Texas Register

TITLE 19 EDUCATION
PART 1TEXAS HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD
CHAPTER 5RULES APPLYING TO PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES AND/OR HEALTH-RELATED INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN TEXAS
SUBCHAPTER AGENERAL PROVISIONS
RULE §5.5Uniform Admission Policy
ISSUE 05/23/2003
ACTION Final/Adopted
Preamble Texas Admin Code Rule

(a)Each public university shall admit first-time freshmen students for each semester in accordance with Texas Education Code, §§51.801 - 51.809.

(b)All applicants from Texas schools accredited by a generally recognized accrediting agency and who graduate in the top 10 percent of their high school class shall be admitted to a general academic institution if the student meets the following conditions:

  (1)The student graduated from high school within the two years prior to the academic year for which the student is applying, and;

  (2)The student submitted a complete application as defined by the institution before the expiration of the institution's established deadline.

(c)All applicants from high schools operated by the United States Department of Defense and who graduate in the top 10 percent of their high school class shall be admitted to a general academic institution if the student meets the following conditions:

  (1)The student graduated from high school within the two years prior to the academic year for which the student is applying;

  (2)The student is a Texas resident as defined in Texas Education Code, §54.052 or is entitled to pay tuition and fees at the rate provided for Texas residents for the term or semester to which the student is admitted; and

  (3)The student submitted a complete application as defined by the institution before the expiration of the institution's established deadline.

(d)High school rank for students seeking automatic admission to a general academic teaching institution on the basis of their class rank is determined and reported as follows:

  (1)Class rank shall be based on the end of the 11th grade, middle of the 12th grade, or at high school graduation, whichever is most recent at the application deadline.

  (2)The top 10 percent of a high school class shall not contain more than 10 percent of the total class size.

  (3)The student's rank shall be reported by the applicant's high school or school district as a specific number out of a specific number total class size.

  (4)Class rank shall be determined by the school or school district from which the student graduated or is expected to graduate.

(e)A general academic teaching institution may limit the number of students admitted under this section if the number of applicants eligible and applying for admission to the institution under this section exceeds by more than 10 percent the average number of first-time freshmen admitted the previous two academic years. If an institution chooses to limit the number of students admitted under this section, it must ensure that:

  (1)At least 97 percent of first-time freshmen admitted are in the top 10 percent of their high school class and;

  (2)Clear guidelines are established for the selection of students based on one or a specified combination of the following methods:

    (A)A lottery in which all students qualified for automatic admission have an equal chance for selection;

    (B)Students are selected on a first-come, first-admitted basis following receipt of a complete application; or

    (C)At least four or more criteria identified in Texas Education Code, §51.805 are used to select students admitted.

(f)Each general academic teaching institution shall annually report to the Board the composition of the entering class of first-time freshmen students admitted under this section. The report shall include a demographic breakdown of the class including race, ethnicity, and economic status. Each general academic teaching institution shall provide this report to the Board annually on or before a date set by the Board.

This agency hereby certifies that the adoption has been reviewed by legal counsel and found to be a valid exercise of the agency's legal authority.

Filed with the Office of the Secretary of State on May 8, 2003

TRD-200302867

Jan Greenberg

General Counsel

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

Effective date: May 28, 2003

Proposal publication date: February 28, 2003

For further information, please call: (512) 427-6162



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