A1346

An Act concerning admission to public institutions of higher education and supplementing chapter 62 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. a. The Secretary of Higher Education shall, in consultation with the Department of Education and the New Jersey Presidents’ Council, establish a guaranteed admissions program to automatically offer conditional admission to public institutions of higher education to an eligible student enrolled in grade 12 in a public school in the State based on academic merit. A public institution shall, within space and fiscal constraints, automatically offer conditional admission to an undergraduate degree program to eligible students who attain the minimum academic merit requirements established by the secretary.

b. To be eligible for admission pursuant to this section, an eligible student shall be a resident of the State for at least one year prior to the time of application and be a first-time applicant to a full-time degree granting program at a public institution of higher education.

c. In determining minimum academic merit requirements for admission, the secretary shall take into account the following information:

(1) a student’s cumulative grade point average and class rank at the end of grade 11;

(2) the complexity of a student’s coursework, including courses completed at the honors level or above, advanced placement courses, international baccalaureate courses, and any other college-level courses taken while enrolled in grades nine through 11;

(3) a student’s standardized test scores;

(4) a student’s performance on Statewide assessments; and

(5) any other information the secretary deems necessary.

d. The secretary may establish different academic merit requirements for each public institution in the State, which take into account the selectivity of the institution.

e. Admission to a public institution of higher education automatically offered pursuant to this section shall not guarantee admission to any specific major, program of study, or specialized program offered by the public institution of higher education.

2. a. The Secretary of Higher Education shall submit an annual report to the Governor, and to the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), on the implementation of the program established pursuant to section 1 of this act.

b. The report shall include, but not be limited to, the following information:

(1) the number of students offered admission pursuant to this act, disaggregated by race, ethnicity, age, family income at the time of admission, gender, and first-generation status;

(2) an assessment of the effectiveness and impact of the program on out-migration of public high school graduates and enrollment among low-income students and students from populations underserved in higher education; and

(3) any recommendations for the improvement of the program.

3. This act shall take effect immediately and guaranteed admissions pursuant to this act shall first be offered in the first full academic year next following the date of enactment.

STATEMENT

This bill requires the Secretary of Higher Education to establish a guaranteed admissions program to automatically offer conditional admission to a public institution of higher education to certain students.

Under the bill, the secretary is required to, in consultation with the Department of Education and the New Jersey Presidents’ Council, establish a guaranteed admissions program to automatically offer conditional admission to public institutions of higher education to an eligible student enrolled in grade 12 in a public school in the State based on academic merit. A public institution is required to, within space and fiscal constraints, automatically offer conditional admission to an undergraduate degree program to eligible students who attain the minimum academic merit requirements established by the secretary. To be eligible for admission, an eligible student is required to be a resident of the State for at least one year prior to the time of application and be a first-time applicant to a full-time degree granting program at a public institution of higher education.

In determining minimum academic merit requirements for admission, the secretary is to take into account the following information: (1) a student’s cumulative grade point average and class rank at the end of grade 11; (2) the complexity of a student’s coursework, including courses completed at the honors level or above, advanced placement courses, international baccalaureate courses, and any other college-level courses taken while enrolled in grades nine through 11; (3) a student’s standardized test scores; (4) a student’s performance on Statewide assessments; and (5) any other information the secretary deems necessary.

The bill permits the secretary to establish different academic merit requirements for each public institution in the State that take into account the selectivity of the institution. The bill stipulates that admission to a public institution of higher education automatically offered under the bill does not guarantee admission to any specific major, program of study, or specialized program offered by the public institution of higher education.

Finally, the bill requires the secretary to submit an annual report to the Governor and the Legislature. The report is to include: (1) the number of students offered admission pursuant to the bill, disaggregated by race, ethnicity, age, family income at the time of admission, gender, and first-generation status; (2) an assessment of the effectiveness and impact of the program on out-migration of public high school graduates and enrollment among low-income students and students from populations underserved in higher education; and (3) any recommendations for the improvement of the program.