Hopes Fading for New Limits for Tuition Growth
With the death of all legislation specifically aiming to re-regulate tuition costs at Texas' public universities, proponents of the idea see few avenues for implementing the idea this year. Full Story
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Matthew Watkins began serving as editor in chief of the Tribune in September 2024. Matthew is a Texas native, born in Houston and raised in Austin. He attended public schools and graduated from Texas A&M University. He’s spent nearly two decades in Texas journalism, and previously worked at The Eagle in Bryan-College Station and The Dallas Morning News. Matthew joined the Tribune in 2015 has held various roles, including higher education reporter, breaking news editor and politics editor. As a managing editor, Matthew has guided the Tribune’s award-winning journalism and other reporting of statewide significance, including coverage of elections and legislative sessions to major breaking news and ambitious storytelling about the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the Texas-Mexico border, the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, the impeachment of Texas attorney general and battles over public education. He lives in Austin with his wife, Susan, and their two children.
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House Votes to Preserve Free Tuition for Some Veterans' Kids
At the last minute, the House voted to scrap changes to the Hazlewood program that would have made many children of veterans ineligible for free tuition. The bill will still need to be reconciled with the Senate's more restrictive version. Full Story
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Facing Cuts, Community Colleges Plead for More State Funding
The state's 50 community college systems are one of the few areas targeted for cuts in state funding over the next two years. As a final budget is hashed out in the Legislature, school leaders are hoping to reverse their fiscal fortune. Full Story
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Senate Approves $3 Billion in Bonds for Campus Construction
Senators on Tuesday approved House Bill 100, which would authorize $3 billion in debt to pay for construction projects on university campuses. Full Story
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Promise of Free Tuition Could Vanish for Some Veterans' Children
As lawmakers are working to rein in the cost of the Hazlewood program, some veterans are wondering how they'll pay for kids' tuition that they once thought would be free. Full Story
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Hall Denied Access to Student Records — Again
Even after an attorney general's ruling in his favor, Regent Wallace Hall was told that he can't see confidential student information related to admissions. Full Story
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Panel Defends Powers' Role in Admissions but Recommends Changes
A panel of former chancellors and university presidents defended the University of Texas at Austin president’s role in admissions Thursday, but warned that students’ connections shouldn’t be a factor in whether they are admitted. Full Story
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UT Finalizes Contract With Basketball Coach Shaka Smart
In his first year, Shaka Smart will earn $2.8 million. That salary will increase by $100,000 each year until the terms of his contract run out in 2022. The final year, in which he'd be paid $3.4 million, is not guaranteed. Full Story
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Paxton: UT Can't Block Regents' Requests for Information
Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday boosted University of Texas System Regent Wallace Hall's efforts to dig into admissions at UT-Austin by siding with Hall in a dispute over whether regents can have access to confidential student records. Full Story
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Legislators Likely to End Top 10 Percent Scholarships
A state-funded college scholarship program designed to keep top students in Texas may soon be axed due to lawmaker concerns that it doesn't have enough money to accomplish its goal. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman
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