Thousands of Texas students have been forced to put their college plans on hold as the Legislature, working on the state budget, determines what level of funding there will be for TEXAS Grants, the state’s principal financial aid program for financially needy college students.
Higher Education
Coverage of universities, colleges, student issues, and education policy shaping Texas’ campuses, from The Texas Tribune.
Interactive: 2006-2010 TEXAS Grant Distributions
The Texas Legislature created the TEXAS (Towards EXcellence, Access and Success) Grant program in 1999 to make higher education more accessible to students from low-income families. Check out the interactive to see how much in TEXAS Grants funding has been allocated to the state’s 94 public colleges and universities between 2006 and 2010.
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Root and Galbraith on a Dallas billionaire’s radioactive waste dump victory, Grissom on the passage of eyewitness ID reform, Hamilton on the old grudges bedeviling the debate over higher ed, Philpott on the status of congressional redistricting, Ramsey on Rick Perry’s un-campaign for president, Ramshaw on why medical schools are the scorned children of the state’s education budget, my session-wrap interview with three veteran Democrats, M. Smith on why Rob Eissler can’t pass mandate relief for school districts and Stiles on who’s giving what to which Texas candidates in 2011-12 congressional races: The best of our best content from May 16 to 20, 2011.
Old Grudges, Rivalries Bedevil Higher Education Debate
As the debate over the future of Texas’ higher education continues to swirl, it’s increasingly intertwined in old political rivalries and long-held grudges and resentments.
Texas A&M Faculty Want Transparency From Regents
The ongoing debate about the future of of Texas higher education has, until this point, been most dynamic at the University of Texas at Austin. With a recent dispatch from the Texas A&M University faculty, that appears to be changing.
Panel Debates Future of Research Universities
A panel of higher education and business executives at the University of Texas at Austin reflected high anxiety about the future of research universities — especially in Texas, which has just three of the nation’s top research universities compared to California’s nine.
GOP Lawmakers Target In-State Tuition for Students in Texas Illegally
A bill by state Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, seeks to repeal in-state tuition for students who are not living in Texas legally. He says it will make tuition rates fairer, but others argue that the tuition break ultimately benefits the state.
UT System Regent’s Request Stirs More Controversy
After a public display of harmony last week, controversy continues to surround UT System Board of Regents. Does a request made by regent Alex Cranberg amount to the kind of micromanaging criticized by the system’s chancellor? Cranberg insists it is no such thing.
Overshadowed by Other Cuts, Med Schools Face Drastic Reductions
Texas medical schools feel like the scorned children of the state’s education budget. Lost amid the pleas of parents to restore funding for public education, and the demands of college students to preserve financial aid, the state’s health care institutions say few seem to understand the drastic situation they face.
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
Aaronson on pork choppers, Aguilar on sanctuary cities legislation, Galbraith on Brownsville’s ban on plastic bags, Grissom on Delma Banks and prosecutorial misconduct, Hamilton on a tough week for higher education in Texas, Philpott on wildfires and politics, Ramshaw on the state’s pursuit of a federal Medicaid overhaul, M. Smith on what would happen if lawmakers don’t rewrite school finance formulas, yours truly on the Lege as schoolyard and Stiles with interactive graphics on how the proposed Senate redistricting maps compare with current ones: The best of our best content from May 9 to 13, 2011.



