The Association of Former Students
Howdy, Advocates!
Thanks for your continued support of Texas A&M University - just your willingness to stay informed and share your time goes a long way.
In an effort to improve our communication practices, the Texas A&M Advocacy Network has initiated a bi-weekly “News Update.”  This update will contain links to a series of articles about higher education and politics – both at the state and federal levels. These articles will be sourced from respected state and national news outlets, and this update will contain both analysis and opinion pieces.  Since higher education policy and funding are complex public issues, these updates are designed to provide you with additional information and context…because informed Advocates are effective Advocates.  We hope that you will find these articles informative, reasoned, and useful.  (Please click on the images below for the full text of each article.)
Thanks and gig ’em,
Dave Fujimoto ’17
Director of Strategic Engagement
Perceptions of Higher Education

Sharp Partisan Divisions in Views of National Institutions

Republicans and Democrats offer starkly different assessments of the impact of several of the nation’s leading institutions – including the news media, colleges and universities, and churches and religious organizations – and, in some cases, the gap in these views is significantly wider today than it was just a year ago. Republicans express increasingly negative views.

"Elitists, crybabies, and junky degrees"

“Why does a kid go to a major university these days?” said Antenori, 51, a former Green Beret who served in the Arizona state legislature. “A lot of Republicans would say they go there to get brainwashed and learn how to become activists and basically go out in the world and cause trouble.”
Higher Education - Federal

Dividing Lines Take Shape in Senate

The U.S. Senate education committee got into the weeds of higher education policy again, examining how the federal government could open up innovation by colleges and universities.

Higher Ed Finds its voice on the PROSPER Act

With their attention occupied by tax reform last year, the higher education lobby had a muted response to the GOP's first crack at overhauling the student aid system and how it keeps colleges accountable. This has begun to change over the last few months as major higher ed associations have issued forceful criticisms.

Opinion: The Prosper Act will increase spending on Higher Education

Late last year, House Republicans proposed a major reform to the federal government's student aid programs for Higher Education. In February the Congressional Budget Office released its official score of the bill, which is dubbed the Prosper Act.
Higher Education - State 

A New Chair & Interim Committee

This week the UT System Board of Regents elected Sara Martinez Tucker as its new chair. Tucker, who was appointed to the Board by Gov. Abbott in 2015, was undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Education in the George W. Bush Administration. Chancellor McRaven predicted Tucker would be a “fabulous” chairwoman.

Texas lawmakers want to fix higher ed funding...but it won't be easy

After lawmakers failed to overhaul how the state funds its public colleges and universities during the 85th Session, a special committee will begin a new attempt to review the complicated higher education finance system in Texas.

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