Lend Me Some Sugar

In 2003 the Texas legislature passed HB 3015. The bill was intended to help level out college costs by setting aside a certain percentage of the tuition of students who could afford college and putting that money toward students who have a greater financial need. The idea behind this was that higher education could be funded without dipping into tax payer's money. HB 3015 deregulated college tuition prices, leading to a huge spike in student loan debt and making school less affordable for the average student. Before tuition was deregulated, the legislature required all public schools to charge a flat rate tuition regardless of income. Students who needed financial assistance could still receive aid through federal funding (FAFSA) or through grants and scholarships based on merit or financial need.
 

Deregulating college tuition in Texas has had some big, unintended consequences. Tuition has gone up steadily since 2003 and is currently 83% higher than it was 12 years ago. The competitive job market still requires a degree pushing many young people to find alternate means to fund their education. The University of Texas is especially affected by rising tuition and has seen an alarmingly large increase in signups on websites designed to match young women with rich old dudes to fund their college in exchange for... Ummm... Yeah.

Here are a few more reasons Texas should regulate college tuition and bring it back to a more affordable rate:

We are part of a global economy- and we are being out-ranked by countries that provide free higher education.

We are forcing young people to take on more student loan debt than ever before and sending them off into a competitive job market where having a degree doesn't guarantee a job.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/05/opinion/sunday/the-real-reason-college-tuition-costs-so-much.html?fb_ref=Default&_r=0

http://www.dailytexanonline.com/2015/01/21/in-state-of-the-union-address-obama-emphasizes-college-accessibility