The following words and terms, when used in this subchapter, shall have the following meanings:
  (1) Academically Disadvantaged--A designation that applies to postsecondary students who have not met the college-readiness standard in one or more Texas Success Initiative (TSI) assessments as provided by §4.57 of this title (relating to Texas Success Initiative Assessment College Readiness Standards), and who were not classified as either waived or exempt pursuant to §4.54 of this title (relating to Exemption).
  (2) Adult Learner--A student aged 25 or older on September 1 of the fiscal year for which the applicable data are reported, in accordance with Coordinating Board data reporting requirements.
  (3) Advanced Technical Certificate (ATC)--A certificate that has a specific associate or baccalaureate degree or junior level standing in a baccalaureate degree program as a prerequisite for admission. An ATC consists of at least 16 semester credit hours (SCH) and no more than 45 SCH and must be focused, clearly related to the prerequisite degree, and justifiable to meet industry or external agency requirements.
  (4) Associate Degree--An academic associate degree as defined under Texas Education Code, §61.003(11), or an applied associate degree as defined under Texas Education Code, §61.003(12)(B).
  (5) Baccalaureate Degree--A degree program that includes any grouping of subject matter courses consisting of at least 120 SCH which, when satisfactorily completed by a student, will entitle that student to an undergraduate degree from a public junior college.
  (6) Base Tier Funding--The amount of state and local funding determined by the Board for each public junior college that ensures the college has access to a defined level of funding for instruction and operations.
  (7) Base Year--The time period comprising the year of contact hours used for calculating the contact hour funding to public junior colleges. The Base Year for a funded fiscal year consists of the reported Summer I and II academic term from the fiscal year two years prior to the funded fiscal year; the Fall academic term one fiscal year prior to the funded fiscal year; and the Spring academic term one fiscal year prior to the funded fiscal year.
  (8) Basic Allotment--A calculation of the dollar value per Weighted FTSE, based on appropriations made in that biennium's General Appropriations Act.
  (9) Census Date--The date upon which a college may report a student in attendance for the purposes of formula funding, as specified in the Coordinating Board Management (CBM) manual for the year in which the funding is reported.
  (10) Continuing Education Certificate--A credential awarded for completion of a program of instruction that meets or exceeds 360 contact hours and earns continuing education units. The certificate program is intended to prepare the student to qualify for employment; to qualify for employment advancement; or to bring the student's knowledge or skills up to date in a particular field or profession; and is listed in an institution's approved program inventory.
  (11) Credential of Value Baseline--A credential earned by a student that would be expected to provide a positive return on investment. Credential of Value Baseline methodology is described in §13.556 of this subchapter (relating to Performance Tier: Fundable Outcomes).
  (12) Credential of Value Premium Fundable Outcome--A fundable outcome earned by an institution for a credential earned by a student that would be expected to provide a wage premium. Credential of Value Premium methodology is described in §13.556 of this subchapter.
  (13) Credentialing Examination--A licensure or registration exam required by a state or national regulatory entity or a certification exam required by an authorized professional organization. An authorized professional organization is a national, industry-recognized organization that sets occupational proficiency standards, conducts examinations to determine candidate proficiency, and confers an industry-based certification.
  (14) Dual Credit or Dual Enrollment Fundable Outcome--An outcome achieved when a student earns at least 15 SCH or the equivalent of fundable dual credit or dual enrollment courses, defined as follows:
    (A) Courses that qualify as dual credit courses as defined in §4.83(10) of this title (relating to Definitions); and:
      (i) In fiscal year 2025 or later, apply toward an academic or career and technical education program requirement at the postsecondary level; or
      (ii) In fiscal Year 2025 or later are completed by a student who graduates with a Texas First Diploma, as codified in chapter 21, subchapter D of this title (relating to Texas First early high school completion program).
    (B) All dual credit courses taken by a student enrolled in an approved Early College High School program, as provided by Texas Education Code, §28.009, except a physical education course taken by a high school student for high school physical education credit.
  (15) Economically Disadvantaged--A designation that applies to postsecondary students who received the federal Pell Grant under 20 U.S.C. §1070a.
  (16) 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. One semester credit hour of instruction equals 1.6 continuing education units of instruction. In a continuing education course, not fewer than 16 contact hours are equivalent to one semester credit hour.
  (17) Formula Funding--The funding allocated by the Coordinating Board among all public junior colleges by applying provisions of the Texas Education Code, agency rule, and the General Appropriations Act to a sector-wide appropriation from the General Appropriations Act.
  (18) Full-Time Student Equivalent (FTSE)--A synthetic measure of enrollment based on the number of instructional hours delivered by an institution of higher education divided by the number of hours associated with full-time enrollment for the time period in question.
  (19) Fundable Credential--As defined in §13.556(b) of this subchapter.
  (20) Fundable Outcome Weights--A multiplier applied to eligible fundable outcomes to generate a Weighted Outcome Completion for use in determining the Performance Tier allocation. The methodology for each Fundable Outcome Weight is defined in §13.557 of this subchapter (relating to Performance Tier: Fundable Outcome Weights).
  (21) High-Demand Fields--A field in which an institution awards a credential that provides a graduate with specific skills and knowledge required for the graduate to be successful in a high-demand occupation, based on the list of high-demand fields as defined in subchapter T of this chapter (relating to Community College Finance Program: High-Demand Fields).
  (22) Institutional Credentials Leading to Licensure or Certification (ICLC)--A credential awarded by an institution upon a student's completion of a course or series of courses that represent the achievement of identifiable skill proficiency and leading to licensure or certification. This definition includes a credential that meets the definition of an Occupational Skills Award in all respects except that the program may provide training for an occupation that is not included in the Local Workforce Development Board's Target Occupations list.
  (23) Level 1 Certificate--A certificate designed to provide the necessary academic skills and the workforce skills, knowledge, and abilities necessary to attain entry-level employment or progression toward a Level 2 Certificate or an Applied Associate Degree, with at least 50% of course credits drawn from a single technical specialty. A Level 1 Certificate must be designed for a student to complete in one calendar year or less time and consists of at least 15 semester credit hours and no more than 42 semester credit hours.
  (24) Level 2 Certificate--A certificate consisting of at least 30 semester credit hours and no more than 51 semester credit hours. Students enrolled in Level 2 Certificates must demonstrate meeting college readiness standards set forth in §4.57 of this title and other eligibility requirements determined by the institution.
  (25) Local Share--The amount determined to be the institution's contribution of local funds to the Instruction and Operations (I&O) amount for each public junior college. The amount consists of estimated ad valorem maintenance and operations tax revenue and tuition and fees revenue, as determined by the Board.
  (26) Non-Formula Support Item--An amount appropriated by line item in the General Appropriations Act to a single public junior college or limited group of colleges for a specific, named purpose.
Cont'd...
(27) Occupational Skills Award (OSA)--A sequence of courses that meet the minimum standard for program length specified by the Texas Workforce Commission for the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) program (9-14 SCH for credit courses or 144-359 contact hours for workforce continuing education courses). An OSA must possess the following characteristics:
    (A) The content of the credential must be recommended by an external workforce advisory committee, or the program must provide training for an occupation that is included on the Local Workforce Development Board's Target Occupations list;
    (B) In most cases, the credential should be composed of Workforce Education Course Manual (WECM) courses only. However, non-stratified academic courses may be used if recommended by the external committee and if appropriate for the content of the credential;
    (C) The credential complies with the Single Course Delivery guidelines for WECM courses; and
    (D) The credential prepares students for employment in accordance with guidelines established for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
  (28) Opportunity High School Diploma Fundable Outcome--An alternative means by which adult students enrolled in a workforce program at a public junior college may earn a high school diploma at a college through concurrent enrollment in a competency-based program, as codified in Texas Education Code, chapter 130, subchapter O, and Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, Part 1, Chapter 12.
  (29) Semester Credit Hour (SCH)--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.
  (30) Structured Co-Enrollment Fundable Outcome--A student who earns at least 15 semester credit hours at the junior college district in a program structured through a binding written agreement between a general academic teaching institution and a community college. Under such a program, students will be admitted to both institutions and recognized as having matriculated to both institutions concurrently. The Structured Co-enrollment Fundable Outcome does not include courses fundable under the Dual Credit or Dual Enrollment Fundable Outcome.
  (31) Third-Party Credential--A certificate as defined in Texas Education Code, §61.003(12)(C), that is conferred by a third-party provider. The third-party provider of the certificate develops the instructional program content, develops assessments to evaluate student mastery of the instructional content, and confers the third-party credential. A third-party credential that meets the requirements of §13.556 of this subchapter is fundable in accordance with that section.
  (32) Transfer Fundable Outcome--An institution earns a fundable outcome in the Performance Tier under §13.555 of this subchapter (relating to Performance Tier Funding) when a student enrolls in a general academic teaching institution, as defined in Texas Education Code, §61.003, after earning at least 15 semester credit hours from a single public junior college district as established under §13.556(e) of this subchapter. For the purpose of this definition, semester credit hours (SCH) shall refer to semester credit hours or the equivalent of semester credit hours.
  (33) Weighted Full-Time Student Equivalent (Weighted FTSE or WFTSE)--A synthetic measure of enrollment equal to the number of instructional hours delivered by an institution of higher education divided by the number of hours associated with full-time enrollment for the fiscal year two years prior to the one for which formula funding is being calculated, where the hours delivered to students with certain characteristics carry a value other than one.
  (34) Weighted Outcomes Completion--A synthetic count of completions of designated student success outcomes where outcomes achieved by students with certain characteristics carry a value other than one. The synthetic count may also represent a calculation, such as an average or maximizing function, other than a simple sum.

Source Note: The provisions of this §13.553 adopted to be effective May 16, 2024, 49 TexReg 3260