Sec. 54.619.  PREPAID HIGHER EDUCATION TUITION PROGRAM.  (a)  Under the program, a purchaser may enter into a prepaid tuition contract with the board under which the purchaser agrees to prepay the tuition and required fees for a beneficiary to attend an institution of higher education or private or independent institution of higher education.
(b)  The board shall deposit the money paid under a prepaid tuition contract in the fund, invest the money and credit the income earned to the fund, and apply money in the fund to the tuition and required fees of the institution of higher education or private or independent institution of higher education in which the beneficiary enrolls as provided by the prepaid tuition contract.
(c)  If the beneficiary of a plan described by Section 54.623, 54.624, or 54.625 enrolls in a private or independent institution of higher education, the board shall pay the institution the tuition and required fees the board would have paid had the beneficiary enrolled in an institution of higher education covered by the plan selected in the prepaid tuition contract.  The beneficiary is responsible for paying the private or independent institution of higher education the amount by which the tuition and required fees of the institution exceed the tuition and required fees paid by the board.
(c-1)  If the beneficiary of a prepaid tuition contract entered into after December 31, 2003, under Section 54.623, 54.624, or 54.625 enrolls in an institution of higher education, the board:
(1)  shall pay to the institution the tuition and required fees of the institution; and
(2)  may pay to the purchaser all or part of any amount paid or accrued under the contract that exceeds the tuition and required fees of the institution if the board determines that it may do so in a manner consistent with the actuarial soundness of the program.
(d)  If the beneficiary of a plan described by Section 54.6251 enrolls in an institution of higher education, the board shall pay:
(1)  to the institution the tuition and required fees of the institution;  and
(2)  to the purchaser the amount by which the estimated average private tuition and required fees exceeds the tuition and required fees of the institution.
(e)  If the beneficiary of a plan described by Section 54.6251 enrolls in a private or independent institution of higher education, the board shall pay:
(1)  to the institution the lesser of:
(A)  the tuition and required fees of the institution;  or
(B)  the estimated average private tuition and required fees;  and
(2)  to the purchaser the amount by which the estimated average private tuition and required fees exceeds the tuition and required fees of the institution.
(f)  If the beneficiary of a plan described by Section 54.6251 enrolls in a private or independent institution of higher education, the beneficiary is responsible for paying the institution the amount by which the tuition and required fees of the institution exceeds the estimated average private tuition and required fees.
(g)  If in any fiscal year there is not enough money in the fund to pay the tuition and required fees of the institution of higher education in which a beneficiary enrolls or the appropriate portion of the tuition and required fees of the private or independent institution of higher education in which the beneficiary enrolls as provided by the prepaid tuition contract, the comptroller shall transfer to the fund out of the first money coming into the state treasury not otherwise appropriated by the constitution the amount necessary for the board to pay the applicable amount of tuition and required fees of the institution.
(h)  Notwithstanding other provisions of this subchapter, any contract benefits purchased under this subchapter may be applied to the payment of tuition and required fees at a career school or college as if the school or college were an institution of higher education or private or independent institution of higher education.  On the purchaser's request, the board shall apply, in accordance with Section 54.628, any existing amount of prepaid tuition contract benefits to the payment of tuition and required fees at a career school or college.  The board is not responsible for the payment of tuition and required fees at the career school or college in excess of that amount.  The board may adopt rules as necessary to implement this subsection.
(i)  Notwithstanding other provisions of this subchapter, any contract benefits purchased under this subchapter may be applied to the payment of tuition and required fees for a registered apprenticeship program as if the apprenticeship program were an institution of higher education or private or independent institution of higher education.  On the purchaser's request, the board shall apply, in accordance with Section 54.628, any existing amount of prepaid tuition contract benefits to the payment of registered apprenticeship program tuition and required fees.  The board is not responsible for the payment of registered apprenticeship program tuition and required fees in excess of that amount.  The board may adopt rules as necessary to implement this subsection.  In this subsection, "registered apprenticeship program" means an apprenticeship program that is registered and certified with the United States Department of Labor under Section 1 of the National Apprenticeship Act (29 U.S.C. Section 50 et seq.).
(j)  The board may temporarily suspend new enrollment in the program on the request of the comptroller as the comptroller considers necessary to ensure the actuarial soundness of the fund.
(k)  The board by rule shall establish criteria and procedures to guide the board in determining when and under what conditions to reopen new enrollment in the program in the event new enrollment in the program is suspended under Subsection (j).  The procedure must require that, each year in which new enrollment in the program is suspended, the board consider the current structure of the program and determine whether any statutory or administrative changes are needed to enable the board to reopen new enrollment in the program in an actuarially sound manner.
Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 1032, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.  Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 134, Sec. 1;  Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 522, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997;  Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1181, Sec. 5, eff. Sept. 1, 1999;  Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 364, Sec. 2.07, eff. Sept. 1, 2003;  Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 817, Sec. 8.22, eff. Sept. 1, 2003;  Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1310, Sec. 12, eff. June 20, 2003.
Amended by: 
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1054 (H.B. 2173), Sec. 8, eff. June 15, 2007.
Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 599 (S.B. 1094), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2021.