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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the automatic admission of students to general academic |
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teaching institutions. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 51.803(a), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) Subject to Subsection (a-1), each general academic |
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teaching institution shall admit an applicant for admission to the |
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institution as an undergraduate student if the applicant graduated |
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with a grade point average in the top eight [10] percent of the |
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student's high school graduating class in one of the two school |
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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 |
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distinguished level of achievement under the foundation high school |
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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 distinguished level of achievement under the |
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foundation 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) for the term or semester to which admitted. |
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SECTION 2. Section 28.02121(a), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) The agency, in consultation with the Texas Workforce |
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Commission and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, shall |
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prepare and make available to each school district in English and |
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Spanish information that explains the advantages of the |
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distinguished level of achievement described by Section |
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28.025(b-15) and each endorsement described by Section |
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28.025(c-1). The information must contain an explanation: |
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(1) concerning the benefits of choosing a high school |
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personal graduation plan that includes the distinguished level of |
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achievement under the foundation high school program and includes |
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one or more endorsements to enable the student to achieve a class |
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rank that qualifies the student for automatic admission under |
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Section 51.803(a) [in the top 10 percent for students at the
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campus]; and |
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(2) that encourages parents, to the greatest extent |
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practicable, to have the student choose a high school personal |
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graduation plan described by Subdivision (1). |
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SECTION 3. Section 28.026(a), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) The board of trustees of a school district and the |
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governing body of each open-enrollment charter school that provides |
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a high school shall require each high school in the district or |
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provided by the charter school, as applicable, to post appropriate |
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signs in each school counselor's office, in each principal's |
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office, and in each administrative building indicating the |
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substance of Section 51.803 regarding automatic college admission |
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and stating the curriculum requirements for financial aid |
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authorized under Title 3. To assist in the dissemination of that |
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information, the district or charter school shall: |
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(1) require that each school counselor and class |
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advisor at a high school be provided a detailed explanation of the |
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substance of Section 51.803 and the curriculum requirements for |
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financial aid authorized under Title 3; |
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(2) provide each district or school student, at the |
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time the student first registers for one or more classes required |
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for high school graduation, with a written notification, including |
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a detailed explanation in plain language, of the substance of |
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Section 51.803, the curriculum requirements for financial aid |
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authorized under Title 3, and the benefits of completing the |
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requirements for that automatic admission and financial aid; |
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(3) require that each school counselor and senior |
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class advisor at a high school explain to eligible students the |
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substance of Section 51.803; and |
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(4) not later than the 14th day after the last day of |
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classes for the fall semester or an equivalent date in the case of a |
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school operated on a year-round system under Section 25.084, |
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provide each senior student eligible under Section 51.803 and each |
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student enrolled in the junior year of high school who has a grade |
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point average that would qualify the student for automatic |
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admission under Section 51.803(a) [in the top 10 percent of the
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student's high school class], and the student's parent or guardian, |
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with a written notification of the student's eligibility with a |
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detailed explanation in plain language of the substance of Section |
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51.803. |
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SECTION 4. The heading to Subchapter R, Chapter 56, |
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Education Code, is amended to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER R. SCHOLARSHIPS FOR STUDENTS GRADUATING IN TOP EIGHT |
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[10] PERCENT OF HIGH SCHOOL CLASS |
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SECTION 5. Section 56.481, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 56.481. PURPOSE. The purpose of this program is to |
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encourage attendance at public institutions of higher education in |
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this state by outstanding high school students in the top eight [10] |
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percent of their graduating class. |
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SECTION 6. 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: |
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(A) in the top 10 percent of the student's |
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graduating class, if the student graduated in a school year before |
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the 2015-2016 school year, subject to Section 56.487(b); or |
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(B) in the top eight percent of the student's |
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graduating class, if the student graduated in the 2015-2016 school |
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year or a subsequent school year, 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 an [the 2010-2011] academic year [or a
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subsequent academic year] to an institution of higher education |
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that has elected to offer admissions for that academic year to |
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applicants as 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 7. Section 61.0902(b), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b) Not later than the next November 1 following the |
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completion of an academic year, each general academic teaching |
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institution shall provide to the board one or more reports |
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containing data related to: |
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(1) the qualifications of the entering freshman class |
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for the academic year covered by the report, including: |
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(A) the average Texas Academic Skills Program |
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Test scores of the class; |
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(B) the average scores of the class on each |
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generally recognized test or assessment used in college and |
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university undergraduate admissions, including the Scholastic |
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Assessment Test and the American College Test; |
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(C) the range of scores of the class from the 25th |
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to the 75th percentile on each 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; |
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(D) the overall grade point average of the class |
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for the academic year covered by the report; |
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(E) the number of students in the class who |
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graduated from [in the top 10 percent of the student's] high school |
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with a grade point average that would qualify the student for |
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automatic admission under Section 51.803(a) [graduating class]; |
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and |
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(F) enrollment percentages by ethnicity; and |
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(2) student performance and institution efficiency, |
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including: |
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(A) the retention rate of full-time students |
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after the completion of one academic year at the institution; |
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(B) the percentage of full-time degree-seeking |
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undergraduate students who earn a baccalaureate degree before the |
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sixth anniversary of the date of the student's first enrollment at |
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the institution; |
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(C) the percentage of lower-division semester |
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credit hours taught by tenured or tenure-track faculty; |
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(D) the percentage of undergraduate classes with |
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fewer than 20 students; |
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(E) the percentage of undergraduate classes with |
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more than 50 students; |
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(F) the student-to-faculty ratio for |
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undergraduate students; |
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(G) the percentage of students receiving |
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financial aid; |
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(H) the average cost of tuition and fees for an |
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undergraduate student enrolled for 12 semester credit hours; |
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(I) the average cost of on-campus room and board |
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for an academic year, excluding summer sessions; |
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(J) the number of disciplines in which master's |
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degrees are offered; |
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(K) the number of disciplines in which doctoral |
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degrees are offered; |
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(L) a description of any departments, schools, or |
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certificate or degree programs of the institution that have a |
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statewide or national reputation for excellence; and |
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(M) statistics regarding job placement rates for |
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students awarded certificates or degrees by the institution. |
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SECTION 8. (a) The change in law made by this Act to Section |
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51.803(a), Education Code, applies beginning with admission to a |
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general academic teaching institution for the 2016-2017 academic |
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year, except as provided by Subsection (b) of this section. |
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Admissions to a general academic teaching institution for an |
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academic period before that academic year are governed by the law in |
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effect immediately before the effective date of this Act, and the |
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former law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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(b) For purposes of admissions to a general academic |
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teaching institution for the 2016-2017 academic year, Section |
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51.803(a), as that section existed on January 1, 2015, applies to an |
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applicant for admission who graduated from high school in the |
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2014-2015 school year. |
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SECTION 9. The changes in law made by this Act to Sections |
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28.02121(a) and 28.026(a), Education Code, apply beginning with the |
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2015-2016 school year. |
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SECTION 10. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of |
|
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this section, this Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |
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(b) Section 7 of this Act takes effect January 1, 2016. |