Blinn College trustees approved a $134.2 million budget for the 2026-27 school year June 16, maintaining employee raises and other priorities despite a projected reduction in state funding.
In a nutshell
Executive Vice Chancellor Leighton Schubert said updated projections from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board suggest Blinn could receive about $5.3 million less in state funding than previously expected. The reduction is tied to proposed changes in the state’s community college funding model and a statewide funding shortfall.
Even with the projected decrease, Schubert presented a balanced budget that includes a 2% salary increase, tiered longevity pay and funding for facility repairs and renovations.
“I am very proud to say that we’re going to present you a budget today that is balanced and still maintains all of those priorities,” Schubert told trustees.
He said Blinn was able to offset the reduction through operational savings and earlier conservative budgeting decisions.
Latest update
In a news release, Blinn officials said its spring 2026 enrollment increased 3.31% since last year, marking the college’s highest spring enrollment since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bryan and RELLIS campus enrollment both decreased by 5.43% and 3.86%, respectively. Meanwhile, enrollment at the Brenham campus rose 9.85%, and dual-credit enrollment increased nearly 22%.
Trustees approved the budget unanimously.
Remember this?
Blinn approved keeping its tuition and general fee rates unchanged for the 2026-27 school year in April, marking it the second year in a row without an increase in tuition. In-district tuition is set at $64 per semester credit hour for Washington County students, which is Blinn’s taxing district.
The college system also celebrated the opening of its new Waller Workforce and Technical Education Complex in early June and continues to build a $68 million campus just across the street, as previously reported by Community Impact.
