| Vote Recommendation | Economic Freedom | Property Rights | Personal Responsibility | Limited Government | Individual Liberty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Negative | Neutral |
Relating to authorizing an increase in the student union fee at The University of Texas at Arlington.
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
HB 2718 would increase the caps on fees levied on students at the University of Texas at Arlington to fund the operations on the student union building.
Texas Action recommends opposing HB 2718 because it infringes upon principles of limited government. According to the Texas Higher Education Coordination Board, from the years 2000 to 2010, state funding for higher education declined by 15.9 percent, while tuition fees increased by 75 percent (almost five times as fast). In the 2015 session, the legislature increased funding by nearly $300 million (approximately 9 percent) and authorized over $3 billion for campus buildings. Yet within months, most public universities approved tuition increases.
Rising tuition fees are a symptom of administrative bloat, including high-salary administrators and costly facilities. For these reasons, we generally oppose increases in student fees that contribute to the already incredibly high cost of higher education.