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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the automatic admission of undergraduate students to |
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general academic teaching institutions. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 51.803, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (c) and (d) to read |
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as follows: |
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(a) Subject to Subsections (c) and (d), each [Each] general |
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academic teaching institution shall admit an applicant for |
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admission to the institution as an undergraduate student if the |
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applicant graduated with a grade point average in the top 10 percent |
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of the student's high school graduating class in one of the two |
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school years preceding the academic year for which the applicant is |
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applying for admission and the applicant graduated from a public or |
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private high school in this state accredited by a generally |
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recognized accrediting organization or from a high school operated |
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by the United States Department of Defense. To qualify for |
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admission under this section, an applicant must submit an |
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application before the expiration of any application filing |
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deadline established by the institution and, if the applicant |
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graduated from a high school operated by the United States |
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Department of Defense, must be a Texas resident under Section |
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54.052 or be entitled to pay tuition fees at the rate provided for |
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Texas residents under Section 54.058(d) for the term or semester to |
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which admitted. |
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(c) A general academic teaching institution is not required |
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to admit under Subsection (a) more than 50 percent of the |
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institution's first-time resident undergraduate students in an |
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academic year. If the number of applicants who qualify for |
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automatic admission to a general academic teaching institution |
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under Subsection (a) exceeds that percentage of the institution's |
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enrollment capacity designated for first-time resident |
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undergraduate students, the institution shall, except as provided |
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by Subsection (d): |
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(1) offer admission to those applicants beginning with |
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those who completed the curriculum requirements established under |
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Section 28.025 for the recommended or advanced high school program |
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or an equivalent curriculum at a high school to which that section |
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does not apply; |
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(2) after offering admission to applicants under |
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Subdivision (1), offer admission to the remaining applicants by |
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percentile rank according to graduating class standing based on |
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grade point average, beginning with the top percentile rank, until |
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a sufficient number of applicants have accepted admission offers to |
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fill that percentage of the institution's enrollment capacity |
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designated for first-time resident undergraduate students, except |
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that the institution must offer admission to all applicants with |
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the same percentile rank; and |
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(3) after offering admission to applicants under |
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Subdivisions (1) and (2), consider any remaining applicants |
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qualified for automatic admission under Subsection (a) in the same |
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manner as other applicants for admission as first-time freshmen |
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students in accordance with Section 51.805. |
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(d) If the number of applicants qualified for admission |
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under Subsection (c)(1) exceeds the percentage of the institution's |
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enrollment capacity designated for first-time resident |
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undergraduate students specified by Subsection (c), the |
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institution shall offer admission to those applicants by percentile |
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rank according to graduating class standing based on grade point |
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average, beginning with the top percentile rank, until a sufficient |
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number of applicants have accepted admission offers to fill that |
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percentage, except that the institution must offer admission to all |
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applicants with the same percentile rank. The institution shall |
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consider any remaining applicants qualified for automatic |
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admission under Subsection (a), including remaining applicants |
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qualified for admission under Subsection (c)(1), in the same manner |
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as other applicants for admission as first-time freshmen students |
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in accordance with Section 51.805. |
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SECTION 2. Section 51.807, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 51.807. RULEMAKING. (a) The Texas Higher Education |
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Coordinating Board may adopt rules relating to the operation of |
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admissions programs under this subchapter, including rules |
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relating to the identification of eligible students [and the
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reporting requirements of Section 51.806]. |
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(b) The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board after |
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consulting with the Texas Education Agency by rule shall establish |
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standards for determining for purposes of this subchapter whether a |
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person completed a high school curriculum that is equivalent to the |
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curriculum established under Section 28.025 for the recommended or |
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advanced high school program. |
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SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies |
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beginning with admissions to institutions of higher education for |
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the 2008-2009 academic year. Admissions to an institution of |
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higher education before that academic year are covered by the law in |
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effect before the effective date of this Act, and the former law is |
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continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 4. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
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shall adopt rules as required by Section 51.807(b), Education Code, |
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as added by this Act, as soon as practicable after the effective |
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date of this Act. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |