Students eat lunch and study last Wednesday on the Life Health and Science Building patio in Brownsville. State Sen. Kel Seliger, (R-Amarillo) has proposed a bill that would limit the TEXAS grant to tuition, required fees and textbooks. Ana Cahuiche/The Rider
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley students such as nursing sophomore Monica Olvera could find themselves in financial trouble if Senate Bill 885 passes.
“Since I do not really have a car at the moment, my dad takes me to school,” Olvera said. “I have to give him money for the gas and that’s where I give him money for the gas because I don’t work at the moment. They should not take that money away because I still need that extra cash to go to school.”
Senate Bill 885 would limit the use of the TEXAS grant to educational purposes only, such as tuition, required fees and textbooks.
The purpose of the Toward EXcellence Access and Success Grant program is to make sure high school graduates with financial need can go to college, according to the College for all Texas website.
Senate Bill 885 states that a person receiving a TEXAS grant may use the money to pay tuition and required fees. The bill was left pending at the Senate Committee on Higher Education on March 8. The author of the bill is state Sen. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo).
Seliger stated that Senate Bill 885 will ensure that grants are used only toward tuition, fees and books. This will help reduce waste and allow a larger number of students the opportunity to access state grant aid, according to a Feb. 14 news release.
The Rider tried to contact Seliger but he declined an interview.
The newspaper also tried to reach state Rep. René Oliveira (D-Brownsville). However, he was on the House floor and was unavailable for comment.
In a statement sent to The Rider, Oliveira said: “If students are prohibited from using TEXAS grant funds for other expenses, there could be a greater chance of them taking on debt for housing or other expenses. We are currently not doing enough to help our students pay for college. We will not achieve our graduation-rate goals by placing more restrictions on student aid. We should be expanding aid, not restricting it.”
The Rider also tried contacting state Senators Royce West (D-Dallas), Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa (D-McAllen) and Eddie Lucio Jr. (D-Brownsville), and state Rep. Eddie Lucio III (D-San Benito). West, Hinojosa and Lucio Jr. did not respond. Ruben O’Bell, chief of staff for Lucio III, said the representative was not available for comment.
State Representatives Oscar Longoria (D-Mission), Sergio Muñoz Jr. (D-Palmview), Armando Martinez (D-Weslaco), Terry Canales (D-Edinburg) and Robert “Bobby” Guerra (D-Mission) were not available to comment because they were on the House floor.
Patrick Gonzales, UTRGV associate vice president for University Marketing and Communications, said the university is still waiting for the final version of the bill.
“We have a lot of students who rely on the TEXAS grant, so, obviously, any changes that come out of the bill in the allocation of funds are going to affect those students who rely on the TEXAS grant,” Gonzales said. “We don’t have a specific impact yet. We are waiting until we see a final version of the bill.”
At UTRGV, about 8,000 students receive the TEXAS grant, Financial Aid Director Arnold Trejo said.
To receive the grant, students must be Texas residents, never have been convicted of a felony or crime involving a controlled substance, demonstrate financial need, have an estimated family contribution less than or equal to $5,088 and registered for the Selective Service or exempt from this requirement, according to the UTRGV website.
Computer science sophomore Isabel Sanchez said lawmakers should reconsider the passing of SB 885 because it will affect students with financial need.
“Students are already having a really hard time paying off school,” Sanchez said. “We are already in debt because we have to take out student loans. So, it just makes it more difficult and it adds more weight on our shoulders. So, I think that [lawmakers] should try to relate with us because they were also once students.”
Gonzales said the university is monitoring the bill to see what happens.
“We respect the legislative process,” Gonzales said. “We understand that every bill is a work in progress and so … there’s also the chance that the bill might not pass. We are watching the sessions. We are monitoring things and we will be ready to respond as necessary when certain bills get passed.”
Alondra Lucio, an interdisciplinary studies freshman, receives the TEXAS grant and is considering living on campus for the next semester.
“The TEXAS grant would have helped me in some way possible,” Lucio said. “However, if this bill is passed, my possible ability to live on campus will end. … I think lawmakers should put themselves in the shoes of a student trying to study and afford housing, food and personal expenses.”
Trejo said the university receives about $37 million of TEXAS grant money per academic year.
The average grant amount a UTRGV student receives is $5,000 per year, or $2,500 per long semester, he said.
“We have been very fortunate to have the largest TEXAS grant allocation in the state of Texas,” Trejo said.
To be eligible for the TEXAS grant, a person must:
–Be a resident of the state of Texas
–Meet financial need requirements
–Be enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program at an eligible institution
–Be enrolled in at least three-fourths of a full course load for an undergraduate student
–Have applied for any available financial aid or assistance
–Comply with any additional non-academic requirement
Trejo said for UTRGV students to receive a renewal year award, they must maintain a 2.5 grade-point average.
“Students must be making satisfactory academic progress,” he said. “They must complete 24 credit hours at the end of the spring term and they must be maintaining a 2.5 GPA.”
To receive a renewal year award through the TEXAS grant program, a student must:
–Have not been convicted of a felony or crime involving controlled substances
–Have financial need
–Maintain satisfactory academic progress
Students seeking financial aid may call the Financial Aid office at 882-4026. The office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday in Main 1.100 on the Brownville campus. In Edinburg, the office is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday on the first floor of Student Services Building.
