HB2186 - 541R - Senate Fact Sheet

Purpose

Establishes the Arizona high school graduate tuition rate (Arizona tuition rate) for graduating Arizona students who meet outlined requirements.

Background

The Arizona Constitution establishes the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) as the governing entity for Arizona's university system which consists of the Arizona State University (ASU), the Northern Arizona University (NAU) and the University of Arizona (UA) (Ariz. Const. art. 11 § 5). Statute provides and defines ABOR’s general authority relating to state universities. This includes fixing tuition rates and fees and differentiating between residents, nonresidents, undergraduate students, graduate students, students from foreign countries and students earning credit hours in excess of the credit hour threshold (A.R.S. § 15-1626).

FY 2019 Arizona University System Undergraduate Tuition
School	Resident Tuition	Non-Resident Tuition
ASU	$10,822	$28,336
NAU	$11,564	$25,828
UA	$12,447	$36,346

A community college is an educational institution that is operated by a community college district governing board (district board) and that provides a program not exceeding two years' training in the arts, sciences and humanities beyond the 12th grade of the public or private high school course of study or vocational education, including terminal courses of a technical and vocational nature and basic adult education courses (A.R.S. § 15-1401). District boards adopt policies and set standards for the establishment, development, administration, operation and accreditation of community colleges within the district. This includes fixing tuition rates for institutions and residents, nonresidents and students from foreign countries (A.R.S. § 15-1445).

FY 2019 Community College Tuition and Fees (30 hours per year, or 15 hours per semester)
District	Cost Per Credit Hour	Resident Annual Cost	Cost Per Credit Hour	Non-Resident Annual Cost
Cochise	$85	$2,550	$260	$7,800
Coconino	$109	$3,270	$381.50	$11,445
Gila	$80	$2,400	$370	$11,100
Graham	$90	$2,700	$380	$11,400
Maricopa	$85	$2,550	$326	$9,780
Mohave	$81	$2,430	$283.50	$8,505
Navajo	$74	$2,220	$355	$10,650
Pima	$83	$2,490	$304	$9,120
Pinal	$86	$2,580	$370	$11,100
Santa Cruz	$83	$2,490	$304	$9,120
Yavapai	$87	$2,610	$366	$10,980
Yuma/La Paz	$84	$2,520	$317	$9,510

Currently, state or local public benefit is defined as any retirement, welfare, health, disability, public or assisted housing, postsecondary education, food assistance, unemployment benefit or any other similar benefit for which payments or assistance are provided to an individual, household or family eligibility unit by an agency of a state or local government or by appropriated funds of a state or local government (8 U.S.C. § 1621).

There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.

Provisions

1. Requires ABOR and each district board to establish the Arizona tuition rate for an individual who applies for admission to an Arizona university or community college after graduating from an Arizona public, private, charter or home school.

2. Delegates to ABOR and district boards the authority to prescribe tuition rates and requires ABOR and district boards to:

a) verify that the individual's high school diploma meets the outlined requirements; and

b) treat all diplomas in the same manner.

3. Excludes postsecondary education from the definition of a state or local public benefit as prescribed.

4. Makes technical changes.

5. Becomes effective on the general effective date.