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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the automatic admission to general academic teaching |
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institutions and eligibility for certain scholarships of a student |
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who is the valedictorian of the student's high school graduating |
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class. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 51.803, Education Code, is amended by |
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adding Subsection (d-1) and amending Subsection (h) to read as |
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follows: |
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(d-1) In addition to admissions required under Subsection |
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(a), each general academic teaching institution shall admit an |
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applicant for admission to the institution as an undergraduate |
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student if the applicant graduated as the valedictorian 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 student is applying |
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for admission and satisfies the requirements of Subsections (a)(1) |
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through (3). Subsection (b) applies to an applicant for admission |
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under this subsection. |
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(h) An institution that admits under this section an |
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applicant qualified for automatic admission under Subsection (a) or |
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(d-1) may admit the applicant for either the fall semester of the |
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academic year for which the applicant applies or for the summer |
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session preceding that fall semester, as determined by the |
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institution. |
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SECTION 2. 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 in the top 10 percent or as |
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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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SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act to Section |
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51.803, Education Code, apply beginning with admissions to a |
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general academic teaching institution for the 2019-2020 academic |
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year. Admissions to a general academic teaching institution for an |
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academic year 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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SECTION 4. The change in law made by this Act to Section |
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56.484, Education Code, applies beginning with scholarships |
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awarded for the 2019-2020 academic year. Scholarships awarded for |
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an academic year before that academic year are governed by the law |
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in 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 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, 2019. |