Sec. 54.501. LABORATORY FEES. (a) An institution of higher education shall set and collect a laboratory fee in an amount sufficient to cover the general cost of laboratory materials and supplies used by a student. An institution other than a public junior college may charge a laboratory fee in an amount that is not less than $2 nor more than $30 for any one semester or summer term for a student in any one laboratory course, except that the amount of the laboratory fee may not exceed the cost of actual materials and supplies used by the student. A public junior college may charge a laboratory fee in an amount that does not exceed the lesser of $24 per semester credit hour of laboratory course credit for which the student is enrolled or the cost of actual materials and supplies used by the student.

(b) Laboratory fees collected by an institution under this section shall be accounted for as educational and general funds.

(c) The governing board of a public junior college may set and collect a fee per contact hour, not to exceed $4, for each person registered in an aerospace mechanics certification course where the fee is required to offset that portion of the cost of the course, including the cost of equipment and of professional instruction or tutoring, that is not covered by state funding or by the fee in Subsection (a).

Acts 1971, 62nd Leg., p. 3072, ch. 1024, art. 1, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1971. Amended by Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 497, Sec. 1, eff. June 12, 1985; Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 901, Sec. 2, eff. Aug. 31, 1987; Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1238, Sec. 1, eff. June 20, 2003.