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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to repealing certain limitations on the automatic |
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admission of undergraduate students to general academic teaching |
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institutions. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. The following laws are repealed: |
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(1) Sections 51.803(a-1), (a-2), (a-3), (a-4), (a-5), |
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(a-6), (j), (k), and (l), Education Code; and |
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(2) Section 56.485, Education Code. |
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SECTION 2. Section 51.803(a), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) Each [Subject to Subsection (a-1), 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: |
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(1) the applicant graduated from a public or private |
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high school in this state accredited by a generally recognized |
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accrediting organization or from a high school operated by the |
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United States Department of Defense; |
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(2) the applicant: |
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(A) successfully completed: |
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(i) at a public high school, the curriculum |
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requirements established under Section 28.025 for the recommended |
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or advanced high school program; or |
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(ii) at a high school to which Section |
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28.025 does not apply, a curriculum that is equivalent in content |
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and rigor to the recommended or advanced high school program; or |
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(B) satisfied ACT's College Readiness Benchmarks |
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on the ACT assessment applicable to the applicant or earned on the |
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SAT assessment a score of at least 1,500 out of 2,400 or the |
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equivalent; and |
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(3) if the applicant graduated from a high school |
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operated by the United States Department of Defense, the applicant |
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is a Texas resident under Section 54.052 or is entitled to pay |
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tuition fees at the rate provided for Texas residents under Section |
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54.241(d) [54.058(d)] for the term or semester to which admitted. |
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SECTION 3. Section 56.484, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 56.484. INITIAL ELIGIBILITY FOR SCHOLARSHIP. To be |
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eligible for a scholarship under this subchapter, a student must: |
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(1) have graduated from a public or accredited private |
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high school in this state while ranked in the top 10 percent of the |
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student's graduating class, subject to Section 56.487(b); |
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(2) have completed the recommended or advanced high |
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school curriculum established under Section 28.025 or its |
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equivalent; |
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(3) have applied for admission as a first-time |
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freshman student for the 2010-2011 academic year or a subsequent |
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academic year to an institution of higher education [that has
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elected to offer admissions for that academic year to applicants as
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provided by Section 51.803(a-1)]; |
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(4) enroll as a first-time freshman student in an |
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institution of higher education not later than the 16th month after |
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the date of the student's high school graduation; |
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(5) have been awarded a TEXAS grant under Subchapter M |
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for the same semester or other academic term for which the |
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scholarship will be awarded; |
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(6) be a Texas resident under Section 54.052; and |
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(7) comply with any other eligibility requirements |
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established by coordinating board rule. |
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SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act to Section |
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51.803, Education Code, apply beginning with admissions to general |
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academic teaching institutions for the 2014-2015 academic year. |
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Admissions to a general academic teaching institution before that |
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academic year are governed by the law in effect before the effective |
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date of this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that |
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purpose. |
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SECTION 5. The changes in law made by this Act to Subchapter |
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R, Chapter 56, Education Code, apply beginning with scholarships |
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awarded under that subchapter for the 2014-2015 academic year. |
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Scholarships awarded for an academic period before that academic |
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year are governed by the law in effect before the effective date of |
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this Act, and the former law is continued in effect for that |
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purpose. |
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SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |