In that time, faculty salaries in Texas dropped below the national average. The percentage of part-time faculty in our classrooms increased. Our tuition rates are still low, but since 1985 they have risen 700 percent. Yet most Texas students receive only 60 percent of the assistance for which they qualify. Texas provides only 11 percent of total student aid, compared to 25 percent nationally.
Financial problems are a leading reason why students drop out of college.
Just when we most need to provide access for more students, higher costs create a bigger barrier. The Back to Basics proposal is unique in my 25-year experience in state government because it unites all the institutions of higher education and because it promises a specific return on the state's investment. If we do not do something, the problems will become irreversible. The key benefit, when fully implemented, would be 15,200 more bachelor's degrees granted per year, bringing Texas up to the national average. Twelve thousand more students a year enroll in higher education.