Proposed State Budget Denies 96,000 Aspiring Texas Students Financial Aid
Authors:
Leslie Helmcamp /(512) 320-0222
Don Baylor /(512) 320-0222 x 108
February 9, 2011
Read Full Article >>
The proposed state budget in Senate Bill 1 cuts Texas’ college financial aid grant programs by 39 percent, reducing the state’s investment in postsecondary grant aid by $385 million. Even at current funding levels, Texas’s grant programs only reach about half of eligible students. Funding cuts for state grant programs will further shift costs to hard working students and families and will serve as a barrier to college access and success in Texas.
By shifting costs to students and families, the state risks losing ground on its goals to increase the number of college graduates, thereby reducing the state’s ability to compete for future jobs that will require increased amounts of training and education. Furthermore, with fewer state resources to help students pay for college tuition, student dependence on loans will likely increase. Those that choose to attend college will likely shoulder higher debt loads, further eroding college success.