S.B. No. 1241 amends the Education Code to modify the criteria for admission to certain public institutions of higher education in Texas. Specifically, it allows applicants who graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school class to gain admission if they either completed specific curriculum requirements or achieved a score set by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on a designated college entrance examination. The previous requirement of meeting ACT's College Readiness Benchmarks or achieving a minimum SAT score of 1,500 has been removed. Additionally, the bill allows students who do not qualify under the previous sections to apply if they meet similar curriculum requirements or achieve the new examination score criteria.

Furthermore, the bill establishes a new section requiring the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to conduct a study on college entrance examinations. This study aims to identify which examinations and the requisite scores should be used as criteria for admission to general academic teaching institutions. The findings and recommendations from this study must be reported to key state officials by August 1, 2026, and the section will expire on September 1, 2027. The changes in admission criteria will take effect for the fall semester of 2028, while admissions for earlier terms will follow the existing law.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Education Code 51.803, Education Code 54.241 (Education Code 51, Education Code 54)
Senate Committee Report: Education Code 51.803, Education Code 54.241 (Education Code 51, Education Code 54)
Engrossed: Education Code 51.803, Education Code 54.241 (Education Code 51, Education Code 54)
House Committee Report: Education Code 51.803, Education Code 54.241 (Education Code 51, Education Code 54)
Enrolled: Education Code 51.803, Education Code 54.241 (Education Code 51, Education Code 54)