82R9659 KYF-D
By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 1730
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to requiring the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
to create a tool to allow prospective students to compare
institutions of higher education by certain criteria.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is
amended by adding Section 61.09021 to read as follows:
Sec. 61.09021. COMPARISON TOOL. (a) The board shall make
available to the public on the board's Internet website a search
tool that allows a person to compare institutions of higher
education that meet certain criteria selected by the person,
including offering a particular major or program of study.
(b) The comparison tool required under this section must:
(1) be accessible from the board's Internet website
home page by use of not more than three links;
(2) allow a user to identify institutions according
to:
(A) major field or program of study;
(B) high school class rank; and
(C) a score on a generally recognized test or
assessment used in college and university undergraduate
admissions, including the Scholastic Assessment Test and the
American College Test; and
(3) be accessible to the public without requiring
registration or use of a user name, password, or other user
identification.
(c) The comparison tool required under this section must
generate a comparison chart in a grid format that:
(1) lists the institutions of higher education that
match a user's search criteria; and
(2) provides the following information for each
institution listed:
(A) the average annual cost of tuition and fees
for an undergraduate student enrolled for 12 semester credit hours
per semester;
(B) the percentage of applicants with similar
high school class rank accepted in the freshman class for the most
recent academic year for which the information is available;
(C) the percentage of applicants with similar
scores on a generally recognized test or assessment used in
undergraduate admissions accepted in the freshman class for the
most recent academic year for which the information is available;
(D) the four-year and six-year graduation rates
of full-time degree-seeking undergraduate students with a similar
high school class rank and score on a generally recognized test or
assessment used in undergraduate admissions for:
(i) the institution as a whole; and
(ii) the major or program selected for
comparison;
(E) the average starting salary in the state for
graduates of the major or program selected for comparison; and
(F) a link to the institution's online resume.
(d) The Internet page displaying the comparison chart must
include a link to the Internet website of the Texas Workforce
Commission.
(e) Each institution of higher education shall provide to
the board the data required under Subsection (c) not later than
October 1 of each year. The board shall update the comparison tool
as soon as practicable after receiving data from each institution.
SECTION 2. (a) Each institution of higher education shall
provide the categories of data to be included in the comparison
search tool required by Section 61.09021, Education Code, as added
by this Act, to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
beginning with the 2011-2012 academic year.
(b) Not later than September 1, 2012, the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board shall create and post on the board's
Internet website the comparison tool required by Section 61.09021,
Education Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011.