(This legislative update has been assembled by the UH System Office of Governmental Relations and edited by the UH Division of University Advancement as a service to the UH System community.)
The House is scheduled to begin debate on the Appropriations Bill (SB 1) on Wednesday, April 6. It is likely that they will spend at least two days on the bill. Amendments on the bill must be prefiled by 5 p.m. Monday, April 4. In order to add funds to any item, a like amount must be reduced from another source in the bill. Both the Senate and the House have been following an expedited schedule on the bill. This moves the bill to the conference committee much earlier than previous sessions. That is fortunate because it appears that the two houses are not close to reconciling differences on the tax, school finance or workers’ comp bills.
A brief comparison of the bill as introduced by the House and Senate follows:
| Current Biennium | Senate Version | House Version | |
|
University of Houston
General Revenue All Funds |
$260,972,421 $385,840,618 |
$275,570,210 $424,286,300 |
$265,127,806 $388,040,414 |
|
UH-Clear Lake
General Revenue All Funds |
$52,368,160 $72,867,929 |
$57,255,857 $80,726,197 |
$54,274,215 $77,383,733 |
|
UH-Downtown
General Revenue All Funds |
$41,708,827 $67,477,097 |
$48,501,484 $73,266,485 |
$44,937,846 $69,498,895 |
|
UH-Victoria
General Revenue All Funds |
$22,807,694 $27,013,044 |
$23,470,247 $29,304,070 |
$22,362,973 $28,162,396 |
|
UH System Administration
General Revenue |
$4,932,300 | $4,932,298 | $4,685,684 |
On Tuesday, Board Chairman Morgan Dunn O’Connor, Vice Chairman Leroy Hermes and Regent Mike Cemo had meetings with a number of key legislators including Lt. Gov. Dewhurst.
UH-Victoria Pres. Tim Hudson testified before the House Higher Education Committee on HB 1215 by Rep. Morrison (authorizing UHV to offer doctoral level programs). The bill was reported favorably.
There are several bills relating to financial aid this session. We have prepared an analysis of the TEXAS grant and B on Time systems. The report follows:
TEXAS Grants
The TEXAS Grant Program was created during the 1999 Texas Legislative session under the leadership of Senator Rodney Ellis. Senator Ellis modeled this program on the Georgia Hope Scholarship program. A student who receives a TEXAS Grant pays no tuition and fees. The state covers the majority of these costs with the university making up any difference. A student is eligible for a TEXAS Grant if he or she has:
Graduated from a Texas public or private high school;
Received either a recommended or distinguished high school diploma;
Demonstrated financial need; and
Enrolls for no less than 9 hours per semester.
A student is eligible for continued TEXAS Grant funding if he or she has a 2.5 grade point average at the end of two years and has completed 75 percent of courses attempted.
The positive impact of the TEXAS Grant program on the University of Houston has been significant:
Through the current 2004-05 academic year, 4,721 students have received $30,074,435 in TEXAS Grant funds.
TEXAS Grant recipients at UH have had to borrow less and work less. A large number of our students are first generation college students who reside at home. The TEXAS Grant program affords them the opportunity to borrow less since these awards don’t have to be repaid.
The Texas Grant can play a major role in the retention and ultimate graduation of our students. As long as the student continues to meet academic progress and need requirements, the recipient has a commitment from the state though graduation or 150 hours of attempted coursework, whichever comes first.
B-on-Time Loans
The B-on-Time loan program was created during the 2003 Texas Legislative session under the leadership of Lt. Gov. Dewhurst and Sen. Zaffirini. The purpose of the program is to encourage students to graduate from college in a timely manner with a strong academic record. B-on-Time loans are “no interest” loans awarded for the average cost of tuition and fees statewide. A student is eligible for a B-on-Time loan if he or she is:
A Texas resident;
Enrolled for a full course load; and
Eligible for federal financial aid.
A student is eligible for continued B-on-Time funding if he or she has a 2.5 grade point average and completed 75 percent of courses attempted in the most recent academic year. A student is forgiven the amount of these loans if he or she graduates:
With at least a 3.0 grade point average;
Within four calendar years (five years for certain degree programs that require more hours to graduate, including architecture and engineering); and
With no more than 6 hours in excess of the hours required to complete the degree.
Since the B-on-Time program is new, there are no data on whether UH students will ultimately benefit from the loan forgiveness opportunity. However, given the fact that many of our students work while attending college and have family responsibilities, it is likely that they will not reap the benefits of this program. As a result, the TEXAS grant program is far more useful as a tool for UH to facilitate student persistence and graduation.
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