TEXAS Grant Priority Model and Other Changes

1. TEXAS GrantPriority Model and Other Changes TASFAA, Fall 2012 Jane Caldwell Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

2. State Priority Deadline – March 15 • Effective beginning with the 2013-14 application period. • Applies to the general public academic teaching institutions (public universities, Lamar-Orange, and Lamar-Port Arthur). • To aid in prioritizing limited funding to eligible students. • Institutions have the flexibility to define what it means to meet the priority deadline at the institution. • March 15 is also the date for priority 1 eligibility consideration for the Top 10 Percent Scholarship Program at all public institutions.

3. TEXAS Grant Priority Model • Effective beginning with the 2013-14 application period. • Impacts students who: • graduate from HS in May 2013 or later; • meet the priority deadline; • are initial applicants; and • are attending the general public teaching institutions (public universities, Lamar-Orange, and Lamar-Port Arthur).

4. Current Basic Student Eligibility Requirements for Initial Awards • RHSC, ADP or equivalent. • Classification as a resident of Texas. • Registration with Selective Service, or exemption. • No felony conviction or crime involving a controlled substance. • Demonstration of financial need (EFC cap). • Enrollment at least ¾-time as: • An entering undergraduate within 16 months of HS graduation, or • A continuing student who has acquired an Associate’s Degree and enrolls at an eligible institution within 12 months.

5. Additional Academic Requirements for Priority Consideration • In addition to the basic eligibility requirements, students must meet requirements in at least 2 of the following 4 areas for priority consideration:

6. Remaining Funds • If funds remain after all eligible priority students – who met the priority deadline – have been awarded, the balance of allocated funds can go to those students who met just the basic TEXAS Grant requirements.

7. Allocations Under the Priority Model • No school’s share of funds will be reduced or increased because of the priority model system. • Funds for initial year awards will continue to be distributed among institutions based on each institution’s share of the eligible needy student population.

8. Implementing the Priority Model • How will your institution identify students who meet the priority criteria? • Requirements known by HS counselors? • Requirements known in the admissions office? • Requirements noted on the HS transcript? • Captured in the student records system? • Captured in the financial aid management system? • Another communication between admissions and financial aid? • Programming implemented by spring 2013 for 13/14 packaging?

9. Reporting Priority Awards • There will be a new report to the Legislature which will include the number of students qualifying for IY awards through the priority model. • The data will be captured via the End-of-Year Report. • Priority awards should be noted and captured for reporting purposes.

10. New Student Category for IY Award Consideration • Public universities, Lamar-Orange, and Lamar-Port Arthur • Effective beginning with the 2013-14 application period, veterans who meet the following criteria can compete for IY award consideration. The student must be an otherwise eligible entering student who: • graduated from HS May 1, 2013 or later, • enlisted in military service within 12 months of HS graduation, and • enrolled in college within 12 months of receiving an honorable discharge. • This keeps these students from being hurt by the 16-month enrollment limitation for IY consideration.

11. TEXAS Grant Legislative Proposals • Key word = PROPOSALS • Effective Date • To be determined • Enrollment Status • Increase enrollment requirement from ¾-time to full-time. • Eligibility Period • Cap at 8 semesters with a 5-year period unless the degree program exceeds 120 hours.

12. ProposalsContinued • MaximumAward Amount • Tuition/Fees plus an allowance for course materials less Pell less EFC • Matching • Remove the requirement for institutions to provide sufficient non-loan aid to cover a recipient’s tuition and fees. • Controlled Substance Statement • Amend requirements to defer to the federal requirements with status based on FAFSA determination.

13. ProposalsContinued • Participating Institutions • Limit TEXAS Grant to the general academic teaching institutions (public universities, Lamar-Orange, and Lamar-Port Arthur). • Shift TEXAS Grant funds for other 2-year institutions to the TEOG Program. • Transfer Students • Create an eligibility pathway for all transfer students.

14. Allocations • Allocation Goals: • Provide each institution its fair share of available funds. • Cover renewal awards for eligible returning students. • Use balance of funds for initial year awards. • Data Sources: • Current year fund requests (# of awards made) • EOY Reports (last yr. # grads; 3 years’avg. award data) • CBM001 Reports (1-year retention rates) • FADB Reports (# undergrad, TX residents enrolled at least ¾ time, with EFC <= $4,000), matched against TEA records to identify those with RHSC.

15. Renewal Allocations - Universities • ID number of IY and RY awards, current year. • Subtract number of graduating students. • Multiply by one-year persistence rate. • Adjust by past 3-years’ average award as a percent of the maximum award. • Adjust for accuracy of the allocation model, based on actual vs. predicted # of awards for past three years. • Multiply number of recipients by target award amount.

16. Renewal Allocations – 2 year Insts. • ID number of IY and RY awards, current year (using IY + .25* RY). • Subtract number of graduating students. • Multiply by one-year persistence rate. • Adjust by past 3 years’ average award as a percent of the maximum award. • Multiply number of recipients by target award amount.

17. Initial Awards • Split among sectors (universities, community colleges, Lamar State colleges and TSTC) • Based on each sector’s number of first-time entering freshmen who graduated HS with the Recommended or higher curriculum in the most recent spring for which data is available and who: • Enrolled for at least 9 hours in the following fall or spring • Show financial need • Are classified as TX residents • Have EFC’s <= $4,000

18. IY Funds Distribution in Sectors • For each institution, from most recent FADB, identify number of aid recipients who were TX residents, undergraduates, enrolled at least ¾ time and had EFC’s <= $4,000. • Each school’s % share of awards = [school # of such students/sector total # such students]. • Awards per school = total per sector times each school’s % share. • Funds per school = # IY awards per school * target amount.

19. Total Allocation • Total allocation = sum of renewal and initial awards. • Each institution, in the allocation announcement for FY13, was requested to “consider setting its individual goal for the TEXAS Grant program to continue serving returning grant recipients, and to adjust award amounts on average for all recipients in a way that allows each campus to offer new awards to at least 50% of eligible entering freshmen.

20. Questions?