Texas ’ Top Ten Percent Rule

Texas Success Initiative (TSIA2)

TSIA2 is a state-mandated placement test for Texas public colleges and universities. Students entering a Texas public college or university may need to take the Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSI) and/or complete other testing requirements before enrolling in any college-level coursework. Students may be exempt from taking these college readiness exams if they meet the college ’ s entrance standards. Students should contact either the testing office or the advising office at the Texas college or university they plan to attend to determine the requirements.

Students may be exempt from TSI:

ACT composite score of 23 with a minimum of 19 on both the mathematics and English tests or;

SAT (administered on or after March 5, 2016): ➢ A minimum score of 530 on the Mathematics test for a TSI exemption in math (no combined score required); ➢ A minimum score of 480 on the Evidenced-Based Reading & Writing (EBRW) for a TSI exemption in both reading and writing (no combined score required)

TEXAS Grant

The state legislature established the TEXAS (Towards Excellence, Access and Success) Grant to make sure that well-prepared high school graduates with financial need could go to college. For more information: http://www.collegeforalltexans.com/apps/financialaid/tofa2.cfm?ID=458

FAFSA

Students in their final year of high school should apply for financial aid early in their final year and each following year, as long as they are in post-secondary education or training. There are many merit scholarships available to students through the completion of the FAFSA application. FAFSA submission is available starting October 1.

Students enrolled in 12th grade must do one of the following in order to graduate: ● Complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) ● Complete and submit a Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA) ● Submit a signed opt-out form

Texas’ Top Ten Percent Rule

Students who are in the top 10 percent of their graduating class are eligible for automatic admission to most public universities in Texas. Currently, the University of Texas automatic admission rate is 6 percent. To be eligible for automatic admission, a student must graduate in the top 10 percent of his or her class at a public or private high school in Texas and enroll in college no more than two years after graduating from high school. However, SB175, passed by the State Legislature in 2009, allows the University of Texas at Austin to limit automatic admissions to 75 percent of the university ’ s enrollment capacity. Students must submit an application to a Texas public university for admission before the institution ’ s application deadline. Students admitted through this route may still be required to provide SAT® or ACT® scores, although these scores are not used for admissions purposes. Students must also take the TSI, unless exempted from the test requirement. Students should check with the admissions office regarding TSI, SAT®, and ACT® requirements. After a