Current through Reg. 49, No. 38; September 20, 2024
(a) Definitions.
The following words and terms, when used in this subchapter, shall have the
following meanings:
(1) Apply Texas Advisory
Committee--An advisory committee composed of representatives of general
academic teaching institutions, community college districts, public state
colleges, and public technical institutes, authorized by Texas Education Code,
§
51.762 and established
in accordance with Board rules, Chapter 1, Subchapter G, §§
1.128-
1.134 of this title (relating to
Apply Texas Advisory Committee), to provide the Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board assistance in developing and implementing admissions
application forms and procedures.
(2) Apply Texas System--The state's system
for applying for admission to Texas public institutions of higher education.
The System includes an access portal for completing common application forms;
help desks to provide users assistance; and a portal through which Texas high
school counselors access status data regarding student progress in applying for
admission to and financial aid for college.
(b) Acceptance of Admission Applications.
(1) Public community colleges, public state
colleges, and public technical institutes shall accept freshman and
undergraduate transfer applications submitted using the Board's electronic
common admission application forms.
(2) General academic teaching institutions
shall accept freshman and undergraduate transfer applications submitted using
either the Board's electronic or printed forms.
(c) Common Application Forms.
(1) General application information provided
on the common application form shall include:
(A) biographical information including
gender, ethnicity, and date of birth;
(B) educational information including
coursework, extracurriculars, community and volunteer service, and
awards/honors;
(C) residency;
and
(D) certification of
information.
(2)
Adjustments to Paper Forms. When sending a printed common application form to a
student with or without other materials, an institution shall not alter the
form in any way and shall include instructions for completing the form, general
application information, and instructions for accessing a list of deadlines for
all institutions.
(d)
Outreach to Public High Schools.
(1) The
Coordinating Board shall seek advice and recommendation(s) from high school
counselors representative of diverse Texas public school districts regarding
the common application and the Apply Texas System.
(2) The Coordinating Board shall ensure that
copies of the freshman common admission application forms and information for
their use are available to appropriate personnel at each Texas public high
school. The Coordinating Board will work with institutions and high schools to
ensure that all high schools have access to either the printed or electronic
common application forms.
(e) Data to be Collected.
(1) Common application forms are to include
questions needed for determining an applicant's residence status with regard to
higher education and other information the Board considers
appropriate.
(2) Each general
academic teaching institution, public community college, public state college,
and public technical institute shall collect information regarding gender,
race/ethnicity, and date of birth as part of the application process and report
this information to the Coordinating Board. Common application forms do not
have to be the source of those data.
(3) Institutions of higher education may
require an applicant to submit additional information within a reasonable time
after the institution has received a common application form.
(f) Publicity. The Board shall
publicize in both electronic and printed formats the availability of the common
admission forms.
(g) Subcontract
for Technical Support. The Coordinating Board shall enter into a contract with
a public institution of higher education or third-party vendor to maintain the
electronic common application system for use by the public in applying for
admission to participating institutions and for distribution of the electronic
application to the participating institutions designated by the
applicant.
(h) Costs.
(1) Participating institutions may charge a
reasonable fee for the filing of a common application form.
(2) Operating costs of the system will be
paid for by all institutions required to use the common application plus
independent and health-related institutions that contract to use the electronic
application.
(3) Each participating
institution shall pay a portion of the cost based on the percentage of its
enrollment compared to the total enrollment of all participating institutions
based on the certified enrollment data of the most recent fall semester. The
Coordinating Board will monitor the cost of the system and notify the
institutions on an annual basis of their share of the cost. Billings for the
services for the coming year will be calculated and sent to the institutions by
September 1 of each fiscal year and payments must be received no later than
December 1 of each fiscal year.
(4)
The Coordinating Board shall send participating institutions reminders of
payment amounts and the due date. Institutions failing to pay their share of
the cost by the due date may be denied access to in-coming application data
until such time that payments are received.