§ 48.003. STUDENT ELIGIBILITY.

(a) A student is entitled to the benefits of the Foundation School Program if, on September 1 of the school year, the student:

(1) is 5 years of age or older and under 21 years of age and:

(A) has not graduated from high school; or

(B) has graduated from high school but is:

(i) enrolled in a school district at a campus designated as a P-TECH school under Section 29.556 or in a school district participating in a partnership under Section 29.912; and

(ii) completing a course of study offered through an articulation agreement or memorandum of understanding with an institution of higher education, as defined by Section 61.003, and the district described by Subparagraph (i), as applicable, under the Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) program under Subchapter N, Chapter 29, and the Rural Pathway Excellence Partnership (R-PEP) program under Section 29.912, regardless of whether the student is enrolled in the district providing the course of study;

(2) is at least 21 years of age and under 26 years of age and has been admitted by a school district to complete the requirements for a high school diploma; or

(3) is at least 18 years of age and under 50 years of age and is enrolled in an adult education program provided under the adult high school charter school program under Subchapter G, Chapter 12.

(b) A student to whom Subsection (a) does not apply is entitled to the benefits of the Foundation School Program if the student is enrolled in a prekindergarten class under Section 29.153.

(c) A child may be enrolled in the first grade if the child is at least six years of age at the beginning of the school year of the district or has been enrolled in the first grade or has completed kindergarten in the public schools in another state before transferring to a public school in this state.

(d) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a student younger than five years of age is entitled to the benefits of the Foundation School Program if:

(1) the student performs satisfactorily on the assessment instrument administered under Section 39.023(a) to students in the third grade; and

(2) the district has adopted a policy for admitting students younger than five years of age.