SECTION 22.203. Eligible Students

(a) To qualify for a grant through the Program, a student must:

(1) have Texas resident status, as determined by chapter 21, subchapter B of this title (relating to Determination of Resident Status);

(2) show financial need in the semester(s) in which a grant is offered;

(3) have applied for any available financial aid assistance;

(4) be enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program at an eligible institution;

(5) be enrolled full-time in the semester(s) in which a grant is offered unless granted a hardship waiver of this requirement under §22.206 of this subchapter (relating to Hardship Provisions);

(6) make satisfactory academic progress toward the baccalaureate degree at the eligible institution, as defined in §22.204 of this subchapter (relating to Satisfactory Academic Progress) unless the student is granted a hardship extension in accordance with §22.206 of this subchapter (relating to Hardship Provisions);

(7) have been awarded an associate degree by a public junior college as defined in Texas Education Code, §61.003(2); public technical institute as defined in Texas Education Code, §61.003(7); or public state college as defined in Texas Education Code, §61.003(16), and credit hours earned toward completion of the associate degree must:

(A) include completion of the core curriculum or an abbreviated core curriculum related to a specific approved field of study curriculum transferable to one or more general academic teaching institutions;

(B) have been completed with at least a 2.5 grade point average; and

(C) have been completed prior to enrolling in a baccalaureate degree program at the institution offering a grant through this Program.

(8) unless granted a hardship postponement in accordance with §22.206 of this subchapter (relating to Hardship Provisions), have enrolled in the baccalaureate degree program at the eligible institution on a full-time basis not later than the end of the 12th month after the calendar month in which the student ceased being enrolled in a public junior college as defined in Texas Education Code, §61.003(2); public technical institute as defined in Texas Education Code, §61.003(7); or public state college as defined in Texas Education Code, §61.003(16); and

(9) meet applicable standards outlined in §22.3 of this chapter (relating to Student Compliance with Selective Service Registration.

(b) If a student's eligibility was based on the expectation that the student would meet the requirements in subsection (a)(7), and the student failed to do so, then the student is no longer eligible for a grant through this Program.

(1) If the institution offers the grant based on the expectation that the student would meet the requirements in subsection (a)(7) and does not become aware that the student failed to meet these requirements until after the first disbursement of the grant has been made to the student, then the institution reserves the right to require the student to repay the amount that was previously received.

(2) In no case may a student receive a subsequent disbursement of a grant through the Program after the institution has become aware that the student failed to meet the requirements in subsection (a)(7).

Source Note: The provisions of this §22.203 adopted to be effective February 15, 2024, 49 TexReg 683