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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to requiring the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
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to create a tool to allow prospective students to compare |
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institutions of higher education by certain criteria. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 61.09021 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 61.09021. COMPARISON TOOL. (a) The board shall make |
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available to the public on the board's Internet website a search |
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tool that allows a person to compare institutions of higher |
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education that meet certain criteria selected by the person, |
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including offering a particular major or program of study. |
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(b) The comparison tool required under this section must: |
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(1) be accessible from the board's Internet website |
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home page by use of not more than three links; |
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(2) allow a user to identify institutions according |
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to: |
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(A) major field or program of study; |
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(B) high school class rank; and |
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(C) a score on a generally recognized test or |
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assessment used in college and university undergraduate |
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admissions, including the Scholastic Assessment Test and the |
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American College Test; and |
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(3) be accessible to the public without requiring |
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registration or use of a user name, password, or other user |
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identification. |
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(c) The comparison tool required under this section must |
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generate a comparison chart in a grid format that: |
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(1) lists the institutions of higher education that |
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match a user's search criteria; and |
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(2) provides the following information for each |
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institution listed: |
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(A) the average annual cost of tuition and fees |
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for an undergraduate student enrolled for 12 semester credit hours |
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per semester; |
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(B) the percentage of applicants with similar |
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high school class rank accepted in the freshman class for the most |
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recent academic year for which the information is available; |
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(C) the percentage of applicants with similar |
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scores on a generally recognized test or assessment used in |
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undergraduate admissions accepted in the freshman class for the |
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most recent academic year for which the information is available; |
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(D) the four-year and six-year graduation rates |
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of full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students with a similar |
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high school class rank and score on a generally recognized test or |
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assessment used in undergraduate admissions for: |
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(i) the institution as a whole; and |
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(ii) the major or program selected for |
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comparison; |
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(E) the average starting salary in the state for |
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graduates of the major or program selected for comparison; and |
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(F) a link to the institution's online resume. |
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(d) The Internet page displaying the comparison chart must |
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include a link to the Internet website of the Texas Workforce |
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Commission. |
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(e) Each institution of higher education shall provide to |
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the board the data required under Subsection (c) not later than |
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October 1 of each year. The board shall update the comparison tool |
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as soon as practicable after receiving data from each institution. |
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SECTION 2. (a) Each institution of higher education shall |
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provide the categories of data to be included in the comparison |
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search tool required by Section 61.09021, Education Code, as added |
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by this Act, to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
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beginning with the 2011-2012 academic year. |
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(b) Not later than September 1, 2012, the Texas Higher |
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Education Coordinating Board shall create and post on the board's |
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Internet website the comparison tool required by Section 61.09021, |
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Education Code, as added by this Act. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |