S.B. No. 365 amends the Education Code to modify the academic fresh start policy for applicants seeking admission to public institutions of higher education in Texas. The bill introduces new provisions that allow institutions to disregard academic course credits or grades earned by an applicant more than 10 years prior to the semester they wish to enroll, with the stipulation that any credits or grades earned within the five years preceding that date cannot be disregarded. Additionally, institutions that choose to apply this disregard must do so uniformly for all courses within that timeframe and cannot award credit for those disregarded courses.

Furthermore, the bill mandates that each public institution must adopt and publicly post a policy regarding how they will handle admissions under this fresh start provision, including the specific period for which an applicant's course credits or grades will be considered. The changes will take effect for admissions starting in the fall semester of 2025, and the funding recommendations related to these changes will apply to the state fiscal biennium beginning September 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 51.931, Education Code 61.0595 (Education Code 51, Education Code 61)
Senate Committee Report: Education Code 51.931, Education Code 61.0595 (Education Code 51, Education Code 61)