(a) Definitions. The following words and terms, when used in this subchapter, shall have the following meanings:
  (1) Apply Texas Advisory Committee--An advisory committee composed of representatives of general academic teaching institutions, community college districts, public state colleges, and public technical institutes, authorized by Texas Education Code, §51.762 and established in accordance with Board rules, Chapter 1, Subchapter G, §§1.128 - 1.134 of this title (relating to Apply Texas Advisory Committee), to provide the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board assistance in developing and implementing admissions application forms and procedures.
  (2) Apply Texas System--The state's system for applying for admission to Texas public institutions of higher education. The System includes an access portal for completing common application forms; help desks to provide users assistance; and a portal through which Texas high school counselors access status data regarding student progress in applying for admission to and financial aid for college.
(b) Acceptance of Admission Applications.
  (1) Public community colleges, public state colleges, and public technical institutes shall accept freshman and undergraduate transfer applications submitted using the Board's electronic common admission application forms.
  (2) General academic teaching institutions shall accept freshman and undergraduate transfer applications submitted using either the Board's electronic or printed forms.
(c) Common Application Forms.
  (1) General application information provided on the common application form shall include:
    (A) biographical information including gender, ethnicity, and date of birth;
    (B) educational information including coursework, extracurriculars, community and volunteer service, and awards/honors;
    (C) residency; and
    (D) certification of information.
  (2) Adjustments to Paper Forms. When sending a printed common application form to a student with or without other materials, an institution shall not alter the form in any way and shall include instructions for completing the form, general application information, and instructions for accessing a list of deadlines for all institutions.
(d) Outreach to Public High Schools.
  (1) The Coordinating Board shall seek advice and recommendation(s) from high school counselors representative of diverse Texas public school districts regarding the common application and the Apply Texas System.
  (2) The Coordinating Board shall ensure that copies of the freshman common admission application forms and information for their use are available to appropriate personnel at each Texas public high school. The Coordinating Board will work with institutions and high schools to ensure that all high schools have access to either the printed or electronic common application forms.
(e) Data to be Collected.
  (1) Common application forms are to include questions needed for determining an applicant's residence status with regard to higher education and other information the Board considers appropriate.
  (2) Each general academic teaching institution, public community college, public state college, and public technical institute shall collect information regarding gender, race/ethnicity, and date of birth as part of the application process and report this information to the Coordinating Board. Common application forms do not have to be the source of those data.
  (3) Institutions of higher education may require an applicant to submit additional information within a reasonable time after the institution has received a common application form.
(f) Publicity. The Board shall publicize in both electronic and printed formats the availability of the common admission forms.
(g) Subcontract for Technical Support. The Coordinating Board shall enter into a contract with a public institution of higher education or third-party vendor to maintain the electronic common application system for use by the public in applying for admission to participating institutions and for distribution of the electronic application to the participating institutions designated by the applicant.
(h) Costs.
  (1) Participating institutions may charge a reasonable fee for the filing of a common application form.
  (2) Operating costs of the system may be paid for by all institutions required to use the common application plus independent and health-related institutions that contract to use the electronic application.
  (3) Each participating institution may pay a portion of the cost based on the percentage of its enrollment compared to the total enrollment of all participating institutions based on the certified enrollment data of the most recent fall semester. The Coordinating Board will monitor the cost of the system and notify the institutions on an annual basis of their share of the cost. Billings for the services for the coming year will be calculated and sent to the institutions by September 1 of each fiscal year and payments must be received no later than December 1 of each fiscal year.
  (4) The Coordinating Board may send participating institutions reminders of payment amounts and the due date. Institutions failing to pay their share of the cost by the due date may be denied access to in-coming application data until such time that payments are received.

Source Note: The provisions of this §4.10 adopted to be effective May 22, 2019, 44 TexReg 2451; amended to be effective February 15, 2023, 48 TexReg 669; amended to be effective May 16, 2024, 49 TexReg 3239