READMISSION OF STUDENT WHO WITHDRAWS TO PERFORM ACTIVE MILITARY SERVICE

(a) This section applies only to a student who withdraws from an institution of higher education to perform active military service as a member of the United States armed forces or the Texas National Guard, except that this section does not apply to a student who withdraws from an institution solely to perform one or more training exercises as a member of the Texas National Guard. (b) For any academic term that begins after the date a student described by Subsection (a) is released from active military service but not later than the first anniversary of that date, the institution of higher education from which the student withdrew shall readmit the student, without requiring reapplication or charging a fee for readmission, if the student is otherwise eligible to register for classes at the institution. On readmission of the student under this subsection, the institution shall: (1) provide to the student any financial assistance previously provided by the institution to the student before the student's withdrawal if the student meets current eligibility requirements for the assistance, other than any requirement directly affected by the student's service, such as continuous enrollment or another similar timing requirement; and (2) allow the student the same academic status that the student had before the student's withdrawal, including any course credit awarded to the student by the institution. (c) An institution of higher education may adopt rules requiring reasonable proof from a student of the fact and duration of the student's active military service.