The University of Houston received approval to expand in Katy when governor Greg Abbott signed HB 100 on June 18. This is the first tuition revenue bond to pass since 2006. The bill, filled with projects for all major university systems in the state, allots $46,832,000 to the UH system for the purpose of “land acquisition for construction a building in the area near Katy.” The approval was necessary for the system to continue meeting growth, said Jason Smith, UH vice president for governmental and community relations. “Our university is growing rapidly,” he said. “There’s a lot of higher education needs throughout the city and the state.” Student enrollment has grown steadily at UH, from 37,000 students in fall 2009 to nearly 41,000 in fall 2014. A campus in Katy would give residents a chance to earn a degree without making the commute into Houston, Smith said. “Transportation in Houston can be challenging,” he said. “It’s good for people who are younger or don’t want to spend time on the road. They can go to UH in their own backyard.” Smith said system administrators have received encouraging feedback from Katy residents as well. “We’re excited to have the opportunity to fill the need [of higher education] in the area and I know the people of Katy are excited to have us too,” Smith said. There’s no specific location at the moment but the Energy Corridor is one spot being considered for the future campus, Smith said. “There’s a good population of [people] working and living there but we’re not married to that one specific area,” he said. Because there are many factors to work out, Smith said there is no tentative opening date for the campus.