"I see a man who always puts the University first, someone who stands up for what he believes even if it may not be politically popular” said State Sen. Kevin Efilte, R-Tyler.
Students from UT, Texas A&M University, Texas State University, Texas Tech University and the University of Houston united at the Texas Capitol on Tuesday to lobby for higher education funding.
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is asking the Texas Legislature to allocate $719.6 million to the TEXAS Grant Program. Currently, the program only gives grants to 22 percent of eligible freshmen. With the new changes, the program could reach up to 90 percent of freshmen.
The bills would bring UT-Brownsville, UT-Pan American and the Regional Academic Health Center in Harlingen under the administration of one institution and grant access to the Permament University Fund.
