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After Gov. Abbott extends tuition freeze, TWU puts its hike on ice

In 2016, Gov. Greg Abbott and first lady Cecilia Abbott visited Texas Woman's University to induct new members into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame.
Tomas Gonzalez
/
DRC file photo
In 2016, Gov. Greg Abbott and first lady Cecilia Abbott visited Texas Woman's University to induct new members into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame.

Texas Woman’s University won’t implement the tuition increase regents approved earlier this month. A spokesperson for the university said it would abide by the law.

And the law is Gov. Greg Abbott’s announcement Wednesday that he’ll extend a statewide tuition freeze for two more years.

Days before, the TWU Board of Regents had approved a recommendation to bump tuition up by $9 per credit hour.

Abbott sent a letter to public universities and colleges last week, making the case that state lawmakers have pumped resources into higher education.

“The State has made historic investments in higher education, including increased funding for universities and financial aid programs,” Abbott wrote in his letter. “These efforts reflect our commitment to ensuring that higher education remains accessible and affordable for all Texans. When all Texans have access to quality and affordable education, they can earn better wages, meet workforce qualifications, and experience a higher quality of life. I will ensure college affordability remains a top priority for the state as we head into the next legislative session.

Last legislative session, lawmakers allocated an additional $700 million to the state budget for Texas’ public universities.

“Texas Woman’s will comply with the governor’s directive to freeze tuition, and looks forward to working with the Legislature during the next session to address higher education funding to meet the critical workforce needs of the state,” said Matt Flores, the university’s vice president of communications.

TWU is the newest university system in the state. The state Legislature established TWU as the seventh university system in Texas in 2021.

However, TWU won’t have access to the Texas University Fund, a $3.9 billion endowment created by combining a one-time grant from the state’s budget surplus with the National Research University Fund, interest income from the Economic Stabilization Fund, and charitable contributions.

At the most recent meeting of the Board of Regents, TWU officials said that some student services would have to be reduced or eliminated if regents voted down the increase.

“It is too early to say what kind of impact freezing tuition next fall would have, as we will know more about state funding after the budget passes,” Flores said.

Copyright 2024 KERA

Lucinda Breeding-Gonzales | Denton Record-Chronicle