Monitoring the Session

HB 4912

bill creating Free College Application Week

Companion SB 2231 became law

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Terry M. WilsonRHouse 20

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to requiring the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to waive fees for admission applications submitted to public institutions of higher education during certain periods.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Second full week of October. No application fee.

The bill makes the state higher education board name the second full week of October each year as Free College Application Week. During that week, anyone in Texas can apply for undergraduate admission to any public college or university without paying an application fee. It starts with the 2025-2026 school year, and the board may write rules to carry it out.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB4912 · 2025-03-13

SOLD BY

Rep. Terry M. WilsonRHouse 20

ITEM

relating to requiring the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to waive fees for admission applications submitted to public institutions of higher education during certain periods.

WHAT IT DOES

Second full week of October. No application fee.

The bill makes the state higher education board name the second full week of October each year as Free College Application Week. During that week, anyone in Texas can apply for undergraduate admission to any public college or university without paying an application fee. It starts with the 2025-2026 school year, and the board may write rules to carry it out.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · April 30, 2025

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated. Based on information provided by institutions of higher education, implementation of the bill could result in a loss of fee revenue at several of their component institutions. This revenue is classified as Institutional Funds which are not appropriated in the General Appropriations Act, and therefore not a cost to the State.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Higher Education
  4. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  5. Considered in public hearing
  6. Committee substitute considered in committee
  7. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  8. Left pending in committee
  9. Considered in public hearing
  10. Committee substitute considered in committee
  11. Reported favorably as substituted
  12. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  13. Committee report distributed
  14. Committee report sent to Calendars
  15. Considered in Calendars
  16. Placed on General State Calendar
  17. Companion considered in lieu of SB 2231
  18. Laid on the table subject to call
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Terry M. Wilson

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$414KTexas Conservative Majority PAC$231KKenneth Mongold$25,000

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Oct 29, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$413,658.18

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$413,658.18

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$378,658.18
Total
$413,658.18
mail $190,451.68advertising $178,456.50polling $8,750.00Other filed descriptions $1,000.00

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 27, 2025 to Oct 20, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101007854, 101030352, 101067580, 101071564.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$231,075.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$231,075.00

Cash
$50,000.00
Paid by others
$181,075.00
Total
$231,075.00
canvassing $157,125.00polling $23,950.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jan 23, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Aug 25, 2026 to Oct 18, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101067580, 101071564.

Kenneth Mongold$25,000.00
Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$413,658.18

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$378,658.18
Total
$413,658.18
mail $190,451.68advertising $178,456.50polling $8,750.00Other filed descriptions $1,000.00

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 27, 2025 to Oct 20, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101007854, 101030352, 101067580, 101071564.

×

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$231,075.00

Cash
$50,000.00
Paid by others
$181,075.00
Total
$231,075.00
canvassing $157,125.00polling $23,950.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jan 23, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Aug 25, 2026 to Oct 18, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101067580, 101071564.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses7
For
6
Against
0
On
1
Names

For

  • EdTrust in Texas1 registration
  • Philanthropy Advocates1 registration
  • Self1 registration
  • Self; Every Texan1 registration
  • Texas AFT-AAUP1 registration
  • Texas Business Leadership Council1 registration

On

  • Texas higher education coordinating board1 registration
Sources

7 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

House witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Fiscal

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · April 30, 2025

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated. Based on information provided by institutions of higher education, implementation of the bill could result in a loss of fee revenue at several of their component institutions. This revenue is classified as Institutional Funds which are not appropriated in the General Appropriations Act, and therefore not a cost to the State.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Mar 13, 2025

05/07/2025 H Laid on the table subject to call

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Higher Education · Committee vote 10 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Companion

SB 2231 by Hinojosa, Adam (very similar)

Subjects

Education--Higher--Admission & Attendance

Education--Higher--Institutions & Programs

Education--Higher--Student Fees

HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING BOARD, TEXAS

Text

The text as introduced · 201 words

By: Wilson
H.B. No. 4912

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to requiring the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

to waive fees for admission applications submitted to public

institutions of higher education during certain periods.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 61, Education Code, is

amended by adding Section 61.0731 to read as follows:

Sec. 61.0731. WAIVER OF CERTAIN APPLICATION FEES; FREE

COLLEGE APPLICATION WEEK. (a) The board shall designate the second

full week of October as Free College Application Week. During the

designated week, the board shall permit individuals in this state

to apply to any institution of higher education for undergraduate

admission without paying an application fee.

(b) The board may adopt rules as necessary to implement

Subsection (a).

SECTION 2. Section 61.0731, Education Code, as added by

this Act, applies beginning with the 2025-2026 academic year.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.