Senate Bill 1321 entitles residents of Texas to seek admission to public institutions of higher education without consideration of courses undertaken 10 or more years prior to enrollment. The bill has been called “the right to academic fresh start,” and it gives students a one-time option of electing to have all course work taken 10 or more years prior to the starting date of the semester in which the applicant seeks to enroll, either count as usual or be ignored for admissions purposes.
Under the provisions of TEC §51.931, an applicant for readmission may elect an Academic Fresh Start at the time of admission. An applicant who applies under this section and is admitted as a student may not receive any course credit for courses taken 10 or more years prior to enrollment under this section. Academic Fresh Start must be requested upon entry into the college, currently enrolled students will not be considered. If approved, Academic Fresh Start will not be applied to the student's academic record until after the Census date for the term. Students wishing to establish this program must submit a request in writing to the Admissions and Records Office.
Academic Fresh Start does not apply to Financial Aid requirements.