Sec. 54.754. REDEMPTION OF TUITION UNITS. (a) In accordance with this subchapter, when a beneficiary under a prepaid tuition contract redeems one or more tuition units to pay costs of tuition and required fees, the board shall apply money in the fund, in the amount provided by Section 54.765 to pay all or the applicable portion of the costs of the beneficiary's tuition and required fees at the general academic teaching institution, two-year institution of higher education, private or independent institution of higher education, medical and dental unit, or accredited out-of-state institution of higher education in which the beneficiary enrolls. Subject to Subsection (b)(2) and the other provisions of this section, a beneficiary may redeem any type of tuition unit for attendance at an institution or unit described by this section. A general academic teaching institution or two-year institution of higher education shall accept the amount transferred to the institution under Section 54.765(c) when the unit or units are redeemed as payment for all or the applicable portion of the beneficiary's tuition and required fees.

(b) To pay for the entire cost of undergraduate resident tuition and required fees for an academic year consisting of 30 semester credit hours, redemption of 100 Type I tuition units is required at the general academic teaching institution with the highest tuition and fee cost as described by Section 54.753(d), redemption of 100 Type II tuition units is required at a general academic teaching institution with the applicable tuition and fee cost at the weighted average as described by Subsection (e) of that section, and redemption of 100 Type III units is required at a two-year institution of higher education with the applicable tuition and fee cost at the weighted average as described by Subsection (f) of that section. The number of tuition units that must be redeemed to pay for the entire cost of tuition and required fees for an academic year at another general academic teaching institution or two-year institution of higher education may be higher or lower:

(1) in proportion to the amount that the cost of tuition and required fees at that institution is higher or lower than the amount determined for the institution with the highest cost or weighted average cost, as applicable; or

(2) if a more or less valuable type of tuition unit is redeemed.

(c) To assist purchasers in determining the number of tuition units a beneficiary must redeem to cover the costs of tuition and required fees at general academic teaching institutions and two-year institutions of higher education, each year the board shall prepare a tuition unit redemption chart and shall post the chart on an Internet website. The chart must show for each general academic teaching institution and for each two-year institution of higher education the number of each type of units purchased that year that would be required to cover the cost of tuition and required fees, based on an academic year consisting of 30 semester credit hours.

(d) If a beneficiary redeems fewer tuition units of the type or combination of types necessary to pay the total cost of the beneficiary's tuition and required fees at the general academic teaching institution, two-year institution of higher education, private or independent institution of higher education, medical and dental unit, career school, or accredited out-of-state institution of higher education at which the beneficiary enrolls, the beneficiary is responsible for paying the amount of the difference between the amount of tuition and required fees for which the beneficiary pays through the redemption of one or more tuition units and the total cost of the beneficiary's tuition and required fees at the institution or unit.

(d-1) A beneficiary who redeems one or more Type III tuition units to attend a public junior college and who does not reside within the taxing jurisdiction of the junior college is responsible for paying any portion of the tuition charged by the junior college to persons who do not reside within that taxing jurisdiction.

(e) If the beneficiary redeems fewer tuition units to pay the cost of tuition and required fees than the number of units purchased on behalf of the beneficiary under a prepaid tuition contract, other than to defer redemption as permitted in accordance with Section 54.758, the purchaser may:

(1) redeem for cash the amount of the purchase price of the excess units, plus annual interest earned on that money, accrued at a rate set by the board not to exceed five percent annually; or

(2) transfer the remaining units to another beneficiary in accordance with this subchapter.

(f) A beneficiary or purchaser may not redeem a tuition unit earlier than the third anniversary of the date the unit was purchased.

Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1281 (H.B. 3900), Sec. 1, eff. June 15, 2007.

Amended by:

Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 560 (S.B. 1941), Sec. 5, eff. June 19, 2009.

Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 903 (H.B. 3655), Sec. 10, eff. June 10, 2019.