ASSEMBLY HIGHER EDUCATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 5891

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  DECEMBER 11, 2025

      The Assembly Higher Education Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 5891.

      This bill requires the Secretary of Higher Education to establish a guaranteed admissions program that would automatically offer conditional admission to a public institution of higher education for certain students.

      Under the bill, the secretary is required to, in consultation with the Department of Education and the New Jersey Presidents’ Council, establish a guaranteed admissions program that would automatically offer conditional admission to public institutions of higher education for an eligible student enrolled in grade 12 in a public school in the State based on academic merit. A public institution is required to, within space and fiscal constraints, automatically offer conditional admission to an undergraduate degree program to eligible students who attain the minimum academic merit requirements established by the secretary. To be eligible for admission, an eligible student is required to be a resident of the State for at least one year prior to the time of application and be a first-time applicant to a full-time degree granting program at a public institution of higher education.

      In determining minimum academic merit requirements for admission, the secretary would take into account the following information: (1) a student’s cumulative grade point average and class rank at the end of grade 11; (2) the complexity of a student’s coursework, including courses completed at the honors level or above, advanced placement courses, international baccalaureate courses, and any other college-level courses taken while enrolled in grades nine through 11; (3) a student’s standardized test scores; (4) a student’s performance on Statewide assessments; and (5) any other information the secretary deems necessary.

      The bill permits the secretary to establish different academic merit requirements for each public institution in the State that take into account the selectivity of the institution. The bill stipulates that admission to a public institution of higher education automatically offered under the bill does not guarantee admission to any specific major, program of study, or specialized program offered by the public institution of higher education.

      Finally, the bill requires the secretary to submit an annual report to the Governor and the Legislature. The report would include: (1) the number of students offered admission pursuant to the bill, disaggregated by race, ethnicity, age, family income at the time of admission, gender, and first-generation status; (2) an assessment of the effectiveness and impact of the program on out-migration of public high school graduates and enrollment among low-income students and students from populations underserved in higher education; and (3) any recommendations for the improvement of the program.