College and university officials from across the state convened in Austin for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s annual conference, where they heard from Abbott, state lawmakers and education experts. The two-day conference ends Dec. 13.
The big picture
This year, the Texas Legislature invested over $5 billion in higher education for the 2024-25 biennium. Lawmakers also approved House Bill 8, a “transformative” law that overhauls how the state funds community colleges.
HB 8 increases funding for Texas’ 50 community colleges and incentivizes them to help students earn degrees in high-demand fields, transfer to four-year universities and more. Community colleges were previously funded based on enrollment.
The new law, which went into effect Sept. 1, is a “model for the country,” Abbott said. “This is the way that education should be funded.”
During a panel, bill author Rep. Gary VanDeaver, R-New Boston, said helping pass HB 8 was the highlight of his career.
“I’ve never had a piece of legislation where I couldn’t find anyone that hated it,” Van Deaver said.
The bill received nearly unanimous support in the Legislature, with only former Rep. Bryan Slaton voting against it. The North Texas businessperson was expelled from the Texas House in May for sexual misconduct.
VanDeaver, who represents rural areas, told conference attendees he was proud to help in community colleges.
“We had some small community colleges that, had we not done something to kinda shore them up financially, their future was not very bright,” VanDeaver said.
What they’re saying
“There is no other state in the United States that is developing [a] well-trained, skilled workforce better than the state of Texas,” Abbott said.
The Texas University Fund, a new program approved by voters during the Nov. 7 election, will help Texas continue to invest in higher education and the economy, Abbott said. The fund provides $3.9 billion to four universities—Texas Tech University, the University of Houston, the University of North Texas and Texas State University.
“It is going to transform not just those universities,” Abbott said. “It will transform the programs that will educate the future students who will be on the pathway to being leaders not just nationally, but internationally.”
What else?
During this year’s regular legislative session, lawmakers passed two other bills with major impacts on public colleges and universities. Senate Bill 17 bans diversity, equity and inclusion offices at public institutions, while Senate Bill 18 changes tenure requirements. Lawmakers did not discuss the controversial laws during the Dec. 12 panel.
