Bill would clarify when community‑college students count as transfers for funding

Senate Bill 1400 would change how the Public Junior College State Finance Program counts transfers for performance‑tier funding: a student transferring from a public junior college to a general‑academic institution would still be counted as a transfer even if they previously completed university coursework, provided the prior university credits total less than 30 semester credit hours.

An invited witness, Leighton Schubert, executive vice chancellor for Blinn College District, described local impacts and said Blinn experienced a significant year‑to‑year funding swing after administrative changes in reporting: Blinn serves roughly 18,000 students across five campuses in a 14‑county area and reported a 43% transfer rate compared with a statewide average near 25%. Schubert told the committee that Blinn saw a $4.4 million reduction in state funding year to year, attributing much of that to a 15% drop in reported transfers and to reporting and rule changes on co‑enrolled students and tax‑rate assumptions. Schubert said the 30‑hour rule in SB 1400 would “correct the vast majority of the reductions” the college experienced.

Committee members asked questions about tax‑rate assumptions embedded in the funding formula; Schubert said Blinn’s 4¢ tax rate (below an assumed 5¢ base) reduced state funding by about $875,000 this year. The committee closed public testimony and left SB 1400 pending.