BILL ESTABLISHING OUTCOME-BASED FUNDING MODEL FOR TEXAS COMMUNITY COLLEGES BECOMES LAW

  

A bill that changes Texas’ funding model for community colleges to one based on student performance and outcomes has been signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott.

House Bill 8 grants funding to colleges based on how many students receive degrees, certificates or other “credentials of value” or transfer to a four-year university.  It also allows economically disadvantaged high school students to enroll in dual credit courses at no additional cost through the Financial Aid for Swift Transfer scholarship program.

Alongside the legislation, an additional $683 million has been allocated in the state budget for Texas’ 50 community college districts. 

Blinn College Executive Vice Chancellor Leighton Schubert said, “The new state funding formula that rewards community colleges for helping students graduate, transfer, and succeed in dual-credit courses perfectly aligns with Blinn’s longstanding commitment to student success.  We appreciate the Legislature’s investment in Blinn and its fellow two-year colleges and believe that this new funding structure will benefit our College and its students for years to come.”

The legislation was sponsored by Rep. Gary VanDeaver (R-New Boston) and Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe).  Exactly how much each individual community college will receive through the new funding model has yet to be determined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. 

Abbott said the bill “will be an important tool to help enhance the role of public junior colleges in workforce training and preparation for high-demand careers.”