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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Tuition and fees at the state's public four-year |
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universities have increased materially in recent years; and |
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WHEREAS, Texas families, already struggling to meet the costs |
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of higher education, now see college slipping further from their |
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reach as the global recession takes a toll on state and local |
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economies; and |
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WHEREAS, A college education is directly linked to one's |
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future employment opportunities; people with a college education |
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earn larger salaries and see greater financial benefits over their |
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lifetimes, in turn contributing significantly to the state's |
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economic base; unpredictable tuition hikes, however, make it much |
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more difficult for young people to plan for their education, and as |
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a result, many will delay college or skip it altogether, while those |
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who enroll will carry larger debt loads than ever; and |
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WHEREAS, The current economic crisis is limiting students' |
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access to additional funds from loans, family assistance, and |
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part-time jobs, but the continuing vitality of Texas depends on an |
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educated population and workforce; temporarily limiting tuition |
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and student fees at our state universities will help ensure that |
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students are able to obtain a college education, thereby |
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contributing to a diverse and robust economy throughout the state, |
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both now and in the future; and |
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WHEREAS, The importance of higher education to the economic |
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and cultural vitality of this state dictates that any limitation on |
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increases in tuition and student fees be implemented in a manner |
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that does not unduly restrict the quality and excellence of the |
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state's universities; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 81st Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby direct the governing board of each general academic teaching |
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institution to make every effort to ensure that the total academic |
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costs, including tuition, mandatory academic fees, and any other |
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academic-related general fees and college course fees, charged to a |
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resident undergraduate student for the 2010-2011, 2011-2012, or |
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2012-2013 academic year do not exceed the total academic costs that |
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the institution would have charged such a student enrolled in the |
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same courses in the preceding academic year by more than the greater |
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of 3.95 percent or $280; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the legislature hereby direct those governing |
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boards to make every effort to ensure that the total academic costs |
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charged to a resident undergraduate student for the 2013-2014 |
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academic year do not exceed the total academic costs the |
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institution would have charged such a student enrolled in the same |
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courses in the 2012-2013 academic year by more than the greater of: |
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(1) 3.95 percent; or |
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(2) the average of the following: |
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(A) the average percentage increase, if any, in |
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the consumer price index for each of the three preceding calendar |
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years as compared to the consumer price index for the year preceding |
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each of those years; and |
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(B) the average percentage increase, if any, in |
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an appropriate higher education price index for each of the three |
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preceding calendar years as compared to that higher education price |
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index for the year preceding each of those years; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official |
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copy of this resolution to the commissioner of higher education and |
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to the presidents and members of the boards of regents of general |
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academic teaching institutions throughout Texas. |