KSAT 12 reported that six new facilities in three local Texas universities would receive $50 million via American Rescue Plan Act.
Texas A and M University, the University of Texas and San Antonio, and UT Health San Antonio will be sharing the 450 million budget. Senator Ronal Guttierrez fought for the money for the three main facilities, and he is hoping that it will bring hundreds of jobs.
Facilities of Each University
The target facilities have their own projects and plans. Texas A and M University will be allocating the funds for new education and public health facilities. UT Health San Antonio will focus on funding researches for Alzheimer’s and health excellence. At the same time, the University of Texas and San Antonio will spend the money on innovation, entrepreneurship, and career-building.
Universities in Texas Received More Financial Assitance But Hoping for More.
According to The Texas Tribune, state lawmakers added a last-minute influx of $380 million in funding for four-year universities and health institutions at the end of this year’s legislative session.
A welcome addition for many schools that have seen enrollments rise as they deal with the financial strain caused by the COVID-19 shutdown.
Many university leaders were disappointed that the additional funding for university enrollment expansion was not included in the budget conference committee report negotiated by the Texas House and Senate. By the time the budget was submitted to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk, it had been added. The amount of money each university gets from the late session bump is determined by enrollment changes.
Community colleges in Utah aren’t so fortunate since they lost tens of millions of dollars in state support due to the pandemic’s enrollment decreases. Leaders from two- and four-year colleges say they’re hoping for more funding for higher education in the upcoming special session.
