The state of Texas is messing with education again.
State agencies have been asked to cut back their spending 5 percent.
Texas’ budget in 2008-09 totaled $167 billion with $19 billion allocated for higher education according to texasbudgetsource.com. A 5 percent cut from the higher education budget would equal $950 million.
Some perspective: That’s a free tuition scholarship to every TCC student for the next 17 years off the money Texas would cut from higher education in one year.
Texas colleges already plan on raising tuition to compensate. The University of North Texas proposed a 5 percent tuition raise, and University of Texas campuses in Dallas and Arlington have both proposed 3.95 percent increases, the Star-Telegram said.
Some of the other agencies included in the state budget cuts are Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and the departments of transportation, criminal justice and parks and wildlife.
In a time of economic trouble, all people have to tighten their belts a notch and do the best they can with what they have.
But cutting education funding is not a smart place for Texas to compensate for its lack of cash.
Cutting funding to K-12 and higher education would only drive up the future expenses of other agencies as well as hurt the economy.
Higher education opens new, higher-paying job opportunities to graduates and lessens the likelihood of being laid off.
Better pay and job security lessens the likelihood of people needing state-funded health care or unemployment benefits or turning to a life of crime to support themselves, meaning one less person for the police to chase around so they can fill up a prison cell the state pays for.
Not only that, but Texas needs more educated people working in business.
Just last year, Texans passed an amendment to provide extra funding to several universities until they become nationally recognized research universities so they will retain Texas students currently leaving the state to attend a top-ranked university out of state. It would also encourage non-Texan students to migrate here.
This amendment should increase the number of college graduates in Texas working in business giving Texas a more ambitious and innovative work force to help dig the state out of the economic hole.
Cutting education spending would slow the benefits of this amendment and lessen the number of students who could access higher education at all.
Yes, Texas, the budget does need to be cut. Just don’t do it in a way that will penalize your future.
