This is an archived copy of the 2022-23 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.utexas.edu/.

The Texas Success Initiative

The Texas Success Initiative (TSI) is a state-mandated program designed to improve student success in college. There are two components of the program: (1) an assessment to diagnose students’ basic skills in reading, mathematics, and writing and (2) developmental instruction to strengthen academic skills that need improvement.

Developmental instruction options include a co-requisite model under which students concurrently enroll in a developmental studies course and credit-bearing course for each subject area for which the student is referred to developmental coursework. Co-requisite courses are available only to students who meet both Texas Success Initiative (TSI) eligibility and specific program requirements.

All non-exempt students are required by law to take the TSI Assessment (TSIA), which is the only college-readiness assessment approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Students admitted to The University of Texas at Austin may register to take the TSIA by completing this form. If a student chooses to take the TSIA at another institution, it is the responsibility of the student to see that scores are sent to the University's TSI office.

A student may be exempt from all TSI requirements under any one of the following conditions:

The student has earned a bachelor’s degree or an associate degree.
The student is serving on active duty as a member of the armed forces of the United States, the Texas National Guard, or as a member of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States and has been serving for at least three years preceding enrollment.
The student was honorably discharged, retired, or released from active duty as a member of the armed forces of the United States or the Texas National Guard or served as a member of a reserve component of the armed forces of the United States on or after August 1, 1990.
The student is a non-degree-seeking or a non-certificate-seeking student.
The student has attended another Texas public institution of higher education and has been determined to have met readiness standards by that institution.
The student has transferred to the University from a private or independent institution of higher education, an accredited out-of-state institution of higher education, or an international institution of higher education and has completed college-level coursework, as determined by the University.

A student may be exempt from one or more TSI requirements under the following conditions:

For SAT scores:
- A student with a math score of 530 or higher is exempt from the math requirement.
- A student with an Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) score of 480 or higher is exempt from the English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) requirement.
For ACT scores:
- A student with an ACT composite score of at least 23 and a math score of at least 19 is exempt from the math requirement.
- A student with an ACT composite score of at least 23 and an English score of at least 19 is exempt from the English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) requirement.
For STAAR scores:
- A student with a score of at least Level 2 on the STAAR English III end-of-course (EOC) is exempt from the English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) requirement.
- A student with a score of at least Level 2 on the STAAR Algebra II end-of-course (EOC) is exempt from the math requirement.
For GED scores:
- A student with a minimum score of 165 on the Mathematical Reasoning subject test is exempt from the math requirement.
- A student with a minimum score of 165 on the Reasoning Through Language Arts (RLA) subject is exempt from the English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) requirement.
For HiSET scores:
- A student with a minimum score of 15 on the Mathematics subtest is exempt from the math requirement.
- A student with a minimum score of 15 on the Reading subtest and a minimum score of 15 on the Writing subtest, including a minimum score of 4 on the essay, is exempt from the English Language Arts Reading (ELAR) requirement.

SAT, ACT, STAAR, GED, and HiSET scores used to support an exemption must be less than five years old. Students who fail to meet the minimum passing standards on the TSIA are required to enroll in a developmental education course designed to strengthen skills in reading, writing, or mathematics. Students will meet with a TSI advisor to decide which course is best suited to their individual needs. For further information, students may visit the Texas Success Initiative website.