AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
As proposed, S.B. 1730 amends current law relating to requiring the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to create a tool to allow prospective students to compare institutions of higher education by certain criteria.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, as follows:
Sec. 61.09021. COMPARISON TOOL. (a) Requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) to make available to the public on the THECB's Internet website a search tool that allows a person to compare institutions of higher education that meet certain criteria selected by the person, including offering a particular major or program of study.
(b) Requires the comparison tool required under this section to:
(1) be accessible from THECB'ss Internet website home page by use of not more than three links;
(2) allow a user to identify institutions according to:
(A) major field or program of study;
(B) high school class rank; and
(C) a score on a generally recognized test or assessment used in college and university undergraduate admissions, including the Scholastic Assessment Test and the American College Test; and
(3) be accessible to the public without requiring registration or use of a user name, password, or other user identification.
(c) Requires the comparison tool required under this section to generate a comparison chart in a grid format that:
(1) lists the institutions of higher education that match a user's search criteria; and
(2) provides the following information for each institution listed:
(A) the average annual cost of tuition and fees for an undergraduate student enrolled for 12 semester credit hours per semester;
(B) the percentage of applicants with similar high school class rank accepted in the freshman class for the most recent academic year for which the information is available;
(C) the percentage of applicants with similar scores on a generally recognized test or assessment used in undergraduate admissions accepted in the freshman class for the most recent academic year for which the information is available;
(D) the four-year and six-year graduation rates of full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students with a similar high school class rank and score on a generally recognized test or assessment used in undergraduate admissions for the institution as a whole, and the major or program selected for comparison;
(E) the average starting salary in the state for graduates of the major or program selected for comparison; and
(F) a link to the institution's online resume.
(d) Requires the Internet page displaying the comparison chart to include a link to the Internet website of the Texas Workforce Commission.
(e) Requires each institution of higher education to provide to THECB the data required under Subsection (c) not later than October 1 of each year. Requries THECB to update the comparison tool as soon as practicable after receiving data from each institution.
SECTION 2. (a) Requires each institution of higher education to provide the categories of data to be included in the comparison search tool required by Section 61.09021, Education Code, as added by this Act, to THECB beginning with the 2011-2012 academic year.
(b) Requires THECB, not later than September 1, 2012, to create and post on THECB's Internet website the comparison tool required by Section 61.09021, Education Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2011.