SECTION 22.1. Definitions

The following words and terms, when used in Chapter 22, shall have the following meanings, unless otherwise defined in a particular subchapter:

(1) Academic Year--The combination of semesters defined by a public or private institution of higher education to fulfill the federal "academic year" requirement as defined by 34 CFR 668.3.

(2) Attempted Semester Credit Hours--Every course in every semester for which a student has been registered as of the official Census Date, including but not limited to, repeated courses and courses the student drops and from which the student withdraws. For transfer students, transfer hours and hours for optional internship and cooperative education courses are included if they are accepted by the receiving institution towards the student's current program of study.

(3) Awarded--Offered to a student.

(4) Board--The governing body of the agency known as the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

(5) Categorical Aid--Gift aid that the institution does not award to the student, but that the student brings to the school from a non-governmental third party.

(6) Commissioner--Commissioner of Higher Education.

(7) Coordinating Board--The agency known as the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and its staff.

(8) Cost of Attendance/Total Cost of Attendance--An institution's estimate of the expenses incurred by a typical financial aid recipient in attending a particular institution of higher education. It includes direct educational costs (tuition and fees) as well as indirect costs (room and board, books and supplies, transportation, personal expenses, and other allowable costs for financial aid purposes).

(9) Credit--College credit earned through the successful completion of a college career and technical education or academic course that fulfills specific requirements necessary to obtain an industry-recognized credential, certificate, associate degree, or other academic degree.

(10) Degree or certificate program of four years or less--A baccalaureate degree, associate degree, or certificate program other than a program determined by the Board to require four years or more to complete.

(11) Degree or certificate program of more than four years--A baccalaureate degree or certificate program determined by the Board to require more than four years to complete.

(12) Encumber--Program funds that have been officially requested by an institution through procedures developed by the Coordinating Board.

(13) Equivalent of a semester credit hour-- A unit of measurement for a continuing education course, determined as a ratio of one continuing education unit to 10 contact hours of instruction, which may be expressed as a decimal. 1.6 continuing education units of instruction equals one semester credit hour of instruction. In a continuing education course, not fewer than 16 contact hours are equivalent to one semester credit hour.

(14) Expected Family Contribution (EFC)--A measure utilized to calculate a student's financial need as regulated and defined by the methodology used for federal student financial aid.

(15) Financial Need--The Cost of Attendance at a particular public or private institution of higher education less the Expected Family Contribution. The Cost of Attendance and Expected Family Contribution are to be determined in accordance with Board guidelines.

(16) Full-Time--For undergraduate students, enrollment or expected enrollment for the equivalent of twelve or more semester credit hours per semester. For graduate students, enrollment or expected enrollment for the normal full-time course load of the student's program of study as defined by the institution.

(17) Gift Aid--Grants, scholarships, exemptions, waivers, and other financial aid provided to a student without a requirement to repay the funding or earn the funding through work.

(18) Graduate student--A student who has been awarded a baccalaureate degree and is enrolled in coursework leading to a graduate or professional degree.

(19) Half-Time--For undergraduates, enrollment or expected enrollment for the equivalent of at least six but fewer than nine semester credit hours per regular semester. For graduate students, enrollment or expected enrollment for the equivalent of 50 percent of the normal full-time course load of the student's program of study as defined by the institution.

(20) Period of enrollment--The semester or semesters within the current state fiscal year (September 1 - August 31) for which the student was enrolled in an approved institution and met all eligibility requirements for an award through this program.

(21) Program Officer--The individual named by each participating institution's chief executive officer to serve as agent for the Board. The Program Officer has primary responsibility for all ministerial acts required by the program, including the determination of student eligibility, selection of recipients, maintenance of all records, and preparation and submission of reports reflecting program transactions. Unless otherwise indicated by the institution's chief executive officer, the director of student financial aid shall serve as Program Officer.

(22) Residency Core Questions--A set of questions developed by the Coordinating Board to be used to determine a student's eligibility for classification as a resident of Texas, available for downloading from the Coordinating Board's website, and incorporated into the ApplyTexas application for admission.

(23) Resident of Texas--A resident of the State of Texas as determined in accordance with Chapter 21, Subchapter B of this title (relating to Determination of Resident Status). Nonresident students who are eligible to pay resident tuition rates are not residents of Texas.

(24) Semester--A payment period, as defined by 34 CFR 668.4(a) or 34 CFR 668.4(b)(1).

(25) Semester Credit Hour--A unit of measure of instruction, represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement, that reasonably approximates one hour of classroom instruction or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours out of class student work for each week over a 15-week period in a semester system or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time. An institution is responsible for determining the appropriate number of semester credit hours awarded for its programs in accordance with Federal definitions, requirements of the institution’s accreditor, and commonly accepted practices in higher education.

(26) Three-Quarter-Time--For undergraduate students, enrollment or expected enrollment for the equivalent of at least nine but fewer than 12 semester credit hours per semester. For graduate students, enrollment or expected enrollment for the equivalent of 75 percent of the normal full-time course load of the student's program of study as defined by the institution.

(27) Timely Distribution of Funds--Activities completed by institutions of higher education related to the receipt and distribution of state financial aid funding from the Board and subsequent distribution to recipients or return to the Board.

(28) Undergraduate student--An individual who has not yet received a baccalaureate degree.

Source Note: The provisions of this §22.1 adopted to be effective May 22, 2017, 42 TexReg 2719; amended to be effective December 5, 2019, 44 TexReg 7379; amended to be effective February 18, 2021, 46 TexReg 1057; amended to be effective May 18, 2023, 48 TexReg 2498; amended to be effective February 15, 2024, 49 TexReg 682