Free tool for Texas community colleges
See which of your programs are HB8 ready, in five minutes
Confirm your programs, then see where credential of value gaps and CBM009 misclassification could be quietly costing you funding. Built for institutional research and registrar teams navigating HB8 performance funding.
How it works
Four steps, no upload, no calls
Pick your college
Choose your district. We load your programs from public data so there is nothing to upload.
Confirm and verify your programs
Check or correct your program records and tag the fields they feed. Takes a few minutes.
Get your readiness report
See where each program stands across three HB8 checks, with a plain English reason for every flag.
Take it to your team
Download the full report and the CBM deadline checklist to share internally.
What the report covers
Three HB8 checks, one report
Credential of value (SB 1786)
Which credentials look fundable under the current definition and which to review before you certify.
CBM009 Item 22, non fundable awards
Awards at risk of being reported as non fundable when they may qualify, the trap that quietly loses funding.
Disadvantaged learner capture (CBM00A 44A and 44B)
Whether you are capturing the data that drives HB8 weighting bonuses or leaving them on the table.
Free to use. Built on public data and the programs you confirm. No student level data, ever. Readiness indicators only, confirm against current THECB guidance.
FAQ
HB8 compliance and outcomes-based funding, answered
What is the HB8 Readiness Check?+
The HB8 Readiness Check is a free, self-serve tool that helps Texas community colleges see which of their academic programs are ready for HB8 outcomes-based performance funding. It runs three HB8 compliance checks at the program level: credential of value under SB 1786, CBM009 Item 22 fundable award classification and CBM00A 44A and 44B disadvantaged learner capture. The output is a per-program readiness report with plain English rationales in about five minutes.
What is Texas HB8 (House Bill 8) and what does it require?+
Texas House Bill 8 passed in 2023 and restructured how Texas community colleges receive state funding. Funding now ties to credentials of value, fundable awards under CBM009 Item 22, structured pathways and capture of disadvantaged learner data under CBM00A 44A and 44B. Colleges that report inaccurately or fail to align programs to the new outcomes-based funding model risk leaving funding on the table. The HB8 Readiness Check flags those risks at the program level.
How does the HB8 Readiness Check work?+
The tool runs in five steps and takes about five minutes. Pick your community college district, confirm the programs we preloaded from public IPEDS and THECB data, tag three data points per program (median graduate salary, high demand status and whether you are capturing CBM00A 44A and 44B), then see a readiness report with green, yellow or red flags on every program. No file upload and no student level data at any step.
What HB8 funding flags does the tool check?+
Three checks per program. First, credential of value under SB 1786: does median wage clear the regional self-sufficiency threshold. Second, CBM009 Item 22 fundable award classification: AAS, CT1, CT2 and ATC are fundable while OSA, MSA, sub-15 SCH local certificates, continuing education and non-credit awards may not be. Third, CBM00A 44A and 44B disadvantaged learner capture: the data points that drive HB8 weighting bonuses. Each flag returns OK, Review or At risk with a plain English reason.
Who is the HB8 Readiness Check for?+
Institutional research directors, registrars, academic deans and accountability officers at Texas community colleges and technical colleges who need a fast read on HB8 program readiness before the next CBM reporting cycle. Useful for board prep, internal program review and HB8 audit preparation. Anyone at a Texas community college can run a free check without a demo or contract.
Is the HB8 Readiness Check really free?+
Yes. The HB8 Readiness Check is free and self-serve. There is no paywall, no consulting engagement and no upload of student data. The full per-program report is delivered to your work email and is printable as a PDF for internal sharing. zScale offers paid institutional dashboards for ongoing labor market and outcomes intelligence, but the readiness check itself is permanently free for Texas community colleges.