TX SB165

Requires the Texas Education Agency and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to expand outreach programs informing students in grades 9-12 who are in foster care or were formerly in foster/residential care about tuition and fee exemptions at public colleges and universities

Mandates informational materials be provided to residential child-care facilities, foster parents, adoptive parents, relatives, designated caregivers, and all school districts, charter schools, and private schools serving grades 9 and above

Directs the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and Department of Family and Protective Services to jointly create a streamlined eligibility determination and application process for the tuition exemptions

Requires the streamlined process to include an online application system through the DFPS website and automatic submission of tuition waiver documentation to the student's chosen institution once eligibility is confirmed

Takes effect immediately if passed by two-thirds vote of both legislative chambers, otherwise takes effect September 1, 2025