SENATE BILL 127
47th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2005
INTRODUCED BY
Cynthia Nava
FOR THE LEGISLATIVE EDUCATION STUDY COMMITTEE
AN ACT
RELATING TO EDUCATION; REQUIRING SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO PAY TUITION AND FEES OF PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO RECEIVE HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT FOR HIGHER EDUCATION COURSEWORK.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
Section 1. Section 21-1-2 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1970, Chapter 9, Section 1, as amended) is amended to read:
"21-1-2. MATRICULATION AND TUITION FEES.--
A. Except as otherwise provided in this section and in Section 21-1-4.3 NMSA 1978, the boards of regents of the university of New Mexico, New Mexico state university, New Mexico highlands university, western New Mexico university, eastern New Mexico university, New Mexico military institute, New Mexico institute of mining and technology and New Mexico junior college shall establish and charge matriculation fees and tuition fees as follows:
(1) each student shall be charged a matriculation fee of not less than five dollars ($5.00) upon enrolling in each institution;
(2) each student who is a resident of New Mexico shall be charged a tuition fee of not less than twenty dollars ($20.00) a year;
(3) each student who is not a resident of New Mexico shall be charged a tuition fee of not less than fifty dollars ($50.00) a year;
(4) each student shall be charged a tuition fee of not less than ten dollars ($10.00) for each summer session; and
(5) each student may be charged a tuition fee for extension courses.
B. Except as otherwise provided in this section and in Section 21-1-4.3 NMSA 1978, the board of regents of northern New Mexico state school shall establish and charge each student a matriculation fee and a tuition fee.
C. The board of regents of each institution may establish and grant gratis scholarships to students who are residents of New Mexico in an amount not to exceed the matriculation fee or tuition and fees, or both. These scholarships are in addition to the lottery tuition scholarships authorized in Section 21-1-4.3 NMSA 1978 and shall be granted to the full extent of available funds before lottery tuition scholarships are granted. The number of scholarships established and granted pursuant to this subsection shall not exceed three percent of the preceding fall semester enrollment in each institution and shall not be established and granted for summer sessions. The president of each institution shall select and recommend to the board of regents of his institution, as recipients of scholarships, students who possess good moral character and satisfactory initiative, scholastic standing and personality. At least thirty-three and one-third percent of the gratis scholarships established and granted by each board of regents each year shall be granted on the basis of financial need.
D. The board of regents of each institution set out in this subsection may establish and grant, in addition to those scholarships provided for in Subsection C of this section, athletic scholarships for tuition and fees. In no event shall the board of regents of any institution be allowed to award scholarships for tuition and fees for more than the number of athletic scholarships set out in this subsection and in no event shall more than seventy-five percent of the scholarships granted be for out-of-state residents:
(1) the board of regents of the university of New Mexico may grant up to two hundred ninety-three athletic scholarships;
(2) the board of regents of New Mexico state university may grant up to two hundred seventy athletic scholarships;
(3) the boards of regents of New Mexico highlands university, eastern New Mexico university and western New Mexico university may each grant up to one hundred forty athletic scholarships; and
(4) the board of regents of New Mexico junior college may grant up to fifty-two athletic scholarships.
E. In the event that the number of athletic scholarships exceeds the number of athletic scholarships permitted that institution by regulations and bylaws of the national collegiate athletic association or the national association of intercollegiate athletics of which that institution is a member, the appropriate board of regents shall reduce the number of authorized tuition scholarships to comply with association rules and regulations.
F. Matriculation fees and tuition fees shall be fixed and made payable as directed by the board of regents of each institution, collected by the officers of each institution and accounted for as are other funds of the institutions. Matriculation fees shall be charged only once for each institution in which a student enrolls.
G. Unless the school district and the institution agree to reduce or waive the tuition and fees, a public school district shall transfer to a public post-secondary educational institution enumerated in Subsection A or B of this section the tuition and fees for a public school student who, during the term, is counted in the membership of the district and will receive high school credit for coursework at the institution."
Section 2. Section 21-13-19 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1968, Chapter 70, Section 2, as amended) is amended to read:
"21-13-19. ENROLLMENT DEFINED--PAYMENTS.--
A. For those students in community colleges taking college-level courses, full-time-equivalent students shall be defined and computed by the commission on higher education in the same manner in which it defines and computes full-time-equivalent students for all other college-level programs within its jurisdiction.
B. No student shall be included in any calculations made under the provisions of this section if the student is enrolled in a course the cost of which is totally reimbursed from federal, state or private sources. Unless the school district and the community college agree to reduce or waive the tuition and fees, the public school district shall transfer to the community college the tuition and fees for any student who, during the term, is counted in the membership of the public school district and will receive high school credit for coursework at the community college.
C. The commission on higher education shall not recommend an appropriation greater than three hundred
twenty-five dollars ($325) for each full-time-equivalent student for any community college that levies a tax at a rate less than two dollars ($2.00), unless a lower amount is required by operation of the rate limitation provisions of Section 7-37-7.1 NMSA 1978 upon a rate of at least two dollars ($2.00) on each one thousand dollars ($1,000) of net taxable value, as that term is defined in the Property Tax Code, or any community college that reduces a previously authorized tax levy, except as required by the operation of the rate limitation provisions of Section 7-37-7.1 NMSA 1978.
D. The commission on higher education shall require from the community college such reports as the commission deems necessary for the purpose of determining the number of full-time-equivalent students at the community college eligible to receive support under this section.
E. A community college board shall establish tuition and fee rates for its respective institutions for full-time, part-time, resident and nonresident students, as defined by the commission on higher education.
F. A community college board may establish and grant gratis scholarships to students who are residents of New Mexico in an amount not to exceed the matriculation fee or tuition and fees, or both. The gratis scholarships are in addition to the lottery tuition scholarships authorized in Section 21-13-10 NMSA 1978 and shall be granted to the full extent of available funds before lottery tuition scholarships are granted. The number of scholarships established and granted pursuant to this subsection shall not exceed three percent of the preceding fall semester enrollment in each institution and shall not be established and granted for summer sessions. The president of each institution shall select and recommend to the community college board of his institution, as recipients of scholarships, students who possess good moral character and satisfactory initiative, scholastic standing and personality. At least thirty-three and one-third percent of the gratis scholarships established and granted by each community college board each year shall be granted on the basis of financial need."
Section 3. Section 21-14-1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1957, Chapter 143, Section 1, as amended) is amended to read:
"21-14-1. BRANCH COMMUNITY COLLEGE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM AND ENROLLMENT DEFINED.--
A. "Branch community college educational program", for the purposes of Chapter 21, Article 14 NMSA 1978, includes either the first two years of college education or organized vocational and technical curricula of not more than two years' duration designed to fit individuals for employment in recognized occupations, or both.
B. The calculation of full-time-equivalent student population for the purposes of Chapter 21, Article 14 NMSA 1978 shall include students enrolled in college-level courses and students enrolled in vocational and technical courses taught by a branch community college that is recognized by the vocational education division of the public education department as an area vocational school or in courses that are approved by the [state board of education] department. Students enrolled in a course the cost of which is totally reimbursed from federal, state or private sources shall not be included in the calculation of full-time-equivalent student population. Unless the school district and the institution agree to reduce or waive the tuition and fees, the public school district shall transfer to the branch community college the tuition and fees for any student who, during the term, is counted in the membership of the public school district and will receive high school credit for coursework at the branch community college."
Section 4. Section 21-14A-2 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1982, Chapter 42, Section 2, as amended) is amended to read:
"21-14A-2. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Off-Campus Instruction Act:
A. "off-campus instruction program" means either the first two years of college education or organized vocational and technical curricula of not more than two years' duration designed to fit individuals for employment in recognized occupations, or both; and
B. "full-time-equivalent student" includes students enrolled in college-level courses and students enrolled in vocational and technical courses taught by an off-campus instruction program. Students enrolled in a course the cost of which is totally reimbursed from federal, state or private sources shall not be included in the calculation of full-time-equivalent student population. Unless the school district and the institution agree to reduce or waive the tuition and fees, the public school district shall transfer to the parent institution the tuition and fees for any student who, during the term, is counted in the membership of the public school district and will receive high school credit for coursework at the off-campus site."
Section 5. Section 21-16-10 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1968, Chapter 59, Section 3, as amended) is amended to read:
"21-16-10. APPROPRIATION--DISTRIBUTION.--
A. The commission on higher education shall recommend an appropriation for each technical and vocational institute based upon its financial requirements in relation to its authorized program and its available funds from
non-general fund sources; provided, the recommended appropriation shall be an amount not less than three hundred twenty-five dollars ($325) for each full-time-equivalent student.
B. The commission on higher education shall by rule provide for the method for calculating the number of full-time-equivalent students in technical and vocational institutes. No student shall be included in any calculation of the number of full-time-equivalent students if the student is enrolled in a course, the cost of which is totally reimbursed from federal, state or private sources. Unless the school district and the technical and vocational institute agree to reduce or waive the tuition and fees, the public school district shall transfer to the technical and vocational institute the tuition and fees for any student who, during the term, is counted in the membership of the public school district and will receive high school credit for coursework at the technical and vocational institute.
C. The commission on higher education shall not recommend an appropriation greater than three hundred
twenty-five dollars ($325) for each full-time-equivalent student for any technical and vocational institute that levies a tax at a rate less than two dollars ($2.00), unless a lower amount is required by operation of the rate limitation provisions of Section 7-37-7.1 NMSA 1978 upon a rate approved by the electors of at least two dollars ($2.00) on each one thousand dollars ($1,000) of net taxable value, as that term is defined in the Property Tax Code, or any technical and vocational institute that reduces a previously authorized tax levy, except as required by the operation of the rate limitation provisions of Section 7-37-7.1 NMSA 1978.
D. The board may establish and grant gratis scholarships to students who are residents of New Mexico in an amount not to exceed the matriculation fee or tuition and fees, or both. The gratis scholarships are in addition to the lottery tuition scholarships authorized in Section 21-16-10.1 NMSA 1978 and shall be granted to the full extent of available funds before lottery tuition scholarships are granted. The number of scholarships established and granted pursuant to this subsection shall not exceed three percent of the preceding fall semester enrollment in the technical and vocational institute and shall not be established and granted for summer sessions. The president of the technical and vocational institute shall select and recommend to the board as recipients of scholarships students who possess good moral character and satisfactory initiative, scholastic standing and personality. At least thirty-three and one-third percent of the gratis scholarships established and granted by the board each year shall be granted on the basis of financial need."
Section 6. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2005.
- 11 -