Is Texas forgetting the basics?

Friday, December 24, 2004

Governor Perry is making a bold move to renew the state's enterprise fund and to develop a second fund for research in new technologies. Total planned commitment: $600 million. Read more. The proposal has already generated interest from the national business press. Here's an article from Inc magazine.

During the debate on this proposal, I hope some legislators will be asking whether the state should also renew its commitment to the TEXAS Grant program. This initiative --- created in 1999 -- helps low income students pay for college. The fund recently ran out of money, and 23,000 Texas college students will be affected. Learn more.

Just as the TEXAS Grant ran out of money, the federal government has changed rules on the Pell grant program (also for low income students). The federal program changes will make it harder for these students to pay for college. Learn more.

On the basis of the National Report Card on Higher Education, Texas scores a "D" in affordability. Learn more.

In our rush to come up with politically attractive initiatives, we need to remember the basics. Economic development in the knowledge economy starts with brainpower. If we do not educate our young people -- and make it easy for them to afford college -- no amount of money invested in recruitment or university tech transfer will matter much in the long run. The businesses we create here will simply migrate abroad...where the brains are.

We are already seeing some disturbing trends. US colleges and universities are facing stiff competition in attracting the best students, as higher education undergoes rapid globalization. Read more.

posted by Ed Morrison |

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