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TO AMEND SECTION 59-53-30, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO ADMISSION INTO TECHNICAL INSTITUTIONS, SO AS TO REQUIRE TECHNICAL INSTITUTIONS TO DEVELOP COMPETITIVE ADMISSIONS CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION INTO EACH PROGRAM OF STUDY THAT RECEIVES MORE APPLICANTS THAN IT HAS SPACE AVAILABLE IN AT LEAST TWO OF THE PRIOR THREE ACADEMIC YEARS, AND TO PROVIDE THAT RESIDENCY IN THE REGION IN WHICH THE INSTITUTION IS LOCATED MAY NOT EXCEED FIVE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL COMPETITIVE ADMISSION PROCESS CRITERIA.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. Section 59-53-30 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:
"Section 59-53-30.(A) Institutions of the South Carolina Technical Education System shall maintain open admissions policies unless determined to be economically unfeasible by the Budget and Control Board and establish and maintain low tuition and fees in order to provide access to post-secondary education and insure ensure that such educational opportunities shall are not be denied to anyone.
(B) Notwithstanding subsection (A), a technical institution shall develop criteria for admission into each program of study that receives more applicants who meet the minimum requirements than it has space available in at least two of the three prior academic years. These criteria must create a competitive admission process designed to allow the best applicants entrance into the program. The institution shall submit these criteria to the State Board for Technical and Comprehensive Education for approval by January 1, 2012, to be put into effect beginning with the 2012-2013 academic year. These criteria may give preference to applicants who reside within the region in which the institution is located, but residency may not exceed five percent of the total competitive admission process criteria.
(C) Upon request and justification and with the approval of the State Board of Education, the board may authorize an institution within its jurisdiction to contract with local school districts to offer adult literacy courses and programs and secondary-level vocational courses and programs. Upon request and justification and with the approval of the Commission on Higher Education, the board may authorize an institution within its jurisdiction to offer two-year college parallel programs. The Commission on Higher Education shall approve all criteria for college parallel courses."
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.
This web page was last updated on January 19, 2011 at 2:42 PM