True or False?
“True or false: Tuition and fees at Sam Houston State University, the University of Houston, Texas State University and four other public schools in the state exceed the sticker price for the University of Texas at Austin. The answer, surprisingly, is true.” That’s the lead of an Austin American-Statesman piece on tuition and fees at Texas public institutions. UT Austin not only has the lowest tuition of those institutions, but since tuition deregulation has had the lowest percentage increase in tuition. “UT-Dallas is the most expensive of the state’s 38 public universities, with tuition and fees totaling $5,903 for the fall 2016 semester … UT-Austin’s price tag for academic charges was $5,046, eighth-highest. Texas A&M University was fourth-highest at $5,225. … The statewide average was $4,374.” The cost of tuition will be a continued point of interest with lawmakers over the interim and into the next Legislative Session.
Continue ReadingHow can you save over $20,000 on college costs?
“How can you save over $20,000 on college costs? Graduate on time.” That’s the analysis from a Wall Street Journal piece this week. Only 40% of full-time students at four-year schools graduate on time, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, part of the U.S. Department of Education. That’s why universities across the country, including UT Austin, are focused on using data to help address the challenge – and find a solution. Using data from academic transcripts and personal records, UT Austin has identified the 25% of students least likely to graduate on time and has enrolled them in the University Leadership Network, which, in addition to requiring students to attend weekly seminars and do internships on campus, incentivizes students for making progress toward their degrees.
Continue ReadingOur Worst Fears
Last Monday marked the final day of a Texas Legislative Session that has been characterized by more tension and controversy than usual. And, while higher education seemed to be a target of lawmakers’ ire early on, in the final accounting our state’s Tier One institutions escaped without the severe budget cuts that had been threatened. As the Texas Tribune put it, “university leaders’ worst fears never materialized.” On Saturday, both the House and Senate passed SB 1, otherwise known as the budget. After threats of a nearly 10% budget cut, UT Austin ended up with a 3% increase.
Continue ReadingHome Stretch
Bills were killed or passed at a furious pace this week in the mad dash to finish out the Texas Legislative Session. A number of those bills impact higher education but none quite as drastically as the budget, which passed late into Sunday morning after concessions were made from both House and Senate negotiators. The final budget dips into the Rainy Day Fund for $1 billion, and employs an “accounting trick” to delay transportation funding approved in 2015, for the remaining shortfall of nearly $2 billion.
Continue ReadingWaging War on Mediocrity
The University of Texas community awoke today to the sad news of the passing of Peter T. Flawn, who had twice served as the university’s president. "Peter was a visionary leader at UT, a beloved friend and a wise counselor to me and many university presidents," said UT Austin President Greg Fenves. Flawn was president from 1979 to 1985 where he “declared a ‘war on mediocrity,’ pushing the university to pursue greater academic rigor and excellence.” He served a second term as interim president during the presidential search that brought Larry Faulkner into office. In 1979, Flawn wrote the Widget Theory of Education, a satirical look at attempts to treat students like widgets and universities like businesses. Flawn’s warnings have seemed particularly prescient in recent years.
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True or False?
“True or false: Tuition and fees at Sam Houston State University, the University of Houston, Texas State University and four other public schools in the state exceed the sticker price for the University of Texas at Austin. The answer, surprisingly, is true.” That’s the lead of an Austin American-Statesman piece on tuition and fees at Texas public institutions. UT Austin not only has the lowest tuition of those institutions, but since tuition deregulation has had the lowest percentage increase in tuition. “UT-Dallas is the most expensive of the state’s 38 public universities, with tuition and fees totaling $5,903 for the fall 2016 semester … UT-Austin’s price tag for academic charges was $5,046, eighth-highest. Texas A&M University was fourth-highest at $5,225. … The statewide average was $4,374.” The cost of tuition will be a continued point of interest with lawmakers over the interim and into the next Legislative Session.
Continue reading -
How can you save over $20,000 on college costs?
“How can you save over $20,000 on college costs? Graduate on time.” That’s the analysis from a Wall Street Journal piece this week. Only 40% of full-time students at four-year schools graduate on time, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, part of the U.S. Department of Education. That’s why universities across the country, including UT Austin, are focused on using data to help address the challenge – and find a solution. Using data from academic transcripts and personal records, UT Austin has identified the 25% of students least likely to graduate on time and has enrolled them in the University Leadership Network, which, in addition to requiring students to attend weekly seminars and do internships on campus, incentivizes students for making progress toward their degrees.
Continue reading