The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) Program Guidelines are intended to support institutions by highlighting requirements that appear in the Texas Education Code (TEC) and Title 19 of the Texas Administrative Code (TAC). When administering this program, institutions should always refer to the relevant statutes and rules. The information in this document is to be used solely as a resource and does not override the statute or rules for this program.
Program Authority and Purpose (TAC, Title 19, Section 22.550)
The Texas First Scholarship Program is authorized by TEC, Title 3, Chapter 56, Subchapter K-1, Section 56.221. Rules for administering the scholarship can be found in TAC, Title 19, Chapter 22, Subchapter T. The program is funded by appropriations from the Texas Legislature and from any gifts and grants to the program. The purpose of the Texas First Scholarship Program is to allow public high school students demonstrating college readiness to graduate early with the Distinguished Level of Achievement and receive a scholarship, as a state credit, to attend any eligible public institution of higher education (as defined in TEC, Section 61.003).
State Priority Deadline (TEC, Title 3, Section 56.008 and TAC, Title 19, Section 22.6)
The THECB sets the same priority deadline for all applications that qualify for state-funded financial aid in an academic year. General Academic Teaching Institutions (GATIs) in Texas (including Lamar State College Orange and Lamar State College Port Arthur), as defined in TEC, Title 3, Section 61.003(3), must publicize and use January 15 as the state priority deadline for identifying eligible students to be given priority in receiving awards through the state financial aid programs.
Institutions may define how their students must meet the priority deadline and are encouraged to adopt a policy describing the actions they must take to meet the deadline. The priority deadline is neither a guarantee to receive funding if a student applies by the applicable date for the academic year, nor is it a restriction to those that apply beyond the date. It is a mechanism that is used to evaluate similarly situated students to prioritize limited funding and to encourage students to complete their application timely to increase the likelihood of receiving state funding.
Eligibility Requirements (TAC, Title 19, Section 22.553)
To receive a scholarship, as a state credit, a student must:
- be enrolled at an eligible institution;
- be a Texas resident;
- be registered with Selective Service, or be exempt (see Selective Service Statement);
- have graduated early from high school under the Texas First Early High School Completion Program; and
- comply with the high school graduation requirements, as outlined in Texas Education Code, Section 28.0256
Scholarship Amount (TAC, Title 19, Section 22.555)
The amount of state credit offered to the student is contingent on the number of semesters the student graduates early and the maximum annual (two semester) Toward EXcellence, Access, and Success (TEXAS) Grant award amount for the applicable academic year, which is determined by the THECB.
Graduates high school two or more semesters early:
Total amount of a maximum annual (two semester) TEXAS Grant award. $10,788
Graduates high school less than two semester early:
Half of the total amount of a maximum annual (two semester) TEXAS Grant award. $5,394
Upon enrollment of an eligible Texas First Early High School graduate, the institution must apply a state credit to the student’s charges that is equal to the lesser of:
- the amount of the state credit available to the student; or
- the student’s actual tuition, mandatory fees, and other costs of attendance at the institution.
Remaining state credit may be applied to subsequent semesters prior to the end of the first academic year that begins following the student’s graduation from high school.
The amount of state credit offered to a student may NOT be considered in the calculation of any state or institutional need-based aid awards or the calculation of the student’s overall financial need, unless the combination of the credit and other federal, state, and institutional financial aid (excluding work-study and loan programs) exceeds the student’s estimated total cost of attendance (COA).
Note: The federal methodology for calculating a student’s financial need has transitioned from using Estimated Family Contribution to the Student Aid Index (SAI). Reflecting this change, the THECB will now refer to SAI in all related guidance and documentation.
Institutional Rosters
Program rosters containing a list of students who have been issued a scholarship certificate can be accessed via the institution’s Grant_Output folder in MOVEit DMZ. Roster updates will be made available once new students are added; otherwise, any previous roster upload will remain in place. MOVEit DMZ does not generate a “file upload” notification, so institutions should determine their file retrieval frequency.
Processing Funds
The THECB will reimburse each eligible institution the amount of state credit applied to an eligible student’s account during the preceding academic year. The institution’s annual Financial Aid Database (FAD) submission will be used to calculate the reimbursement amount (see TAC, Title 19, Part 1, Section 22.556).
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