Appropriations
 The Conference Committee has been meeting throughout the week. Late last night, members announced their funding decisions for higher education. We currently are analyzing the information to determine its impact on DCCCD, but the results appear to be good in some areas and less helpful in others.
The committee added $134.3 million to the community college formula. Additional funding was included for financial aid programs, including a $5 million increase for Texas Educational Opportunity Grants. The employer contribution rate for both the Texas Retirement System (TRS) and Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) was raised from 6 percent to 6.58 percent.
A small increase for nursing enrollment growth was funded, but the cap on the dollars available to community colleges remains unchanged. The committee did add $33 million to community colleges for group health insurance.
[PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]
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