According to a recent article in Impact News, tuition costs are continuing to rise for colleges and universities across the state of Texas as overall enrollment grows at higher education institutions. Texas colleges are seeking to create equilibrium between rising tuition costs and quality of education.
David Gardner, deputy commissioner of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, reports that college tuition has increased at public universities about 90 percent since the Texas Legislature voted to deregulate tuition in 2003. There are several factors that contribute to this increased number, such as improving student services and efforts to find accomplished faculty.
Gardner also comments that Texas is trying to research new plans to make college more affordable for aspiring students. The Texas Legislature passed HB 29 in the 2013 legislative session, which is requiring higher education institutions, such as public state colleges to offer four-year, fixed-rate tuition programs to incoming undergraduate students.
As an example, the University of Houston’s tuition has risen more than 25 percent from $3,780 in 2008 to $4,750 in 2014 per semester. In the fall, they will now implement a fixed-rate tuition plan combined with what they call, the UH in 4 Initiative. This plan will permit undergraduates, who complete 25 percent of their degree’s required credit hours per year, to pay a fixed-tuition rate, as long as they graduate within four years. Hopefully, Texas universities and colleges will offer more initiatives and benefits to ambitious undergrads, so that they will not forfeit high education opportunities because they can’t afford it.