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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to an informed student document for prospective students |
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of certain public institutions of higher education. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. The heading to Chapter 51A, Education Code, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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CHAPTER 51A. ONLINE INSTITUTION RESUMES AND INFORMED STUDENT |
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DOCUMENTS FOR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION |
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SECTION 2. Sections 51A.002, 51A.003, and 51A.004, |
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Education Code, are amended to read as follows: |
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Sec. 51A.002. POWERS AND DUTIES OF COORDINATING BOARD |
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RELATING TO INSTITUTION RESUMES AND INFORMED STUDENT DOCUMENTS; |
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GENERAL REQUIREMENTS [FOR INSTITUTION RESUMES]. (a) The |
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coordinating board, in consultation with each institution of higher |
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education to which this chapter applies, shall develop and maintain |
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online resumes and informed student documents, if applicable, for |
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each of those institutions. |
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(b) The coordinating board shall: |
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(1) request from each institution of higher education |
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to which this chapter applies any information the coordinating |
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board considers necessary for the coordinating board to include |
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information or calculate data required to be included in the |
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institution's resume or informed student document; |
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(2) establish for each institution of higher education |
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to which this chapter applies a list of representative in-state and |
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out-of-state peer institutions and maintain that list on the |
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coordinating board's Internet website; |
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(3) ensure that each of an institution of higher |
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education's online resumes and informed student documents, if |
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applicable: |
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(A) is available to the public on the |
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coordinating board's Internet website, in a one-page format if |
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possible, and is accessible through a link that appears on the first |
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frame of the coordinating board's Internet website home page in a |
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font that is larger than the font of the majority of the text on the |
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home page; |
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(B) uses enhanced, user-friendly search |
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capabilities to ensure that the information required to be included |
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in the resume or informed student document is easily accessible to |
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the persons for whom the resume or informed student document is |
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designed; and |
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(C) includes a clearly identifiable link to |
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information on the coordinating board's Internet website regarding |
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the coordinating board's higher education accountability system; |
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and |
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(4) ensure that the information provided in each |
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resume or informed student document is accurate and up to date and |
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includes the most recent data available for out-of-state peer |
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institutions. |
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(c) The coordinating board may modify, as the coordinating |
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board considers necessary, national data regarding an |
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institution's out-of-state peer institutions to ensure uniformity |
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in the comparison of that data to data regarding the institution for |
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which the resume or informed student document is created and the |
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institution's in-state peer institutions in a resume or informed |
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student document under this chapter. |
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(d) Except as provided by Section 51A.206(b), the [The] |
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coordinating board is not required to include in the resume or |
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informed student document any category of information that is |
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unavailable to the coordinating board. |
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(e) The data relating to student loans, grants, or |
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scholarships included by the coordinating board on an institution's |
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resume or informed student document under this chapter [subchapter] |
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must be the same as that published in regard to the institution by |
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the United States Department of Education on its "College |
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Navigator" website, or a successor or related website maintained by |
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the United States Department of Education. |
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Sec. 51A.003. DUTIES OF INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION |
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RELATING TO INSTITUTION RESUMES AND INFORMED STUDENT DOCUMENTS. |
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Each institution of higher education to which this chapter applies |
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shall: |
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(1) submit to the coordinating board any information |
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requested by the coordinating board as necessary for the |
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coordinating board to include information or calculate data |
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required to be included in the institution's resumes or informed |
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student documents, or both, as applicable; and |
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(2) ensure that the first frame of the institution's |
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Internet website home page includes, in a font that is larger than |
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the font of the majority of the text on the home page, an accessible |
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link to the institution's online resumes or informed student |
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documents, or both, as applicable, maintained on the coordinating |
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board's Internet website. |
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Sec. 51A.004. LINK TO FEDERAL STUDENT FINANCIAL AID |
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INFORMATION. An institution may satisfy a requirement of this |
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chapter relating to student loan, grant, or scholarship information |
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by linking the institution's online resume or informed student |
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documents, or both, as applicable [of the institution] to that |
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information as it appears on the website known as "College |
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Navigator," or a successor or related website, maintained by the |
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National Center for Education Statistics of the U.S. Department of |
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Education. |
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SECTION 3. Chapter 51A, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subchapter E to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER E. INFORMED STUDENT DOCUMENT FOR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER |
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EDUCATION OTHER THAN MEDICAL AND DENTAL UNITS |
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Sec. 51A.201. APPLICABILITY OF SUBCHAPTER. This subchapter |
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applies to each institution of higher education other than a |
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medical and dental unit. |
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Sec. 51A.202. INFORMED STUDENT DOCUMENT FOR PROSPECTIVE |
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STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS. (a) The coordinating board shall |
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maintain for each institution to which this subchapter applies an |
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informed student document that is designed for use by prospective |
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students of the institution and their parents. The document shall |
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be made available by the institution to the public, legislators, |
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and other interested policy makers in accordance with Subchapter A. |
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(b) The informed student document required by this section |
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must identify: |
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(1) the institutional grouping to which the |
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institution is assigned under the coordinating board's higher |
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education accountability system; and |
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(2) the institution's in-state and out-of-state peer |
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institutions. |
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(c) Information required to be included in the informed |
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student document regarding the institution's in-state or |
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out-of-state peer institutions must be listed in the form of the |
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average of that information for those institutions unless otherwise |
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prescribed by coordinating board rule. |
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(d) The informed student document must include the |
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information required by this subchapter relating to the institution |
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for the most recent state fiscal year for which the information is |
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available and compare that information to the same information for |
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the state fiscal year preceding the most recent state fiscal year |
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for which the information is available and the state fiscal year |
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preceding the most recent state fiscal year for which the |
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information is available by five years. |
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(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, |
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the coordinating board is not required to include in an |
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institution's informed student document any category of |
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information not applicable to the institution's institutional |
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grouping under the coordinating board's higher education |
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accountability system. |
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Sec. 51A.203. COST INFORMATION. An informed student |
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document must include under the heading "COSTS": |
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(1) the average annual total academic costs for a |
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resident undergraduate student enrolled in 30 semester credit |
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hours: |
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(A) at the institution; and |
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(B) at the institution's in-state and |
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out-of-state peer institutions; |
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(2) the average net annual total academic costs for a |
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resident undergraduate student enrolled in 30 semester credit |
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hours, excluding grants and scholarships: |
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(A) at the institution; and |
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(B) at the institution's in-state and |
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out-of-state peer institutions; and |
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(3) the average amount of student debt of a bachelor's |
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degree-seeking student at graduation: |
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(A) at the institution; and |
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(B) at the institution's in-state and |
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out-of-state peer institutions. |
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Sec. 51A.204. STUDENT SUCCESS INFORMATION. An informed |
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student document must include under the heading "STUDENT SUCCESS": |
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(1) the average Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) |
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score of graduating undergraduate students: |
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(A) at the institution; and |
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(B) at the institution's in-state and |
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out-of-state peer institutions; |
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(2) the four-year, five-year, and six-year graduation |
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rates of full-time bachelor's degree-seeking students: |
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(A) at the institution; and |
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(B) at the institution's in-state and |
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out-of-state peer institutions; and |
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(3) the average number of fall and spring semesters of |
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enrollment attempted by a student to obtain a bachelor's degree: |
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(A) at the institution; and |
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(B) at the institution's in-state peer |
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institutions. |
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Sec. 51A.205. ADMISSIONS INFORMATION. An informed student |
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document must include under the heading "ADMISSIONS": |
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(1) the middle 50 percent test score range of |
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first-time undergraduate students at the institution whose SAT |
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scores were in the 25th to 75th percentile of students' scores at |
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that institution; |
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(2) the middle 50 percent test score range of |
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first-time undergraduate students at the institution whose ACT |
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scores were in the 25th to 75th percentile of students' scores at |
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that institution; |
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(3) the percentage of the students who applied for |
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first-time undergraduate admission to the institution who were |
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offered admission to the institution; and |
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(4) the percentage of undergraduate students admitted |
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to the institution who graduated in the top 10 percent of the |
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student's high school graduating class. |
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Sec. 51A.206. INFORMATION REGARDING SUCCESS BY MAJOR. (a) |
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An informed student document must include under the heading |
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"STUDENT SUCCESS BY UNDERGRADUATE MAJOR" and listed alphabetically |
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by undergraduate major: |
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(1) the average Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) |
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score of graduating undergraduate students: |
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(A) at the institution; |
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(B) ranked against other university majors; and |
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(C) at the institution's in-state and |
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out-of-state peer institutions; |
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(2) the retention rate of first-time, full-time, |
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degree-seeking entering undergraduate students: |
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(A) enrolled in the institution after one |
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academic year and after two academic years; and |
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(B) enrolled in the institution's in-state peer |
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institutions after two academic years; |
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(3) the average starting salary for graduates of |
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undergraduate degree programs: |
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(A) of the institution; and |
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(B) of the institution's in-state and |
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out-of-state peer institutions; |
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(4) the unemployment rate for the following graduates |
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of the institution: |
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(A) those who graduated from undergraduate |
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degree programs during one of the three years immediately preceding |
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the year covered by the document; |
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(B) those who graduated from undergraduate |
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degree programs before the time period described by Paragraph (A); |
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and |
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(C) those awarded a graduate degree by the |
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institution; and |
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(5) the average, median, 25th percentile, and 75th |
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percentile earnings for the following graduates of the institution: |
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(A) those who graduated from undergraduate |
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degree programs during the three-year period preceding the year |
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covered by the document; |
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(B) those who graduated from undergraduate |
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degree programs before the time period described by Paragraph (A); |
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and |
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(C) those awarded a graduate degree by the |
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institution. |
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(b) If data required under this section for an institution |
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is not available to the coordinating board, the coordinating board |
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shall use comparable state or national data, whichever is |
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available, more reliable, and most current. |
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Sec. 51A.207. STUDENT READING OF DOCUMENT. Each institution |
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to which this subchapter applies shall require each applicant for |
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admission to the institution or the applicant's legal guardian to |
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verify by signature that the applicant has read the institution's |
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informed student document in its entirety as a prerequisite to the |
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applicant's enrollment in the institution. |
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SECTION 4. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board |
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shall create the informed student documents required by Subchapter |
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E, Chapter 51A, Education Code, as added by this Act, and provide |
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the documents on the board's Internet website not later than |
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February 1, 2014. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |