Additional higher education opportunities are coming to Fort Bend and west Harris counties as a result of the 84th Texas legislative session, which concluded June 1.

The University of Houston system was approved to expand in Sugar Land and establish a presence in Katy when Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 100 on June 18, marking the first tuition revenue bond to pass since 2006.

HB 100, which contains funding for projects for all major university systems in the state, authorizes the UH system to spend $54 million for the construction of a new academic building in Sugar Land. The bill also awarded $46.8 million to the
UH system for the purpose of acquiring land near Katy to construct an academic building.

The bill, authored by state Rep. John Zerwas, R-Richmond, capitalized on the momentum of last session’s tuition revenue bond bill, which failed to pass.

“There was a lot of consensus for the need of a TRB bill in the last session. It just didn’t cross the finish line,” Zerwas said. “Coming into this session, we wanted to build on that [consensus].”

As the population in Fort Bend and west Harris counties continue to grow, so does the need for higher education, Zerwas said.

“We’re going to have the opportunity to see people get educated [in the area] and get jobs that hopefully keep them nearby,” Zerwas said. “I’m excited for the development of [higher] education in the west Houston area.”

The approval of HB 100 was also necessary for the system to continue meeting enrollment growth, said Jason Smith, UH system vice president for governmental and community relations.

“Our university is growing rapidly,” he said. “There [are] a lot of higher education needs throughout the city and the state.”

Student enrollment has grown steadily at the UH system, from 37,000 students in fall 2009 to nearly 41,000 in fall 2014.

The expansion in Sugar Land and a campus in Katy would give residents a chance to earn a degree in select programs without having to commute to 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 [a UH system campus] in their own backyard.”

Because there are many factors yet to work out, Smith said there is no tentative opening date for the new projects.