Recently, the Texas House and Senate voted unanimously to put Proposition 4 on the voters’ ballot in November. Proposition 4 would enable seven Texas universities to dip into a $500 million fund to boost funding on their campuses.
According to The Dallas Morning News, the $500 million would come from a defunct education fund Texas put together years ago called the Higher Education Fund. If approved, the money in the Higher Education Fund would be moved to a new National Research University Fund.
However, there is a catch. In order for any of the seven universities to receive any of the money, they have to meet at least five of seven quality standards. A few of the standards include creating more graduate programs, increasing the number of entering freshmen and having a certain amount of endowments. The Morning News reported the University of Houston is the closest to accomplishing the quality standards, with Texas Tech and UT-Dallas following close behind.
I think the biggest problem voters are going to see with Proposition 4 will be that the money should go elsewhere. As tuition rates increase, many undergraduate students are finding it harder to pay for college. $500 million would go a long way in scholarships and financial aid.
Since no new taxes would be created as a result of Proposition 4, eventually the money could run out. Research costs a lot of money and $500 million will dry up pretty fast.
However, according to The Houston Chronicle, all seven of the eligible universities are vying for tier-one status. If half of these universities gain tier-one status, Texas will have one of the largest numbers of tier-one schools in the country.
The more students who stay in Texas, the more those students will contribute to our state economy. Instead of paying out-of-state tuition, students will be able to receive a tier-one level education without paying the few extra thousand they would have to at say, Ohio State.
Of course, with tier-one status comes higher in-state tuition. However, the extra cost of tuition shouldn’t outweigh the other benefits of attending a tier-one university in our home state.
So what does this mean for Tech? If Tech could meet the quality standards necessary to tap into the $500 million National Research University Fund, the university could gain hundreds of new students. There needs to be a change in the ranks of Rice, UT-Austin and Texas A&M. Tech would be an excellent addition if it can meet tier-one criteria and receive the research funding provided by Proposition 4.
Face it; diplomas that come from tier-one universities are more impressive than diplomas that come from other universities. If Tech can gain tier-one status and get a piece of this $500 million pie, enrollment and school pride will shoot up.
Texans are a proud people. If they approve Proposition 4, more college students will remain in the state and attend our own tier-one universities. Keeping Texas students inside Texas universities will put Texas back on top in college education.
While it may have a few flaws, Proposition 4 ultimately will be beneficial for students, universities and the citizens of Texas.
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