Members of the Texas Legislature once again took aim at institutions of higher education's budgets via a bill that would limit the ability for a university to set and raise their own tuition.

Senate Bill 19, authored by Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, would seek to regulate tuition for the first time since 2003. Since that year—prior to which tuition was regulated by the state—the price to attend a Texas public university has risen by more than 100 percent, according to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

Seliger said his bill attempts to stop this growth to make education more affordable for students. The legislation effectively caps tuition for two years and allows universities to increase it following that time, should they meet certain performance indicators set by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Those performance indicators are outlined in Senate Bill 543. In a floor substitute introduced Tuesday, much of that concept in SB 543 was integrated into SB 19.

Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, authored an amendment that allows tuition to grow following the cap per year at the rate of inflation plus one percent following the two-year cap. The amendment passed despite the bill's sponsor voting against it.

 

Opponents of the bill said it would make what is already a hard session for higher education funding even more difficult.

In a session where roughly $1.1 billion in state funding for higher education special items could be eliminated in the Senate draft budget, universities could be without a reliable base of funding from both the state and their own students. Senators recognized that in floor debate Tuesday.

Seliger acknowledged that sentiment by saying the 84th session was easier, and this would involve some serious cuts.

"[Higher education institutions] are having a tough session, there's no question about it," Seliger said.

The bill eventually passed out of the Senate in a 29-2 vote with Senators Kirk Watson, D-Austin, and Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, casting the sole no votes.

Senators also debated another one of Seliger's bills aimed at changing the financial scheme of public universities. Senate Bill 18 would eliminate a required tuition set aside, which designates a portion of tuition money for financial aid for low-income students.

As it stands, public universities are required to set aside 15 percent of tuition money that is charged at a rate of more than $46 per credit hour.

According to a Senate Research Center Analysis, in 2014, roughly $19.18 per semester credit hour was set aside for that purpose. In 2004, this number was $2.55.

The bill would eliminate these set-asides, starting in the spring of 2018 at four-year colleges.

Some Republican senators argued the line dividing those who get aid from the set-asides and those who do not is arbitrary. Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, said it is unfair that those making just $1,000 more than those who get aid would graduate with debt, while those making just a little less would not.

"I think as a state, to help people coming from low-income situations to go to college and achieve that American dream, I think that's on us—I don't think we should be passing that on to other students," Taylor said.

The bill will be read for a final vote Wednesday.