U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, toured Texas State Technical College's Fort Bend County campus April 15 to promote his new legislation aimed at benefiting students who pursue a technical education. Cruz introduced the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act in February and discussed aspects of the proposed bill with TSTC leadership and Fort Bend County industry leaders. The bill establishes tax credits to encourage individual and corporate taxpayers to make scholarship contributions for education, including workforce training. "To keep up with the rest of the world and be competitive, we need to continue growing the skilled workforce we need to keep our economy moving forward," Cruz said during remarks. "And this bill, at the end of the day, will match people with their passion and work for the state and its industries." TSTC Chancellor Mike Reeser said 60% of the jobs in Texas require some kind of education beyond high school, and half of those require only a certificate or two-year degree like the ones offered at TSTC. "The beauty of hosting you today is the great impact this new bill can have for these students seeking these opportunities," Reeser said to Cruz. "A lot of families struggle to pay for college, and having the opportunity to increase the amounts of scholarships for families is absolutely crucial to us expanding the availability of a skilled workforce." After the announcement, Cruz toured the campus and spoke one-on-one with program instructors and students.