notify students of the status of their rebate application and their academic eligibility or ineligibility as defined in Section 02.01.

      3. College Dean or Designated Director of the College Academic Advising Center

        1. Certify students’ eligibility for the Tuition Rebate Program and provide written justification of hardship.

      4. Student Business Services Office

        1. Determine resident tuition status, the net amounts paid by the student, and any outstanding obligations that the student owes to the university or to the state of Texas.

        2. Pay outstanding obligations from the rebate amount, then make payment for any remaining balance to the student.

        3. Notify students if they will not receive a rebate because their outstanding obligations exceed the rebate amount, as defined in Sections 02.04 and 02.05.

        4. Notify the supervisor of the college academic advising center of denial of student’s rebate application.

      5. Office of Undergraduate Admissions

        1. Maintain the student’s high school graduation date in the student information system.

      6. Curriculum Services

        1. Publish the tuition rebate policy information in the undergraduate catalog and monitor legislative changes for updates needed in the catalog.

      7. University

        1. If requested by potentially eligible students, institutions of higher education shall provide these student opportunities to enroll during each fall and spring semester in the equivalent of at least 12 semester credit hours that apply toward their degrees.

        2. Institutions are not required to provide students with the opportunity to enroll in specific courses or specific sections.

        3. Public two-year colleges will comply to the extent that courses for the current semester are being offered that apply to the student’s baccalaureate degree program.

        4. The requirement may be met by allowing substitutions for required courses.

  6. FORMS

    1. Students should utilize the following forms in association with this policy:

      1. Tuition Rebate Program Application; and

      2. Tuition Rebate Program – Hardship Justification.

  7. REVIEWERS OF THIS UPPS

    1. Reviewers of this UPPS include the following:

      PositionDate
      Assistant Vice President and TreasurerMay 1 E4Y
      Director, Student Business ServicesMay 1 E4Y
      Assistant Vice President, Curriculum and Academic ProgramsMay 1 E4Y
      Dean, University CollegeMay 1 E4Y

  8. CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

    This UPPS has been approved by the following individuals in their official capacities and represents policy and procedure from the date of this document until superseded.

    Assistant Vice President and Treasurer; senior reviewer of this UPPS

    Vice President for Finance and Support Services

    President