Perry proposes $10,000 bachelor degrees

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The Senate Finance Committee met Tuesday to hammer out the Texas higher education budget. Members listened to testimony from community colleges and the Higher Education Commissioner.

"One of the areas where I believe there's a lot waste is higher education," said Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, who is on the committee.

Patrick believes tuition at four-year universities is too high, budgets are too big and said they have lost sight of the main mission to teach and prepare students for a career.

"We don't want our four-year universities to charge Texas students to go to Texas state schools what it costs to go to Harvard," said Patrick, who cited risings costs are driving more students to choose community colleges.

Tuition and fees for two years -- or 60 credit hours, -- at Austin Community College costs $3,480. The same amount of hours at the University of Texas in Austin puts one student back $18,836. Two years at Texas A&M University costs $16,962. Texas State University runs $15,660.

The price of other colleges and universities can be compared here .

During his state of the state address Tuesday, Gov. Rick Perry said it is time for colleges and universities to lay out a low-cost path to a degree.

"It's time for a bold, Texas-style solution to their challenge that I'm sure the brightest minds in their universities can devise," said Perry. "Today I'm challenging our institutions of higher education to develop bachelors degrees that cost not more than $10,000 including textbooks."

It is a goal Perry said could be reached with online courses and "innovative teaching techniques." Patrick said offering a packaged price for what a college education will cost is a good idea. Democrats blasted the governor said it would dumb down Texans.

After Perry's speech, State Rep. Dawnna Dukes, D- Austin, asked reporters, "Now how many people do you know that stated they got a Ph.D or a law degree online which you hired to represent you in court?"

Perry also called for a freeze on college tuition costs and a funding incentive plan that would award colleges and universities on the number of students who graduate, not just enroll.