The House Committee on Higher Education met on March 6th to hear from several of the higher education agencies including the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the Texas Association of Community Colleges, the University of Texas System, the Texas A&M University System, and the University of North Texas System. An archive of the hearing can be found here. A link to the hearing notice can be found here.

This report is intended to give you an overview and highlight the various topics taken up. It is not a verbatim transcript of the discussions but is based upon what was audible or understandable to the observer and the desire to get details out as quickly as possible with few errors or omissions.

 

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB)

Harrison Keller, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

  • The competitiveness and prosperity of the state’s economy will rely on the education of the workforce and the contribution of higher education institutions
  • Agency predicts that by 2030 more than 62% of all jobs across Texas will require training beyond high school diploma
  • The agency’s new plan called “Building A Talent Strong Texas” has a goal of expanding educational attainment across the working education to 60%; today only 48% of Texans have education higher than high school diploma
  • The biggest drag on the Texas economy is lack of education credentials in employees
  • The mission of credentials value has two key components:
    • The knowledge and skill acquired equipment students for the jobs of tomorrow
    • The cost of credentials needs to be affordable
  • The largest driver of cost for students is not tuition, its cost of housing
  • The most important policy lever at the legislature’s disposal is with state financial aid
  • Texas currently invests more than $600M in student financial aid programs that benefits over 100K students; that investment doesn’t provide enough funding to support all eligible students
  • In 2021 Texas grant program funded only 54.5% of eligible students; expected to fund 68-72% this year
  • Last year only 27% of 2-year students received aid through the Texas Educational Opportunity Grant Program (TEOG)
  • About $200M of the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER) was for financial aid
  • GEER funding was also used to implement 2 financial aid strategies that the committee will have policy discussion on during session:
    • Texas Transfer Grant Program, supports transfers students with need-based aid
    • The Texas Leadership Scholars Program, supports high achieving low-income students; Senator West field SB 902 to codify program
  • Exceptional Item request of $153M for need based financial aid
  • Contingency rider for $139M to bring up TEOG and help fund 70% of eligible students
  • Coordinating Board is rolling out advising portal “My Texas Future” to help students
  • Asking for continued funding for “My Texas Future”
  • Still seeing impart on higher education enrollment; Public university up 1.5%, ICUT up 1.9%, Health Related Institution and Lamar up 7%, TSTC up 44%; CC enrollments down 12%
  • After decline in enrollments the Commission investigated needs to help address the issue; HB 8 has 3 major issues that should be addressed
    • State funding model for outcomes; convert the funding system from a static allocation model to a dynamic funding model
    • Affordability for students; recommendation highlights financial aid, TEOGs, creation of new scholarships for students in free lunch program
    • Investment in college capacity; target funding for increased capacity of colleges programs
  • Gonzalez- Question regarding the change of the formula, do you feel rural colleges might have a difficulty reaching the outcomes metrics?
    • There is a unique cost and needs for rural colleges; in the recommendations there would be new adjustments for students who are low income and adult learners; in addition, there would be an adjustment that would help the diseconomies of scale; if HB 8 is passed Texas would the most equitable outcomes-based model in the country
  • Gonzalez- What piece of guidance would you give, so this committee doesn’t hinder the appropriations asked by the committee?
    • There are 2 contingency riders that would help funding and investments in the health care workforce; making sure these investments align with policy changes

 

Texas Association of Community Colleges (TACC)

Ray Martinez, TACC

  • Gave an overview of the agency and the benefits it provided
  • Server over 40 Community colleges across the state
  • Community colleges serve approximately 68% of students
  • Since 2011 the number of degrees has increased by 61% despite decrease in enrollment
  • 93% of all CTE degrees were awarded by CCs; 94% of all dual credit came from CCs; 69% of students had transfer credit from CCs
  • Last session SB 1102 placed a needed emphasis on career and technical education; through the GEER program over $36M has been distributed to CCs
  • The recommendations in HB 8 would fundamentally change how CCs are funded
  • Raney- What is the difference between job outcomes and certificate outcomes?
    • We want to be able to make sure that students get the training they need to get employment; we are talking about is to acquire a credential; the emphasis is not on a degree but a credential of value
  • Raney- What is the oversight to make sure the certificates are of meaning?
    • Oversight is done by TEA, TWC, THECB to make sure those critical are being obtained
  • Raney- Is there any coordination between CCs and high schools that offer CTE programs?
    • Yes, there is coordination between the two
  • Raney- There are a lot of high schools that offer dual credit, is that a thing for workforce?
    • Yes, they can earn a credential through dual credit enrollment
  • Raney- How many CC are engaged in that coordination?
    • All 50 of them
  • Clardy- Why haven’t we bounced back to pre-pandemic numbers for enrollment, and what are our plans to bring it back, and what have we learned?
    • From 2019-2020 we have lost about 7% of our student population enrollment; our commitment is to reconnect with those students and support them with my Texas future program and help make sure there are ways for them to get back into school; we are going to continue to reengage, and help provide them a credential of value

 

Texas State Technical College (TSTC)

Michael Reeser, TSTC

  • Gave overview of the agency
  • The formula for TSTC does not pay on academic activity, it pays if they are placed in workforce, and the amount of money they earn in the first 5 years
  • Agency has a program students can opt into to qualify for the money back guarantee; in that guarantee 100% of there income is refunded if they don’t get a job out of the program;
  • Raney- last session I passed a bill called “the right of first refusal”, have you had any employers approach you about providing training?
    • Yes, under the bill an employers can seek to have training from their local community colleges; if the CCs can’t, the employers can seek another college to provide training for them; gave an example where TSTC opened a FAME program in the fall
  • Raney- How do you fund these capital-intensive programs?
    • In the past there were funds and community support available; although formula funding is driven on jobs and placement, TSTC is unlike CC since they don’t levy property tax, and don’t have access to the PUF; the legislature has talked about an endowment fund for TSTC, without that TSTC must wait for TRB or CCAPs and that has limited TSTC ability to grow
  • Raney- how many campuses do you operate?
    • We have 10
  • Raney- Do you need more?
    • Employers come to us and say you are gold standard, but we need more of what you do
  • Paul- How do you determine where to go with these 10 campuses?
    • TSTC is market driven; do not have the ability to open a campus, legislature tells us
  • Paul- Is the board appointed by the Governor?
    • Yes, all 9 of them
  • Cole- How many employers do yell partner with?
    • Hundreds
  • Cole- Are they from a particular industry?
    • We have a lot of employers; listed several different industrial employers

 

The University of Texas System (UT)

Archie Holmes, UT System

  • Gave an overview of the systems history
  • Enroll 245K students enrolled from every county in the state
  • In Nov. 22’ SFA made a request to join the system; working on legislation with Sen. Nichols & Rep. Clardy
  • UT ranks number 3 globally for patents
  • 4 UT institution launched joined with 16 other institutions nationwide to create Alliance for Hispanic Serving Universities
  • Joined with all public higher education systems on proposal to make sure affordability continues for students

 

Texas A&M University System (TAMU)

James Hallmark, TAMU System

  • 11 universities, 152K students
  • Largest public HBCU in the country, Prairie View A&M
  • Listed the achievements of the systems universities
  • A&M spoke on the 3 significant initiatives:
    • Committing to preparing future teachers
    • Committed to transfer students; more thank half of grads across systems came from CC
    • Committed to minimizing students cost; House took up and adopted systems affordability plan last week, will go to full house in coming weeks

 

Texas Tech University System (TTU)

Ted Mitchell, TTU System

  • Listed the education programs that TTU provides for rural Texas
  • Include 5 Universities
  • CRUs educate 40% of high school kids that go onto college
  • Two health related universities focused on health disparities in rural areas
  • Rural areas have higher cases of stokes and diabetes
  • Energy and agriculture are the backbone of TX economy and is based in the rural Texas
  • Work with underserved students and population the most rural, first generations, veteran institutions

 

Texas State University System (TSUS)

Brian McCall, TSUS

  • TSUS has 7 institutions serving over 88K students
  • TSUS prioritize access, affordability, and accuracy
  • Enrollment increased 20% in past ten years
  • 1/3 of students enrolled online
  • 167% increase in Hispanic and Black student enrollment
  • Up over 100% for students awarded STEM scholarships who are low income
  • Over 75% students receive financial aid

 

The University of Houston System (UoH)

Renu Khator, UoH System

  • UoH system has 4 universities
  • UoH is 100 years in 2027, tier 1 university, and comprehensive research university
  • College of medicine is based in primary care
  • Unique feature of the medical school, is paired with other interdisciplinary programs, the team is assigned a family in third ward and visits them once a month to help close the gap of health disparity
  • UoH top ranked hospitality, optometry, and creative writing programs
  • Explained UH other institution’s locations and achievements
  • 70% of students are enrolled in fixed tuition program; UH in 4
  • New digital textbook program saving millions of dollars with new online textbook program
  • Without the research programs being funding by Texas UH could not have become a tier 1 university

 

The University of North Texas System (UNT)

Michael Williams, UNT System

  • UNT System has 5 institutions with over 50,300 enrollments
  • UNT has enrollment increase of over 13% and earned Carnegie tier 1 rating
  • UNTD has 90% African American and 98% Hispanic students graduating with little to no debt
  • Health care center received $150M for Alzheimer grant and $100M for health disparities
  • Cole- what percent of students graduate with no debt?
    • 90% of African American student and 98% Hispanic
  • Cole- How did you do that?
    • Culture of working with families closely and personal help; have not raised tuition in the last 6 years

 

Independent Colleges & Universities of Texas, Inc. (ICUT)

Elizabeth Puthoff, ICUT

  • Includes 41 institutions and 130K student
  • 4 historically black colleges, 18 Hispanic institutions. 15 emerging Hispanic institutions
  • Thankful to the legislature for TEOG
  • Clardy- Could you tell how ICUT views the need for the TEOG?
    • There is an increasing need in financial aid for students; the size of the grants needed, and the numbers of grants needed is going to be an upward trajectory

 

Stephen F. Austin University (SFA)

Steve Westbrook, SFA

  • Freshman class has seen an enrollment increase; expect it to increase over the coming years
  • Offer a degree in aviation science; have a P3 with ACH Aviation to provided flight training
  • Set to engage in partnership with UT system; legislation for it will be coming up soon
  • Clardy- Can you give a prelude of the bill you will lay out this session?
    • One of the most important things is figure out what resources would be available if we were affiliated vs not affiliated; we believe that affiliation with any of the systems would be beneficial to SFA, the invitation from UT system seemed the most beneficial
  • Clardy- I can think of 125M reasons why its beneficial to the board
  • Kuempel- The lumberjacks will remain the same is that correct?
    • Yes, that is correct we will not change the name of the university
  • Gonzalez- The way you did the process with so much public input and transparency, should be used as a model for all our higher ed institutions going forward

 

Texas Women’s University (TWU)

Carine Feyten, Texas Women’s University

  • 87th legislature elevated TWU to the only public funded university with focus on women
  • Student body of 16K; 90% are women
  • 17% of PHDs in nursing are TWU grads
  • 80% of graduates are still teaching 10 years out
  • Half of students are transfer students from CCs
  • TWU is 4th most affordable institution in Texas
  • Highlighted the history of the TWU and the achievements the school has accomplished
  • Cole- How are you doing with the foster care children?
    • They do not pay tuition; use a team approach, and they have a center to help them navigate the higher education system
  • Paul- How many colleges do you all have?
    • 5 colleges
  • Paul- What is the focus of Houston?
    • Mostly health care profession