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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to measures to support the enrollment of students with a |
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nontraditional secondary education at public institutions of |
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higher education, including eligibility for certain student |
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financial assistance programs. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 51.9241, Education Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (d) and adding Subsection (e) to read as |
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follows: |
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(d) If an institution of higher education in its |
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undergraduate admission review process sorts applicants by high |
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school graduating class rank, the institution shall assign a class |
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rank to [place] any applicant who presents evidence that the |
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applicant has successfully completed a nontraditional secondary |
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education that does not include a high school graduating class |
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ranking by: |
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(1) calculating for each class rank of other |
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applicants to the institution the median score on each college |
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entrance examination the institution considers in admissions; and |
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(2) assigning to the applicant the highest class rank |
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for which the applicant's score on a college entrance examination |
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the institution considers in admissions is at least equal to the |
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median score for that class rank calculated under Subdivision (1) |
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[at the average high school graduating class rank of undergraduate |
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applicants to the institution who have equivalent standardized |
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testing scores as the applicant]. |
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(e) An institution of higher education to which Subsection |
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(d) applies shall post on the institution's Internet website the |
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median score on each college entrance examination the institution |
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considers in admissions calculated for each class rank under |
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Subsection (d)(1) for the preceding admissions cycle. |
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SECTION 2. Section 56.013, Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 56.013. INFORMATION REGARDING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE |
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FUNDED FROM DESIGNATED TUITION. The Texas Higher Education |
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Coordinating Board shall post on the coordinating board's Internet |
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website and disseminate to each public or accredited private high |
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school in this state information regarding the financial assistance |
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available under this subchapter and shall include information |
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designed to educate high school students and the parents of those |
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students on available opportunities and required preparation with |
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respect to institutions of higher education. The coordinating |
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board shall recommend a method of delivery of the information to |
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parents and students under this section. |
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SECTION 3. Section 56.304(a), Education Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) To be eligible initially for a TEXAS grant, a person who |
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graduated from high school before May 1, 2013, must: |
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(1) be a resident of this state as determined by |
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coordinating board rules; |
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(2) meet either of the following academic |
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requirements: |
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(A) be a graduate of a public or accredited |
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private high school, or a graduate who presents evidence of |
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successful completion of a nontraditional secondary education, as |
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defined by Section 51.9241, in this state who graduated not earlier |
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than the 1998-1999 school year and who completed the recommended or |
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advanced high school curriculum established under Section 28.002 or |
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28.025 or its equivalent; or |
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(B) have received an associate degree from a |
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public or private institution of higher education not earlier than |
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May 1, 2001; |
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(3) meet financial need requirements as defined by the |
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coordinating board; |
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(4) be enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program at |
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an eligible institution; |
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(5) be enrolled as: |
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(A) an entering undergraduate student for at |
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least three-fourths of a full course load for an entering |
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undergraduate student, as determined by the coordinating board, not |
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later than the 16th month after the date of the person's graduation |
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from high school; or |
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(B) an entering student for at least |
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three-fourths of a full course load for an undergraduate student as |
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determined by the coordinating board, not later than the 12th month |
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after the month the person receives an associate degree from a |
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public or private institution of higher education; |
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(6) have applied for any available financial aid or |
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assistance; and |
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(7) comply with any additional nonacademic |
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requirement adopted by the coordinating board under this |
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subchapter. |
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SECTION 4. Section 56.3041(a), Education Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) To be eligible initially for a TEXAS grant, a person |
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graduating from high school on or after May 1, 2013, and enrolling |
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in an eligible institution must: |
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(1) be a resident of this state as determined by |
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coordinating board rules; |
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(2) meet the academic requirements prescribed by |
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Paragraph (A), (B), (C), or (D) as follows: |
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(A) be a graduate of a public or accredited |
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private high school, or a graduate who presents evidence of |
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successful completion of a nontraditional secondary education, as |
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defined by Section 51.9241, in this state who completed the |
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foundation high school program established under Section 28.025 or |
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its equivalent and have accomplished any two or more of the |
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following: |
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(i) successful completion of the course |
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requirements of the international baccalaureate diploma program or |
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earning of the equivalent of at least 12 semester credit hours of |
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college credit in high school through courses described in Sections |
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28.009(a)(1), (2), and (3); |
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(ii) satisfaction of the Texas Success |
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Initiative (TSI) college readiness benchmarks prescribed by the |
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coordinating board under Section 51.334 on any assessment |
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instrument designated by the coordinating board under that section |
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or qualification for an exemption as described by Section |
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51.338(b), (c), or (d); |
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(iii) graduation in the top one-third of |
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the person's high school graduating class or graduation from high |
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school with a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a four-point |
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scale or the equivalent; or |
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(iv) completion for high school credit of |
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at least one advanced mathematics course following the successful |
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completion of an Algebra II course or at least one advanced career |
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and technical or technology applications course; |
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(B) have received an associate degree from a |
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public or private institution of higher education; |
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(C) be an undergraduate student who has: |
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(i) previously attended another |
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institution of higher education; |
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(ii) received an initial Texas Educational |
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Opportunity Grant under Subchapter P for the 2014 fall semester or a |
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subsequent academic term; |
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(iii) completed at least 24 semester credit |
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hours at any institution or institutions of higher education; and |
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(iv) earned an overall grade point average |
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of at least 2.5 on a four-point scale or the equivalent on all |
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course work previously attempted; or |
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(D) if sufficient money is available, meet the |
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eligibility criteria described by Section 56.304(a)(2)(A); |
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(3) meet financial need requirements established by |
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the coordinating board; |
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(4) be enrolled in an undergraduate degree or |
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certificate program at an eligible institution; |
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(5) except as provided under rules adopted under |
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Section 56.304(h), be enrolled as: |
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(A) an entering undergraduate student for at |
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least three-fourths of a full course load, as determined by the |
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coordinating board, not later than the 16th month after the |
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calendar month in which the person graduated from high school; |
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(B) an entering undergraduate student who |
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entered military service not later than the first anniversary of |
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the date the person graduated from high school and who enrolled for |
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at least three-fourths of a full course load, as determined by the |
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coordinating board, at the eligible institution not later than 12 |
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months after being honorably discharged from military service; |
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(C) a continuing undergraduate student for at |
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least three-fourths of a full course load, as determined by the |
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coordinating board, not later than the 12th month after the |
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calendar month in which the person received an associate degree |
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from a public or private institution of higher education; or |
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(D) an undergraduate student described by |
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Subdivision (2)(C) who has never previously received a TEXAS grant; |
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(6) have applied for any available financial aid or |
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assistance; and |
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(7) comply with any additional nonacademic |
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requirements adopted by the coordinating board under this |
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subchapter. |
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SECTION 5. Sections 56.308(a) and (d), Education Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The coordinating board shall post on the coordinating |
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board's Internet website and distribute to each eligible |
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institution and to each school district a copy of the rules adopted |
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under this subchapter. |
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(d) In addition to the eligibility requirements of Section |
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56.304, a person who graduated from an accredited private high |
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school or who presents evidence of successful completion of a |
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nontraditional secondary education, as defined by Section 51.9241, |
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is eligible to receive a grant under this subchapter only if the |
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student's official transcript or diploma includes the information |
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required as provided by Subsections (b)(2)(A) and (c). |
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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. (a) To |
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be eligible for a scholarship under this subchapter, a student |
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must: |
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(1) have graduated from a public or accredited private |
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high school, or be a graduate who presents evidence of successful |
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completion of a nontraditional secondary education, as defined by |
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Section 51.9241, in this state while ranked in the top 10 percent or |
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as the valedictorian of the student's graduating class, subject to |
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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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(b) For purposes of Subsection (a)(1), the class rank of a |
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student who presents evidence of successful completion of a |
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nontraditional secondary education shall be calculated in the |
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manner provided by Section 51.9241(d)(1). |
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SECTION 7. The changes in law made by this Act to Section |
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51.9241, Education Code, apply beginning with admissions to a |
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public institution of higher education for the 2026 fall semester. |
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Admissions to a public institution of higher education for a term or |
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semester before the 2026 fall semester 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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SECTION 8. The changes in law made by this Act to Chapter |
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56, Education Code, apply beginning with student financial |
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assistance awarded by a public institution of higher education for |
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the 2026 fall semester. Student financial assistance awarded by a |
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public institution of higher education for a term or semester |
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before the 2026 fall semester is governed by the law in effect |
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immediately before the effective date of this Act, and the former |
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law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 9. 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, 2025. |