Texas Opportunity
High School Diploma
What is OHSD?
House Bill 8 by the 88th Texas Legislature was a historic win for higher education in Texas. The legislation included the Opportunity High School Diploma (OHSD) program in support of the state’s higher education strategic plan, Building a Talent Strong Texas. The OHSD program provides adult students, aged 18 years and older, who are enrolled in a career and technical education program at a public junior college in the state of Texas, as defined in Texas Education Code Section 61.003(2), the opportunity to earn a high school diploma through concurrent enrollment in a competency-based education program.
The competency-based education program is comprised of five core competencies (civics, communication skills, quantitative reasoning, scientific reasoning, and workplace success skills) with instructional outcomes and performance expectations set for each of the competencies.
Texas Education Code establishes that the OHSD is equivalent to a high school diploma conferred by a public school district.
Who is eligible for the Diploma?
Adult students enrolled in both a career and technical education program and the OHSD program who satisfactorily complete assessments approved by the Commissioner of Higher Education are eligible to earn a high school diploma through the public junior college in which they are enrolled.
Where is the OHSD program offered?
On November 14, 2024, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board sent a memorandum through GovDelivery to all presidents of Texas public junior colleges calling for applications to offer the OHSD program. A panel of three evaluators reviewed and rated each application based on the strength of each applicant’s responses to required elements. Based on the final ratings, the Commissioner of Higher Education approved the following institutions to offer the OHSD program:
- Alamo Colleges District
- Dallas College
- El Paso Community College
- San Jacinto College District
- Del Mar College
Work to Date
The Texas Opportunity High School Diploma program is currently being implemented at the five approved institutions across the state. Institutions have carried out recruitment efforts such as door-knocking campaigns, evening information sessions, and dedicated websites to inform the communities they serve about the program and its benefits.
Each approved institution received an implementation grant that helped them develop instructional curriculum and operational capacity to offer the program. Subject matter experts from the five institutions collaborated to develop fourteen assessments tailored to each of the core program competencies. Assessments are aligned to the instructional outcomes and performance expectations. All fourteen assessments were approved by the Board on October 23, 2025. Grant funds have also been used for student recruitment, program administration, and student supports.
The Opportunity High School Diploma Advisory Committee held their first meeting on November 12, 2025. The Advisory Committee is made up of seven individuals consisting of a Texas Workforce Commission representative, a Texas Education Agency representative, and one representative from each of the five approved institutions. They are responsible for studying and making recommendations to THECB on the administration of the OHSD program, including: instructional outcomes, performance expectations, assessments, funding sources, and mechanisms to encourage and facilitate participation in the program.
Rules and Regulations
Authority for this program is in Texas Education Code Sections 130.451-130.458 and Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, Part 1, Chapter 12, Subchapter A, Sections 12.1-12.12.
Contact
Inquiries regarding the OHSD program should be sent to Nahum Pacheco, Senior Director, Employer Partnerships, Workforce Education