Texas Education Code - EDUC § 28.0095. Financial Aid for Swift Transfer (FAST) Program

(a) In this section:

(b) The agency and the coordinating board shall jointly establish the Financial Aid for Swift Transfer (FAST) program to allow eligible students to enroll at no cost to the student in dual credit courses at participating institutions of higher education.

(c) A student is eligible to enroll at no cost in a dual credit course under the program if the student:

(c-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (c)(1)(A), a student otherwise described by Subsection (c) is eligible to enroll at no cost in a dual credit course under the program if the student has graduated from high school but is:

(d) An institution of higher education is eligible to participate in the program only if the institution charges for each dual credit course offered by the institution an amount of tuition that does not exceed the amount prescribed by coordinating board rule.

(e) Each school district or charter school shall:

(f) A school district or charter school may make the determination under Subsection (e)(1) based on the district's or school's records, the agency's records, or any other method authorized by commissioner or coordinating board rule.  If the district or school bases the determination on a method other than the agency's records, the district or school shall report the method used and the data on which the method is based to the agency for purposes of verification.  The agency shall make available to school districts and charter schools any available and relevant data for making the determination required under Subsection (e)(1).

(g) At least once each year, a participating institution of higher education shall certify to the agency and the coordinating board the student's eligibility for the program.  Notwithstanding Section 54.051, a participating institution of higher education may not charge tuition or fees for the enrollment in a dual credit course at the institution of a student for whom the institution receives notice under Subsection (e)(2).

(h) The coordinating board shall distribute money transferred to the coordinating board under Section 48.309 to the participating institutions of higher education in proportion to the number of dual credit courses in which eligible students are enrolled at the institution.

(i) The commissioner and the commissioner of higher education shall coordinate as necessary to:

(j) The commissioner and the coordinating board shall adopt rules as necessary to implement this section.  Notwithstanding Section 61.033, the coordinating board is not required to use negotiated rulemaking procedures under Chapter 2008, Government Code, for the adoption of rules under this section.