BILL ANALYSIS

S.B. 1543

By: Perry

Higher Education

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Current law requires an institution of higher education to treat an applicant for admission to the institution as an undergraduate student who presents evidence that the person has successfully completed a nontraditional secondary education according to the same general standards as other applicants for undergraduate admission who have graduated from a public high school. Interested parties note that, due to a lack of clarity in the law with regard to class rank, some institutions of higher education have assigned nontraditional students a default class rank below 50 percent, which results in otherwise qualified students being held to much higher test score requirements than peers who have graduated from a traditional high school. S.B. 1543 aims to clarify the intent of the law as it relates to the admission of undergraduate students with nontraditional secondary education to public institutions of higher education.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

S.B. 1543 amends the Education Code to include specific standardized testing score requirements among the general standards according to which a public institution of higher education must treat an applicant for admission to the institution as an undergraduate student who presents evidence of completion of a nontraditional secondary education. The bill requires an institution of higher education that sorts applicants by high school graduating class rank in its undergraduate admission review process to place any applicant who presents evidence of having successfully completed a nontraditional secondary education that does not include a high school graduating class ranking at the average high school graduating class rank of undergraduate applicants to the institution who have equivalent standardized testing scores as the applicant. The bill's provisions apply beginning with admissions to a public institution of higher education for the 2016 fall semester.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2015.