The section requires institutions to seek and then release student academic records for reverse transfer in specified cases, and requires lower-division institutions to review the records, may award an associate degree, and report degrees annually.
Sec. 61.833. CREDIT TRANSFER FOR ASSOCIATE DEGREE. (a) In this section: (1) "Lower-division institution of higher education" means a public junior college, public state college, or public technical institute. (2) "Reverse transfer data sharing platform" means: (A) the National Student Clearinghouse; or (B) a similar national electronic data sharing and exchange platform operated by an agent of the institution that meets nationally accepted standards, conventions, and practices. (b) Subsection (c) applies to a student enrolled in a general academic teaching institution who: (1) transferred to the institution from or previously attended a lower-division institution of higher education; (2) earned at least 30 credit hours for course work successfully completed at the lower-division institution of higher education; (3) has earned a cumulative total of at least 66 credit hours for course work successfully completed; and (4) has not submitted a signed consent form by the method described in Section 51.9715(a). (c) As soon as practicable after a student who is enrolled in a general academic teaching institution has met the criteria established by Subsection (b)(3), the institution by e-mail or other reasonable method shall request authorization from the student for the institution to release the student's academic course, grade, and credit information to each lower-division institution of higher education that the student previously attended or to a reverse transfer data sharing platform for the purpose of determining whether the student has earned the credits required for an associate degree awarded by a lower-division institution of higher education. On receipt of a student's authorization under this subsection, the general academic teaching institution shall release the student's academic course, grade, and credit information to the lower-division institution of higher education or to a reverse transfer data sharing platform. (c-1) After a student who has submitted a signed consent form by the method described in Section 51.9715(a) completes a semester or term at a general academic teaching institution, the institution by the method described in Section 51.9715(b) shall release the student's academic course, grade, and credit information to a lower-division institution of higher education that the student previously attended for the purpose of determining whether the student has earned the credits required for an associate degree awarded by the lower-division institution of higher education. (d) After receiving student information from a general academic teaching institution under Subsection (c) or Subsection (c-1), a lower-division institution of higher education shall review the information and, if the lower-division institution of higher education determines the student has earned the credits required to receive an associate degree awarded by the lower-division institution of higher education, may award the student the degree. (e) Nothing in this section affects the ability of a lower-division institution of higher education to determine the course work required to earn an associate degree awarded by that institution. (f) Annually, each lower-division institution of higher education shall produce a report recording the number of degrees awarded by the institution in the previous academic year under this section. An institution shall: (1) make the report publicly available; and (2) submit the information to a reverse transfer data sharing platform. Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1038 (H.B. 3025), Sec. 2, eff. June 17, 2011. Amended by: Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 529 (S.B. 498), Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 2013. Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 635 (S.B. 1714), Sec. 2, eff. June 16, 2015. Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 324 (S.B. 1488), Sec. 6.005, eff. September 1, 2017.