Texas House approves extra funding for schools like ACC. We explain in 2 minutes.
The Texas House approved a bill Wednesday that is expected to appropriate millions in additional funding for community colleges, including Austin Community College.
House Bill 8 would allocate additional funding to the 50 public community college districts in Texas based on certain student success metrics. The proposal is part of an effort to increase student access to higher education and help fill state worker shortages.
Community colleges in Texas currently collect revenue through a combination of property taxes, tuition and fees, state appropriations and various other sources. The bill would guarantee a certain level of state funding for smaller and rural community college districts that aren’t able to raise as much tax revenue as urban districts.
More: House, Senate panels OK measure to form Texas University Fund, allot billions to research
Rep. Gary VanDeaver, R-New Boston, filed the bill, which has support among all 50 community colleges in Texas, as well as several local and statewide business leaders, higher education advocates and other community college stakeholders.
HB 8 is modeled after the recommendations from the the Texas Commission on Community College Finance released late last year, which include providing more support for small and rural-serving colleges in areas with lower property values and awarding funding to each school based on student success.
"This would be the most significant state investment for community colleges in decades," said Ryan Franklin, senior director of policy and advocacy for Educate Texas. "We've been on a trend where for quite a few years, the state has been declining (its) investments in community college and I think this is a positive change in the right direction and both for workforce and academic programs."
The bill is one of House Speaker Dade Phelan’s priorities this legislative session. As of Wednesday morning, the bill had more than 90 co-authors and joint authors.
More: Texas House OKs ban on use of state money for 'unconstitutional' DEI programs in colleges
How will the bill help schools like Austin Community College?
The bill provides a "modern and dynamic finance system" that provides "adequate state appropriation and local resources" to public junior colleges. It establishes "performance-tier funding" that is distributed based on outcomes aligned with regional and state workforce needs and the state's higher education goals.
VanDeaver's bill does not outline the exact amount of additional "performance tier funding" each college would receive, but it would be determined by several factors, including the number of degrees and certificates a college awards "that equip students for continued learning and greater earnings," with a extra weight given to students who earn a credential in a high-demand occupation.
It would award funds based on students who complete at least 15 hours of courses and transfer to a four-year university, enroll in dual credit courses or take courses that "apply toward academic or workforce program requirements."
The proposed legislation also creates the Financial Aid for Swift Transfer program to enroll students at high schools or charter schools who are economically disadvantaged in dual credit courses at no cost to them.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Legislature: House votes to overhaul community college funding
