R E S O L U T I O N
1-1 WHEREAS, The Tuition Equalization Grant (TEG) program
1-2 celebrates its 30th anniversary of service to the citizens of Texas
1-3 during the 77th Legislative Session; and
1-4 WHEREAS, The program was created "to provide the maximum
1-5 possible utilization of existing educational resources and
1-6 facilities . . . both public and private," thereby promoting a
1-7 diversity of educational opportunities and greater accessibility to
1-8 the campuses of independent colleges and universities; and
1-9 WHEREAS, The TEG program has achieved remarkable success in
1-10 pursuing its mission, and the 500,000th TEG program grant will be
1-11 made during the 77th Legislative Session; and
1-12 WHEREAS, The program has been of incalculable value to grant
1-13 recipients because of the need-based financial assistance it
1-14 provides to low-income and moderate-income students whose average
1-15 family income is less than $30,000 per year; and
1-16 WHEREAS, The TEG program helps to bridge the tuition gap
1-17 between independent and public institutions and to guarantee that
1-18 every Texas student has the opportunity to attend the college of
1-19 his or her choice regardless of financial background; and
1-20 WHEREAS, Each year the program helps more than 25,000
1-21 students, more than 43 percent of whom are minority students, to
1-22 meet their educational expenses at one of more than 40 independent
1-23 institutions and to undertake studies ranging from doctoral
1-24 programs at major research universities to basic junior college
2-1 studies; and
2-2 WHEREAS, The legislation creating the TEG program was drafted
2-3 for its sponsor, Representative Lynn Nabers, by a member of his
2-4 staff, Gary Price, and was cosponsored by Representative Grant
2-5 Jones in the Texas House of Representatives and carried by Senator
2-6 Jack Hightower in the Texas Senate during the 61st Legislature,
2-7 when it was not passed; it was subsequently filed by Representative
2-8 Menton Murray and Senator J. P. Word and Senator Ralph Hall during
2-9 the 62nd Legislature, when it was passed with the support and
2-10 leadership of Speaker Gus Mutscher and Lieutenant Governor Ben
2-11 Barnes and was signed into law by Governor Preston Smith; and
2-12 WHEREAS, In 1970 a young employee of Abilene Christian
2-13 University, Dr. Robert Hunter, became the executive secretary of
2-14 Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas, Inc., and organized
2-15 the association's member presidents, faculty, staff, students,
2-16 alumni, and trustees to persuade the 62nd Legislature to pass the
2-17 TEG legislation; in 1986, he became a member of the legislature,
2-18 where he still serves his community and state; and
2-19 WHEREAS, In 1981, the Honorable Bruce Gibson, a graduate of
2-20 Texas Christian University, became the first TEG recipient to be
2-21 elected to the Texas House of Representatives; he was joined there
2-22 in 1991 by fellow TEG recipients Representative Curtis Soileau,
2-23 Representative Tom Cate, and Representative Robert Puente, who
2-24 graduated from the South Texas College of Law, Texas Lutheran
2-25 University, and St. Mary's University, respectively; and
2-26 WHEREAS, Eight members of the 77th Legislature, including
2-27 Representative Jose Menendez and Representative Todd Smith, who
3-1 received degrees from Southern Methodist University; Representative
3-2 Joe Nixon, Representative Robert Puente, Representative Arthur
3-3 Reyna, Representative Carlos Uresti, and Representative Miguel
3-4 Wise, who received degrees from St. Mary's University; and
3-5 Representative Ignacio Salinas, who graduated from the University
3-6 of Dallas, received TEG program grants to attend college; and
3-7 WHEREAS, It is fitting that all the members of the Texas
3-8 House of Representatives join with their distinguished colleagues
3-9 who received a TEG in celebrating the great success of this
3-10 outstanding program; now, therefore, be it
3-11 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 77th Texas
3-12 Legislature recognize the 30th anniversary of the Tuition
3-13 Equalization Grant program and commend those former members of the
3-14 Texas Legislature and their staffs who had the foresight to create
3-15 the program and the legislative skill to ensure its success; and,
3-16 be it further
3-17 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
3-18 prepared for each sponsor of the Tuition Equalization Grant
3-19 legislation and for Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas,
3-20 Inc., for distribution to the colleges and universities
3-21 participating in the program as an expression of high regard by the
3-22 Texas House of Representatives.
Wise
Laney Goodman Merritt
Alexander Goolsby Miller
Allen Gray Moreno of Harris
Averitt Green Moreno of El Paso
Bailey Grusendorf Morrison
Berman Gutierrez Mowery
Bonnen Haggerty Naishtat
Bosse Hamric Najera
Brimer Hardcastle Nixon
Brown of Kaufman Hartnett Noriega
Brown of Brazos Hawley Oliveira
Burnam Heflin Olivo
Callegari Hilbert Pickett
Capelo Hilderbran Pitts
Carter Hill Puente
Chavez Hinojosa Ramsay
Chisum Hochberg Rangel
Christian Hodge Raymond
Clark Homer Reyna of Bexar
Coleman Hope Reyna of Dallas
Cook Hopson Ritter
Corte Howard Sadler
Counts Hunter Salinas
Crabb Hupp Seaman
Craddick Isett Shields
Crownover Janek Smith
Danburg Jones of Lubbock Smithee
Davis of Harris Jones of Bexar Solis
Davis of Dallas Jones of Dallas Solomons
Delisi Junell Swinford
Denny Keel Talton
Deshotel Keffer Telford
Driver King of Parker Thompson
Dukes King of Uvalde Tillery
Dunnam Kitchen Truitt
Dutton Kolkhorst Turner of Coleman
Edwards Krusee Turner of Harris
Ehrhardt Kuempel Uher
Eiland Lewis of Tarrant Uresti
Elkins Lewis of Orange Villarreal
Ellis Longoria Walker
Farabee Luna West
Farrar McCall Williams
Flores McClendon Wilson
Gallego McReynolds Wise
Garcia Madden Wohlgemuth
George Marchant Wolens
Geren Martinez Fischer Woolley
Giddings Maxey Yarbrough
Glaze Menendez Zbranek
_______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 318 was adopted by the House on
February 27, 2001, by a non-record vote.
_______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House