The Texas House Committee on Higher Education will gavel in at 9 a.m. Aug. 18 to take invited and public testimony on four interim charges covering college affordability, credential completion, protections against foreign adversarial influence and the ability of Texas universities to compete for federal research dollars.
Under the ground rules in the hearing notice, public testimony begins only after invited testimony concludes on all charges, with its length at the chair’s discretion; written comments can be submitted online until adjournment through the House comment portal.
Chaired by Rep. Terry M. Wilson, R–Georgetown, the 11-member committee — six Republicans and five Democrats, with Rep. Donna Howard, D–Austin, as vice chair — meets in Room E2.036 of the Capitol Extension for its second consecutive day of hearings, following a Monday session on the state of higher education and new admissions laws. Tuesday’s four charges lean heavily on how recent federal policy shifts are rippling through the state’s colleges and universities.
The affordability charge directs members to study strategies to reduce financial barriers to enrollment and completion, evaluate whether state financial aid — anchored by the TEXAS Grant program administered by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board — is effectively targeted, and review the impact of recent federal legislation on student aid. The charge also asks the committee to analyze unmet financial need among eligible students, according to the notice.
A second charge on credential completion asks members to weigh accelerated pathways such as credit for prior learning, reverse transfer and competency-based education, and to explore the effect of federal Workforce Pell Grants on short-term credentials. The U.S. Department of Education published its final Workforce Pell rule on May 19, extending Pell eligibility to career-focused programs as short as eight weeks, with institutions permitted to begin implementation as early as July 1 of this year.
The foreign adversary charge examines implementation of legislation passed last session to insulate Texas campuses from foreign espionage and research-security risks, including the Higher Education Research Security Council created by Senate Bill 1273, which took effect Sept. 1, 2025, and the broader restrictions on contracts and gifts from designated foreign adversaries enacted through House Bill 127. Members are asked to assess institutional compliance with screening, reporting and oversight requirements and to make recommendations on the scope of covered foreign entities and sensitive research areas.
The final charge takes up research competitiveness: whether Texas public institutions can compete for and secure federal grant funding amid recent changes in federal policy, and whether state policies adequately support institutional capacity to meet federal requirements. The committee will hear that testimony against a backdrop of growth — the coordinating board reported in October that fall 2025 enrollment reached a record of roughly 1.6 million students statewide.
Because this is an interim hearing, the committee will take no votes on legislation. Its findings will feed the interim report and the bills members carry into the 90th Legislature, which convenes in January 2027.
Meeting at a glance
- When
- 9:00 AM CT, Tuesday, August 18, 2026
- Where
- Room E2.036, Capitol Extension, Austin
- Chair
- Rep. Terry M. Wilson, R–Georgetown (HD-20)
- Vice Chair
- Rep. Donna Howard, D–Austin (HD-48)
- Format
- Invited and public testimony; public testimony begins after invited testimony on all charges, with length at the chair’s discretion; interim charges only — no vote on legislation
- Live video
- house.texas.gov/video-audio
- Submit comments online
- comments.house.texas.gov/home?c=c290 (until adjournment)
- Full agenda
- Official hearing notice (capitol.texas.gov)
Committee members
- Rep. Terry M. Wilson, R–Georgetown (HD-20) — Chair
- Rep. Donna Howard, D–Austin (HD-48) — Vice Chair
- Rep. Aicha M. Davis, D–Dallas (HD-109)
- Rep. Suleman Lalani, D–Sugar Land (HD-76)
- Rep. Stan Lambert, R–Abilene (HD-71)
- Rep. Vincent M. Perez, D–El Paso (HD-77)
- Rep. Matt Shaheen, R–Plano (HD-66)
- Rep. Joanne W. Shofner, R–Nacogdoches (HD-11)
- Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R–Arlington (HD-94)
- Rep. Gary VanDeaver, R–New Boston (HD-1)
- Rep. Charlene Ward Johnson, D–Houston (HD-139)