The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is preparing to cut 3% of its spending, as ordered by Governor Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows. The agency will need to trim $77 million over a biennium.

Cuts to Student and Institutional Programs Likely

Most of the higher education budget is made up of dollars that trickle down from the state to its community colleges and universities. THECB officials said that the cuts likely cannot be entirely absorbed from internal operations, and that some student and institutional programs will likely be affected.

Sarah Keyton, the deputy commissioner for administration and operations for THECB, said that the agency will have to look at cuts both within operations and administration, as well as in some of the trustee programs and funds that it sends to institutions and students.

Request for Additional Funding to Offset Cuts

To prepare for the cuts, UT Arlington, UT Tyler, and the University of North Texas have offered employee buyouts. UNT also announced plans to cut or consolidate more than 70 academic programs as it works to close a $45 million budget shortfall driven by declining international student enrollment and reduced state funding.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board plans to ask lawmakers for more money to offset the impacts of the cuts, particularly for need-based aid programs such as the Texas Grant, the Texas Educational Opportunity Grant, and the Tuition Equalization Grant.

Original reporting: Texas Tribune (HLL/CB) — read the source article.