NJ A5891

Secretary of Higher Education must establish a guaranteed admissions program to automatically offer conditional admission to public colleges and universities for 12th-grade public school students who meet minimum academic merit requirements

Eligible students must be New Jersey residents for at least one year prior to application and be first-time applicants to a full-time undergraduate degree program at a public institution

Academic merit requirements will be based on cumulative GPA, class rank at end of 11th grade, coursework rigor (honors, AP, IB courses), standardized test scores, and statewide assessment performance, with different standards permitted for each institution based on selectivity

Conditional admission does not guarantee placement in any specific major, program of study, or specialized program, and institutions may limit offers based on space and fiscal constraints

Secretary must submit annual reports including data on admitted students disaggregated by race, ethnicity, income, gender, and first-generation status, along with assessments of the program's impact on reducing out-migration and increasing enrollment among underserved populations