Dan Patrick

Lieutenant Governor of Texas

President of the Senate
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, March 4, 2016

Contact:
512-463-0715
Lt. Governor Patrick on
Letter to Texas Universities

AUSTIN - Today, Chairman Kel Seliger and I sent a letter to each public university president,
requesting they send information on tuition and costs of attendance at each institution since
2002. In addition, we have requested an overview of their plans to reduce student debt and
improve their graduation rates. Last year, the legislature provided substantial increases to
higher education institutions for overall academic performance as well as for structural
improvements. Yet in recent months, a number of our public higher education systems have
moved to increase student tuition. Some have even implemented excessive bonus programs for
highly paid administrators.
This action comes at a time when Texas student debt is rising between eight and nine percent
annually, and the cost of tuition is rising exponentially. This is why I tasked the Senate Higher
Education Committee to study tuition rates and student debt during this interim.
As I stated in October of last year, higher education institutions must identify ways to make
college education more affordable for students and families across Texas rather than
identifying how much they can increase tuition for students.
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