This year, students are not required to take the Algebra II course. Although it may seem like a good idea for most students to “skip” a math course, it may affect people when they apply for colleges and scholarships.

If students decide to skip this Algebra course, they might not be able to get an automatic college admission. Even if a student made it into the top 10 percent, got a distinguished level of achievement and met ACT and SAT standards, they would probably not get accepted immediately in colleges because they decided not to take Algebra II. No matter how capable a student is at exceeding, they will not get automatic college admissions because of their choice to not take Algebra II.

This impacts a majority of students. Students who need financial aid may also not be available receive financial aid for their college admission. Students might be rejected from the Texas Grant Program and other programs alike, such as FAFSA, which could benefit them greatly. 

Some people may argue that this only affects students with financial need and the students that are in the top 10 percent, but colleges have authority to reject a student who didn’t finish Algebra II successfully. In general, this new bill can definitely make or break a student’s future just because they decided to skip a math course.

In general, skipping Algebra II is a bad idea if you plan on going to a college or university since they have the choice to reject you, There could also be other hidden consequences for not completing Algebra successfully. Overall, skipping Algebra II seems like a no brainer for some students who just want to get over their math courses, but if you read the small print there are some serious drawbacks.