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University College

Exemptions and Exceptions

Texas Success Initiative Exemptions and Exceptions

These exemptions and exceptions are granted by UTSA only for students registering at UTSA for the first time in Spring Semester 2004, or a subsequent semester. These exemptions do not apply to students who entered a Texas public institution of higher education under TASP. However, students who received an exemption under TASP will remain exempt under TSI. UTSA honors any exemption granted for transfer students by any other Texas public institution of higher education provided the exemption is listed on the student’s official transcript.

Exemption based on SAT

For students entering UTSA prior to Spring Semester 2005
For students entering UTSA prior to Spring Semester 2005 who received on the SAT a total combined verbal and mathematics score of at least 1070 with minimum scores of 500 on the verbal section and 500 on the mathematics section of the test, and the test was taken within five years of enrolling at UTSA, are exempt from TSI.  In order for this exemption to be valid, the student must have received the scores in a single sitting for the examination.
  
For students entering UTSA in Spring Semester 2005, or a subsequent semester
A. Students who received on the SAT a combined verbal and mathematics score of at least 1070 with a minimum score of 500 on mathematics section will be declared college ready in mathematics, if the test was taken within five years of enrolling at UTSA.
  
B. Students who received on the SAT a combined verbal and mathematics score of at least 1070 with a minimum score of 500 on verbal section will be declared college ready in reading and writing, if the test was taken within five years of enrolling at UTSA.  

A student satisfying both bullets numbers A and B above is fully exempt from TSI.  A student satisfying bullet number A above but not satisfying bullet number B is said to have a partial exemption from TSI in mathematics, and is required to take TSI approved assessments in reading and writing.  Likewise, a student satisfying bullet number B above but not satisfying bullet number A is said to have a partial exemption from TSI in reading and writing, and is required to take a TSI approved assessment in mathematics.

Exemption based on ACT

For students entering UTSA prior to Spring Semester 2005
Students who received on the ACT a composite score of at least 23 with minimum scores of 19 on the English section and 19 on the mathematics section of the test, and the test was taken within five years of enrolling at UTSA, are exempt from TSI. In order for this exemption to be valid, the student must have received the scores in a single sitting for the examination.

For students entering UTSA in Spring Semester 2005, or a subsequent semester
A. Students who received on the ACT a composite score of at least 23 with a minimum score of 19 on the mathematics section will be declared college ready in mathematics, if the test was taken within five years of enrolling at UTSA.

B. Students who received on the ACT a composite score of at least 23 with a minimum score of 19 on the English section will be declared college ready in reading and writing, if the test was taken within five years of enrolling at UTSA. 

A student satisfying both bullets numbers A and B above is fully exempt from TSI.  A student satisfying bullet number A above but not satisfying bullet number B is said to have a partial exemption from TSI in mathematics, and is required to take TSI approved assessments in reading and writing.  Likewise, a student satisfying bullet number B above but not satisfying bullet number A is said to have a partial exemption from TSI in reading and writing, and is required to take a TSI approved assessment in mathematics.

Exemption based on TAAS

Students who received on the TAAS at least a scaled score of 1770 on the writing section, at least a Texas Learning Index of 89 on the reading section, and at least a Texas Learning Index of 86 on the mathematics section of the test, and the test was taken within three years of enrolling at UTSA, are exempt from TSI. In order for this exemption to be valid, the student must have received the scores in a single sitting for the examination.  However, because the TAAS test is administered over several days, students who miss a day of testing due to illness or emergencies are allowed to make up the missed sections of the test and have the aggregate results count as a single sitting of the test.

For students entering UTSA in Spring Semester 2005, or a subsequent semester
 A.  Students who received on the Eleventh grade exit level TAKS a scaled score of at least 2200 on the mathematics section will be declared college ready in mathematics, if the test was taken within three years of enrolling at UTSA.

B.   Students who received on the Eleventh grade exit level TAKS a scaled score of at least 2200 on the English Language Arts section with a writing subscore of at least 3 will be declared college ready in reading and writing, if the test was taken within three years of enrolling at UTSA. 

These “qualifying standard” scores may be obtained in multiple sittings of taking the TAKS test.  A student satisfying both bullets numbers A and B above is fully exempt from TSI.  A student satisfying bullet number A above but not satisfying bullet number B is said to have a partial exemption from TSI in mathematics, and is required to take TSI approved assessments in reading and writing.  Likewise, a student satisfying bullet number B above but not satisfying bullet number A is said to have a partial exemption from TSI in reading and writing, and is required to take a TSI approved assessment in mathematics.

Other Exemptions

  • Students who have graduated with an associate or baccalaureate degree from a Texas public institution of higher education are exempt from TSI.
  • Students who have satisfactorily completed at least three semester credit hours of transferable college level coursework at a private or independent institution of higher education or at an accredited out-of-state institution of higher education are exempt from TSI.
  • Students who are serving on active duty as a member of the armed forces of the United States or the Texas National Guard are exempt from TSI.
  • Students who are currently serving as, and for at least the three-year period preceding enrollment, have served as members of the reserve component of the armed forces of the United States are exempt from TSI.
  • Students who on or after August 1, 1990, were honorable discharged, retired, or released from active duty as members of the armed forces of the United States or Texas National Guard, or from service as a member of the reserve component of the armed forces of the United States are exempt from TSI.
  • Students who are non degree-seeking may enroll at UTSA without taking a TSI approved assessment as long as the enrollment will not give them a total of more than 12 semester hours of credit at UTSA.