LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD Austin, Texas FISCAL NOTE, 77th Regular Session March 27, 2001 TO: Honorable Irma Rangel, Chair, House Committee on Higher Education FROM: John Keel, Director, Legislative Budget Board IN RE: HB47 by McClendon (Relating to the automatic admission of certain undergraduate transfer students.), Committee Report 1st House, Substituted ************************************************************************** * Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for * * HB47, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: positive impact of * * $0 through the biennium ending August 31, 2003. * * * * The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal * * basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of * * the bill. * ************************************************************************** The bill grants automatic admission to general academic teaching institutions to students who complete community college degree or certificate programs with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher. The committee substitute adds the provision that admission to a specific institution is contingent upon the institution having space available for the admission of additional students. Also the automatic admission to the institution does not include automatic admission to a particular school or program. The effective date would be for admission of students to the 2002 fall semester. General Revenue-Related Funds, Five-Year Impact: **************************************************** * Fiscal Year Probable Net Positive/(Negative) * * Impact to General Revenue Related * * Funds * * 2002 $0 * * 2003 0 * * 2004 1,167,072 * * 2005 2,344,144 * * 2006 2,344,144 * **************************************************** All Funds, Five-Year Impact: ***************************************************** * Fiscal Year Probable Savings/(Cost) from * * General Revenue Fund * * 0001 * * 2002 $0 * * 2003 0 * * 2004 1,167,072 * * 2005 2,344,144 * * 2006 2,344,144 * ***************************************************** Fiscal Analysis This bill grants automatic admission to general academic teaching institutions (universities) to students who complete community college or technical institute degree or certificate programs with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. The effective date would be for admission of students to the 2002 fall semester or fiscal year 2003. Methodology The Coordinating Board assumes that five percent of new students or 2,157 who currently enroll in universities would choose to instead enroll in community colleges to take advantage of this program. Since formula funding is based on historical enrollment, any savings would not be realized until fiscal year 2004. The savings to General Revenue of enrolling a student in a community college instead of a university is $541, resulting in an estimated savings of (2,157)x($541) = $1.17 million in fiscal year 2004 and $2.33 million in fiscal year 2005. It is assumed that the students who are admitted to universities under this provision would have attended other universities rather than start at a community or technical college. Therefore, the provision could effect the distribution of students among universities but would not result in additional enrollment or significant enrollment costs to the state. Due to capacity concerns, some universities may revise admission policies in order to accommodate the students admitted under this provision. Local Government Impact Local community college districts would incur costs related to increased enrollment in community colleges, but these would be offset by increases to tuition and state support. Source Agencies: 781 Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board LBB Staff: JK, CT, DB, HM