Honorable Royce West, Chair, Senate Committee on S/C on Higher Education
FROM:
John S. O'Brien, Deputy Director, Legislative Budget Board
IN RE:
SB502 by West, Royce (Relating to common undergraduate admission application forms for public institutions of higher education in this state.), As Introduced
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB502, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($175,806) through the biennium ending August 31, 2007.
Fiscal Year
Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds
2006
$0
2007
($175,806)
2008
($175,806)
2009
($175,806)
2010
($175,806)
Fiscal Year
Probable (Cost) from GENERAL REVENUE FUND 1
2006
$0
2007
($175,806)
2008
($175,806)
2009
($175,806)
2010
($175,806)
Fiscal Analysis
The bill would require the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to develop a common application form for use by a person seeking admission as a freshman to an institution of higher education. Previously, the common application form was only for general academic institutions and did not include community and technical colleges. The bill requires institutions of higher education to accept freshmen applications using this form beginning with applicants for admission for the 2007-2008 academic year.
Methodology
Since community college freshman enrollment is significantly higher than university freshmen enrollment (336,155 as compared to 94,789 in fall 2003), the Coordinating Board estimates that an additional 850,000 community college applications, 25,000 books, and 2,400 posters would have to be generated. The additional costs would be $85,392 for the paper applications, $31,180 for books, $950 for posters, $47,825 for distribution and postage and $10,488 for printer costs. Since the provisions of the bill require the forms to be used starting in 2007 there will be no cost for fiscal year 2006.
Local Government Impact
No fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.