The Texas House has passed legislation that would scale back the automatic college admissions policy for students who graduate in the top 10 percent of their high school class.
AUSTIN, TEXAS (AP) --
The compromise bill was approved on a 121-24 vote last night.
Under the measure, universities could cap the number of Texas students admitted under the program to 75 percent of the entering resident freshman class.
The bill would take effect in 2011, affecting students who are high school sophomores this year.
The reforms would expire after six years, giving the Legislature time to judge the impact and either continue the policy or make changes.
The legislation also would limit the number of nonresident students to 10 percent of the student body at universities where the cap has taken effect.
The measure is of particular interest to the University of Texas at Austin, where more than 80 percent of the home-state freshman class are admitted under the rule.
The school has been pushing the Legislature to allow it to start cutting back on such automatic admissions.
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