81R1951 JRJ-D

By: Bonnen H.B. No. 152

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to providing for a student who qualifies for automatic admission to an institution of higher education to maintain that status for transferring between institutions in certain circumstances.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter U, Chapter 51, Education Code, is amended by adding Section 51.8035 to read as follows:

Sec. 51.8035. AUTOMATIC ADMISSION OF APPLICANTS COMPLETING CORE CURRICULUM AT ANOTHER INSTITUTION. (a) In this section:

(1) "Core curriculum" means the core curriculum adopted by an institution of higher education under Section 61.822.

(2) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning assigned by Section 61.003.

(b) A general academic teaching institution shall admit an applicant for admission to the institution as a transfer undergraduate student who:

(1) graduated from high school not earlier than the fourth school year before the academic year for which the applicant seeks admission and qualified for automatic admission to a general academic teaching institution under Section 51.803 at the time of graduation;

(2) first enrolled in an institution of higher education not earlier than the second academic year before the academic year for which the applicant seeks admission;

(3) completed the core curriculum at an institution of higher education, other than the institution to which the applicant seeks admission, with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.25 on a four-point scale or the equivalent; and

(4) submits an application for admission as a transfer student before the expiration of any application filing deadline established by the institution.

(c) For purposes of this section, transfer semester credit hours from a different institution of higher education and semester credit hours earned by examination shall be included in determining whether the person completed the core curriculum at an institution of higher education.

SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with admissions to a general academic teaching institution for the 2010 spring semester.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2009.