The House higher education committee will focus on the state's slow completion rates Wednesday.
Two bills filed by Rep. Dan Branch, R-Dallas are on the line up. One measure would change the formula funding for each college and university to allow the state to tie a portion of the funding to graduation rates and other outcomes. The funding for colleges and universities is currently based on enrollments.
"We've done good work on the front end; what we need to do now is focus on completion rates," Branch said, who chairs the committee.
Nationally, enrollments and the number of students receiving financial aid continues to grow, but graduation rates remain stagnant. A 2009 report from the U.S. Department of Education shows that 57 percent of students graduate in six years and 37 percent graduate in four.
The second bill would created a priority model for college students who receive the TEXAS grant - which is the state's largest financial aid program for low-income students. The program is not fully funded, currently serving about 70 percent of eligible students, according to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. In the House and Senate budgets, 60,000 less eligible students would be able to get a grant.
Students who receive the grant now do soon a first-come, first-serve basis. The proposal by Branch would give preference to students who are more "college ready" by making students meet certain criteria in high school. Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, who chairs the Senate Higher Education committee, filed a similar bill.
Source: http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/03/house-higher-education-leaders.html
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