UPDATED: House Higher Education Dan Branch, R-Dallas, has opted not to concur with significant changes made by the Senate to a bill requiring universities to offer incoming students optional four-year fixed tuition plans. 

Texas public universities awarded more than 50,000 bachelor’s degrees in spring 2013, an increase of more than 5,000 from 2012, according to preliminary data from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

UPDATED: The Senate on Wednesday concurred with the House amendments to Senate Bill 24, creating a regional university and medical school in the Rio Grande Valley. The bill will now head to the governor's desk.

State Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, faces a growing and likely insurmountable challenge in his efforts to pass a bill allowing the concealed carry of firearms in buildings on university and college campuses.

Reeve, Aman, Jay and Ben talk about the final stages of lawmakers' efforts to put together a budget deal, state Sen. John Carona's day job and the legislative casualties of tension between the Senate and the House.

The Senate approved an extension of the University of Texas at Austin's cap on automatic admissions under the state's top 10 percent rule on Tuesday, and members rejected efforts to do away with the rule entirely.

UPDATED: Premont Independent School District will avoid closure by joining with Texas A&M University-Kingsville, state and local officials announced on Tuesday.

The Senate Nominations Committee unanimously voted Tuesday to approve Gov. Rick Perry's three nominees to the University of Texas System Board of Regents. The nominees must still be confirmed by the full Senate.

The Texas House gave tentative approval to billions of dollars in bonds for campus construction projects on Monday. The version it approved totaled nearly $2.7 billion, up from about $2.4 billion initially approved by the Senate.

University of Texas at Austin President Bill Powers was a popular topic Monday as the Senate Nominations Committee had several questions for the three nominees for the UT System's Board of Regents.

UPDATED: Friday morning's clash between the House and Senate appears to be water under the bridge. Lawmakers in the upper chamber said it was a tussle over a local Houston matter — but that they're working to resolve it.

The cause of the West fertilizer plant explosion that killed 15 people on April 17 has been ruled “undetermined,” officials announced at a press conference in the town's high school parking lot on Thursday.

The Texas Senate on Thursday unanimously passed a controversial committee substitute to House Bill 1000, which creates a new university and medical school in the Rio Grande Valley.

UPDATED: House lawmakers on Wednesday put their stamp of approval on a measure that would keep the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in business for another 12 years. But they tacked on a few more amendments. 

Evan, Emily, Ben and Reeve discuss the musical stylings of Houston physician and major Republican donor Steve Hotze, recently released emails from the governor to University of Texas System regents, and the state of the state's water funding.