More than a year after Texas’ House Bill 8 took effect, some schools have offered free tuition, grown dual credit programs or helped students’ credits transfer when they move on to four-year schools.

Jim Davis told professors he’ll share their concerns with lawmakers about proposals that would increase oversight on curricula and hiring. Elsewhere on campus, former UT-Austin President Jay Hartzell criticized the bills.

Judge Lee H. Rosenthal said the student group that organizes Draggieland, the Queer Empowerment Council, was likely to succeed in showing the ban violates the First Amendment.

Diversity, equity and inclusion has become highly politicized — and there’s no standard definition for what it is.

Supporters say diversity initiatives close educational and income gaps born from a history of prejudice. Republican officials say they prioritize identity over merit.

Lawmakers say several bills under consideration Thursday would “address the unchecked authority of faculty.” They would expand university governing boards’ oversight powers.

The move comes a few weeks after the Texas A&M System issued a similar ban, which is being challenged in court.

Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, said Texas A&M is better positioned to grow the Victoria school and serve the region’s petrochemical and agriculture industries.

The Texas universities are among dozens accused of violating the law by partnering with a group that had sought to increase diversity in graduate programs.

Senate Bill 37 would create a state office to investigate complaints against universities and require governing boards to ensure courses don’t endorse certain ideologies.

George Stewart sued Texas Tech University Health Science Center and five other medical schools claiming they rejected him in favor of lesser qualified students of color.

Law students might lose financial aid if TSU does not address health and safety concerns about the building.

No injuries were reported after an explosion from a manhole caused campus power outages.

Hegar, who currently serves as Texas comptroller, will replace A&M Chancellor John Sharp in leading the 157,000-student system.

Five GOP lawmakers who targeted the exhibit also called for the cancellation of the “Palestinian Children and the Politics of Genocide” lecture, which is still scheduled.

The move sparked a new First Amendment fight between students and university administrators.

In a letter, Sens. Brandon Creighton and Paul Bettencourt said they found “numerous” violations of the law, but didn’t provide specifics.

At a public event last week, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said higher ed would get less funding if they don’t “kick DEI out of their schools,” a few weeks after lawmakers proposed a massive cut to public universities.

Sources indicate the board has narrowed its search to five candidates: Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar, U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, Texas A&M Foundation President Tyson Voelkel, University of Alabama President Stuart Bell and state Rep. Trent Ashby, R-Lufkin.

Davis, who was named interim president one day earlier, replaced a provost who was named to the position by the university’s previous leader last month.

South Texas College in McAllen launched one of the first registered nursing apprenticeships in the country as area hospitals expect the need for nurses to increase.

The designations come at a tumultuous time for universities as funding could be cut off and efforts to end tenure continue.

A federal judge blocked a new National Institutes of Health policy from going into effect in 22 states that sued the agency, but Texas wasn’t part of the suit.

Students at the university created their own news organization — The Retrograde — after they reached an impasse with administrators regarding oversight and the firing of the campus newspaper’s editor-in-chief.

Legislators are expected to take up a $360 million proposal that would change the landscape of financial aid in the state.

One in four Texas students is raising a child while getting a college degree. For Isabella Mapes, it has meant little sleep and, at times, a lonely journey.

Abbott's comments came after A&M invited staffers and students to attend a conference that a conservative activist said broke the state’s ban on diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

In recent years university presidents have been facing growing political pressures, student and faculty pushback and an increasingly demanding job.

Hartzell leaves UT-Austin after four years of tense political battles and legislative efforts to implement a more conservative vision of public higher ed.

A look at some of the best photos from the stories we published over the last year.

Many rural Texans in the region say they lack quality information on the skills required to get good jobs and build a lasting career.

In his new role, Rosser will be responsible for helping Texas meet its goal to increase the number of Texans ages 25 to 34 with a postsecondary credential to 60%by 2030.

If early bill filings for the next Texas Legislative Session are anything to go by, then one thing is clear: Lawmakers are again hyperfocusing on the state’s higher education institutions.

At least a third of respondents at UT-Austin, UT-Dallas and Texas A&M said they’re not sure administrators at their universities protect free speech on campus.

Faculty senates have long played a key role in developing curriculum and protecting open inquiry. State leaders have also accused them of liberal indoctrination.

Black and Hispanic high schoolers who have to drive more than 30 minutes to a community college are less likely to pursue a degree, the report found.

Regional colleges rely more on tuition revenue to operate than flagship campuses. Gov. Greg Abbott’s desire to pause increases could create tight financial conditions.

How closely did you follow the news in Texas this week? Take The Texas Tribune’s news quiz to find out!

Staff relations continue to be important for Mark Welsh III as he rebuilds trust after a hiring controversy and universities brace for legislation targeting faculty senates.

The Board of Regents is lifting the income threshold to expand eligibility across all nine of its UT System campuses.

State law prohibits schools from making direct name, image and likeness deals with athletes. Texas Tech says it puts them at a disadvantage as the university recruits athletes for fall 2025.

Professors and instructors say the university is preemptively censoring itself after administrators removed references to race and equity in dozens of College of Education course titles and descriptions.

Wynn Rosser will be in charge of guiding the state’s postsecondary education policies. He currently leads a foundation focused on rural East Texas and previously worked at Texas A&M.

Short-term certificates can only take a few weeks to get but don’t always lead to better earnings or higher degrees.

The governor’s directive extends a tuition freeze for Texas’ public universities that was approved in the last legislative session.

After conservative criticism over the LGBTQ+ minor, university officials started looking at all its programs. Faculty say they were excluded from the process.

The university is exploring potential legal responses after two men came on campus the day after the election with misogynistic and homophobic signs.

The county decided to not have an early voting site at a Laredo university because of historic low turnout. It will have one on Election Day.

Residents of a rural Texas school district decide in November whether to expand Austin Community College’s reach.

A candidate running against the judge accused him of emailing his students at Texas State to vote for him. State law prohibits using public resources for political advertising.

High school students that are getting a jump on college through dual credit now make up the majority of students at one East Texas community college.

Despite the group’s strong participation, Hispanic students graduate college at a lower rate than peers in the program, according to a report.

Students can enter their class rank, grade point average, and standardized test scores to get a list of universities to which they’d be admitted.

The glitch kept the students from submitting the form on time, which put them last in line to receive aid this year.

The university will offer 18 "workforce-relevant" programs to prospective students beginning in the spring of 2025, according to a university release.

The current threshold is 6%. The change comes after the university received a record-breaking 73,000 undergraduate applications for this fall.

Hispanic Heritage Month is officially underway and Congressman Joaquin Castro and other political leaders are putting a focus on Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI).

County Judge Tim O’Hare said he proposed the cuts to save costs. Critics accused Republican leaders of suppressing the vote of young people who back Democrats.

The new list includes many right-wing priorities, and would escalate Republicans’ wars against diversity, equity and inclusion programs and review laws to keep noncitizens off voter rolls.

Ammer Qaddumi alleges UT-Austin violated his First Amendment rights. He still faces potential disciplinary action from the school.

The new policy says universities should remain neutral on “issues of the day” while allowing students, faculty and staff to express their ideas.

The UT System hopes to combine the two institutions by 2025, making it the third largest public research university in the state.

Delays in the new FAFSA led students to take out debt, enroll in community college over their top-choice universities or opt out of going to college.

The students saw the move as part of a political environment that has become increasingly hostile against LGBTQ+ people in Texas.

Future Texas therapists must complete internships to start their careers, but there’s not enough providers to mentor all of the students.

Thousands of Texas transfer students each year don’t get credit for some community college courses. The partnership seeks to address that.

The delayed rollout of the new FAFSA caused many students to experience setbacks in receiving financial aid packages. If these delays impacted your college choices, The Texas Tribune wants to hear your story.

Some students were relieved they were offered a type of academic probation that would allow them to remain in classes.

Sharp leaves after having transformed the institution, embedding it into state government, expanding its reach and boosting its academic and athletic reputation.

The arrests were the result of the second police crackdown on pro-Palestine demonstrations at UT-Austin. The first protest, on April 24, resulted in 57 arrests, which were also dismissed.

Judge Reed O’Connor said the Biden administration didn’t have the authority to make the changes, which would expand anti-discrimination protections.

Keller, commissioner of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board since 2019, takes office on Aug. 1.

Some Jewish students see the protests as inherently antisemitic. Others say Jewish history and values make them empathize with Palestinians.

In an update to lawmakers, university system leaders expressed worries about how the ban might affect crucial applications for federal funds.

A new state energy fund will offer low-interest loans to companies that build new power plants.

The new fines underscore the challenges college students face when looking for affordable housing — and how cities struggle to provide it.

Abbott’s executive order directs Texas universities to “review and update free speech policies to address the sharp rise in antisemitic speech.”

Protests have been a century-long tradition at UT-Austin, and The Daily Texan, the student newspaper, has faithfully covered and recorded these significant historical events.

Tuesday’s Texas Senate hearing comes as lawmakers are expected to propose new laws next year to enforce the DEI ban and prevent antisemitism.

Graduating students raised funds and took the lead organizing smaller ceremonies meant to highlight their identities and cultural heritage.

The lecturer’s lawyer disputes the charges, and the university’s decision to fire him has raised concerns from faculty over free speech protections.

Fellows work with experienced professionals across the Tribune, bringing fresh perspectives, enthusiasm and valuable skills.

The University of Houston joins other Texas colleges that have cracked down on recent campus protests.

Protesting students and staff want to draw attention to public university investments in companies supporting Israel, even if divestment is unlikely in Texas.

An American Civil Liberties Union of Texas attorney and a UT-Austin professor discussed how free speech has been protected and challenged in campus protests, and what we should all learn from the last few weeks.

Many students participating in pro-Palestinian demonstrations fear their involvement might affect their plans for after college.

Hartzell’s protest response has also resulted in condemnations from students and faculty.

UT-Dallas is the second campus in Texas where Department of Public Safety troopers have made arrests while breaking up protests.

Authorities and protesters clashed during the latest pro-Palestinian demonstration at the university on Monday.

The arrest of dozens of Pro-Palestinian demonstrators since last week has left First Amendment advocates asking who gets to enjoy speech protections in Texas.

The arrests mark the second time in less than a week that police have broken up a pro-Palestinian demonstration. This time protesters tried to set up an encampment on campus.

University President Walter Wendler canceled a drag performance last year, claiming such shows “denigrate and demean women.”

The new Title IX rules expanded the definition of sex-based harassment. Paxton said the change distorted the original intent of the law.

The FOX 7 employee is accused of hitting a trooper with his camera, but the arrested man told reporters he was pushed and didn’t hit any officer.

We want to hear the experiences of students, faculty and families affected by pushback against diversity, equity and inclusion and free speech efforts at Texas universities.

University officials banned all students arrested from campus, except for “academic reasons.”

President Jay Hartzell defended the response but faculty criticized the presence of armed state troopers. Fifty-seven people were arrested.

Students can generally peacefully protest, regardless of their viewpoint, but colleges and authorities may enforce some restrictions and criminal laws to maintain peace and order.

As administrators scramble to comply with new limits on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, students and faculty worry more tumult is coming.

More than 40% of the state’s population is Hispanic, but its mental health provider population is more than 80% white.