HBA-CBW, BSM H.B. 286 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 286
By: King, Phil
Higher Education
3/18/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the admissions standards applied to unaccredited private school
and home school applicants by different institutions of higher education
differ from those used with accredited private and public school
applicants.  For example, at The University of Texas at Austin, applicants
from unaccredited private or home schools are required to show proficiency
in three Scholastic Aptitude Test-II (SAT) subject areas, provide a copy of
GED results, if available, and submit with the application a written
statement of education goals.  At the University of Houston, if a public
school student and an unaccredited private school student both rank in the
top quarter of their class and each score an 1100 on the SAT, the public
school student is considered for admission while the private school student
must score 80 points higher on the SAT to ensure consideration.  

The number of  Texas children in private and home schools  is growing
rapidly.  Texas is home to many well qualified applicants from unaccredited
schools, but many universities make additional demands beyond what is
expected from the applicants with an accredited private or public school
education background. House Bill 286 provides that institutions of higher
education must evaluate applicants with nontraditional education
backgrounds using the same standards as their traditionally  educated
counterparts, and maintains that students that have completed a
nontraditional secondary education program must be treated in accordance
with the same general standards as other applicants for undergraduate
admission. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does
not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state
officer, department, agency, or institution. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 286 amends the Education Code to provide that an institution of
higher education (institution) must  treat applicants who have received a
nontraditional secondary education fairly  and according to the same
general standards as applicants who have received a traditional secondary
education.  The bill prohibits an  institution from requiring an applicant
who  has submitted evidence showing completion of a nontraditional
secondary education to obtain or  submit evidence that the applicant has
obtained credentials equal to a high school degree,  or to take an
examination or comply with any other application or admission requirement
not generally applicable to other applicants for undergraduate admission to
the institution. 

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage.