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Signed Into Law
Signed June 20, 2025Effective 2025-06-20
HB5646

Regular Session

Relating to admission of and resident tuition rates and fees at public institutions of higher education for certain students in military-related programs.

Government Affairs & Regulatory Compliance Analysis

HB5646: Government Affairs Overview

HB5646 mandates that public universities immediately charge Texas resident tuition rates to non-resident students enrolled in ROTC or Corps of Cadets programs for the Fall 2025 semester, while explicitly disqualifying these students from state financial aid. This legislation forces a decoupling of "tuition residency" from "financial aid residency" in Student Information Systems (SIS), creating an immediate risk of billing errors and audit findings if not addressed before July billing cycles.

Rep. Terry Wilson·House Bill·Regular Session

Critical
Medium Cost
Effective:2025-06-20
Enforcing Agencies

Public Institutions of Higher Education (Admissions and Bursar Offices) • Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB)

Business Impact

Who HB5646 Affects

This legislation has regulatory implications for the following Texas businesses and organizations:

Regulatory Priority: critical

Significant regulatory changes (effective 2025-06-20). Review with your legal and compliance teams to understand implications.

🎓

Education

Affected business types:

  • School districts
  • Charter schools
  • Private schools
  • Education service providers
View all education legislation

Key Operational Considerations

  • 1Cross-Town MOUs: Update Memoranda of Understanding with partner institutions for cross-town ROTC students to clarify which institution applies the waiver and verifies "good standing."
  • 2Admissions Staff: Train admissions officers on the new statutory requirement to consider "intent to enlist" or "intent to join Corps" as a positive factor in holistic review.
  • 3Bursar & Financial Aid: Train staff on the specific prohibition of awarding TEXAS Grants or other state aid to this specific cohort, despite their resident tuition status.

Estimated Cost Impact

mediumModerate costs expected for implementation.

Enforcing Agencies

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HB5646
Relating to admission of and resident tuition rates and fees at public institutions of higher education for certain students in military-related progr...
Critical Urgency
Passed with Opposition
House Vote147 - 0
YEA
100% in favor147 voting
Senate Vote30 - 1
YEA
97% in favor31 voting
1
Total Opposition Votes
Cost Impact
Medium
Effective
2025-06-20
Enforcing Agencies
Public Institutions of Higher Ed...THECB
Primary Author: Rep. Terry Wilson
89th Texas Legislature
jdkey.com
01

Compliance Analysis

Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation

Implementation Timeline

  • Effective Date: June 20, 2025 (Immediately).
  • Compliance Deadline: Fall 2025 Billing Cycle. Billing systems must be updated prior to generating Fall statements (typically July 2025).
  • Agency Rulemaking: The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) is expected to issue reporting guidelines. However, the tuition rate mandate is self-executing; institutions cannot wait for agency rules to adjust billing tables.

Immediate Action Plan

  • Immediate: Instruct IT and Bursar offices to create a new student attribute code: "Military Waiver – Resident Rate / No State Aid."
  • By July 1: Update the Fall 2025 billing tables to apply the resident rate to this new code.
  • By July 15: Establish a roster verification process with local ROTC/Corps commanders to confirm student eligibility before bills are finalized.
  • By August 1: Update admissions scoring rubrics for future terms to formally weight military intent.

Operational Changes Required

Contracts

  • SIS Vendor Agreements: Review contracts with SIS providers (e.g., Ellucian, Oracle, Workday). If your current configuration automatically links "Resident Tuition" to "State Grant Eligibility," you must execute a Statement of Work (SOW) immediately to patch this logic.
  • Cross-Town MOUs: Update Memoranda of Understanding with partner institutions for cross-town ROTC students to clarify which institution applies the waiver and verifies "good standing."

Hiring/Training

  • Admissions Staff: Train admissions officers on the new statutory requirement to consider "intent to enlist" or "intent to join Corps" as a positive factor in holistic review.
  • Bursar & Financial Aid: Train staff on the specific prohibition of awarding TEXAS Grants or other state aid to this specific cohort, despite their resident tuition status.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

  • "Good Standing" Verification: Establish a formal data exchange workflow between the Registrar and military detachment commanders to verify student status prior to the Census Date.
  • Admissions Audit Trail: Modify admissions applications to include a checkbox or affidavit for "intent to enlist." Retain this documentation to justify admissions decisions in the event of an audit or challenge.

Fees & Costs

  • Revenue Reduction: Institutions must absorb the differential between non-resident and resident tuition for this cohort.
  • System Reconfiguration: Budget for potential rush fees from software vendors to modify billing logic before the Fall semester begins.

Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations

  • Definition of "Good Standing": The statute does not define the specific date on which "good standing" in ROTC is measured.
  • *Risk:* If a student drops ROTC after the Census Date, the law is unclear on whether tuition should be retroactively adjusted.
  • *Guidance:* Define eligibility based on the Census Date in your internal policy to avoid mid-semester billing disputes.
  • Verification of "Intent": The law requires admissions consideration for "intent" to enlist but provides no standard of proof.
  • *Risk:* Verbal assertions are insufficient for audit purposes.
  • *Guidance:* Require written declarations to create a defensible paper trail.

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Information presented is for general knowledge only and is provided without warranty, express or implied. Consult qualified government affairs professionals and legal counsel before making compliance decisions.

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Legislative Timeline

This bill's path through the Texas Legislature

Filed
Mar 14, 2025
Passed House
May 8, 2025
Passed Senate
May 28, 2025
Signed
Jun 20, 2025
Effective
Jun 20, 2025
TopicsEducationEducation--higherEducation--higher--tuitionMilitary & VeteransEducation--higher--student Fees
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House Authors

Rep. Terry WilsonRepublican · Primary Author

Senate Sponsors

Sen. Bob HallRepublican · Primary Sponsor
Cosponsors (4)

Bill Text(with markup)

View bill text in multiple formats on Texas Legislature website

Fiscal NoteView Original

Related Legislation

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More from Rep. Terry Wilson

View all bills by Rep. Terry Wilson

Related by Topic

View more Education legislation
Quick Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about HB5646

Q

What does Texas HB5646 do?

HB5646 mandates that public universities immediately charge Texas resident tuition rates to non-resident students enrolled in ROTC or Corps of Cadets programs for the Fall 2025 semester, while explicitly disqualifying these students from state financial aid. This legislation forces a decoupling of "tuition residency" from "financial aid residency" in Student Information Systems (SIS), creating an immediate risk of billing errors and audit findings if not addressed before July billing cycles.

Q

Who authored HB5646?

HB5646 was authored by Texas Representative Terry Wilson during the Regular Session.

Q

When was HB5646 signed into law?

HB5646 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025.

Q

Which agencies enforce HB5646?

HB5646 is enforced by Public Institutions of Higher Education (Admissions and Bursar Offices) and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB).

Q

How significant are the changes in HB5646?

The regulatory priority for HB5646 is rated as "critical". Businesses and organizations should review the legislation to understand potential impacts.

Q

What is the cost impact of HB5646?

The cost impact of HB5646 is estimated as "medium". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.

Q

What topics does HB5646 address?

HB5646 addresses topics including education, education--higher, education--higher--tuition, military & veterans and education--higher--student fees.

Q

What are the key dates for HB5646?

Key dates for HB5646: Effective date is 2025-06-20. Consult with legal counsel regarding applicability.

Need Strategic Guidance on This Legislation?

JD Key Consulting is an Austin, Texas-based government affairs firm led by James Dickey, former Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas. We specialize in Texas regulatory compliance and legislative strategy for data centers, energy, banking, and manufacturing.

Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: January 11, 2026