Texas Policy for College Access and Success

All students deserve a high-quality education that prepares them for college and lifelong success. Schools have the responsibility to prepare all students to succeed in college, but not all students are meeting readiness benchmarks.

Texas high schools are losing 22% of students before graduation day. They are losing Black and Latino students at twice the rate of white students.

To achieve state goals for college access and success, Texas must offer rigorous early college coursework, support targeted college advising and promote a strong data infrastructure for students, families and college counselors to understand and access their college preparatory pathways.

IDRA Policy Recommendations for 2025

The legislature can ensure all Texans are prepared for college and postsecondary life. IDRA urges the legislature to…

Fund extensive early college high school models and counseling supports for students starting in middle school, especially for historically marginalized Black, Latino, emergent bilingual students and students from low-income households.
Develop robust, aligned data systems that track pre-kindergarten through college academic pathways and outcomes.
Protect policies that make higher education more accessible to all Texans, including the Top Ten Percent Plan and tuition equity for all Texas high school graduates to be eligible for in-state tuition, regardless of citizenship or immigration status.

Resources

Tools

Texas Students Should be Protected to Pursue and Continue their College Dreams – IDRA Testimony to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board on Proposed Rules Changes to Residency Determination (Title 19, Part 1, Ch. 13, Subchapter K, §§13.191–13.203) and Tuition Waivers & Exemptions (§13.465). Submitted by Chloe Latham Sikes, Ph.D., September 22, 2025

Amicus brief for a case currently pending before the U.S. Supreme Court: Young Conservatives of Texas Foundation v. Neal Smatresk, President of the University of North Texas; Shannon Goodman, Vice President for Enrollment of the University of North Texas (No. 22-40225), August 1, 2022

Amicus brief for a case currently pending before the U.S. Supreme Court: Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College (No. 19-2005) and Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina, et al. (No. 21-2263), August 1, 2022

IDRA Amicus Brief: Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin

Civil Rights Groups Urge California Voters to Reinstate Affirmative Action in Higher Ed

Protecting the Texas Top Ten Percent Plan

Acting on Research and Data

IDRA Annual Attrition Study

Report: College Bound and Determined Study of Pharr-San Juan Alamo School District

Infographic and Report: Ready Texas Study of Texas College Requirements

Engaging Communities

Click to Act: Protect Texas Dreamers: Texas Policy Action Alert: Legislative Changes and Urgent Advocacy Actions (English • Spanish) September 16, 2025

Report: Community Survey on Texas Graduation Requirements

What Families Need to Know About Texas Graduation Requirements