The addition of new programs in science, technology, health care and education has greatly increased the number of students majoring in these disciplines. The continuation of this funding will also contribute to TAMU-CC's success in its rate of retaining students. The Chamber supports the expansion of higher education grant and scholarship programs to respond to higher education access barriers . Additionally, the Chamber supports other state financial aid programs including the Hinson-Hazelwood College Student Loan Program, the Texas Tomorrow Fund, which is the state's prepaid tuition program. As college costs rise in Texas, more students find it difficult to pay for higher education.
Financial aid can help fill the gap between students' financial resources and the cost of college.
These are areas in which the university has excelled and for which can gain national recognition. In education, TAMU-CC's Early Childhood Development Center is nationally acclaimed as an innovative cooperative effort with the local school district to address the issues of early childhood learning in a real setting. Again, special item funding was instrumental in these developments. The university will be developing a Middle School Theme Center concept that will involve middle school students from throughout the area. The Chamber would like to ask the state to fund the basic operations of the Center through a new special item - Science and Math Partnership with Schools.