Tuition Equalization Grants might be on the chopping block as Texas makes cuts to its budget this year.

Texas students and administrators should start working now on a Plan B for college funding in the fall.

The state awards eligible students in private universities up to $3,808 per school year and for students in “exceptional need,” the state can award up to $5,712. About $4 million in TEG each year comes to ACU students – a noteworthy level of funding.

To prevent the state from significantly cutting TEG, Dr. Phil Schubert, president of the university; Dr. Kenneth Starr, president of Baylor University; and Dr. Dennis Ahlburg, president of Trinity University, met with key Texas legislators earlier this semester. They discussed the importance of these grants to students enrolled in private universities.

However, with the budget situation in Texas this year, TEG likely will undergo at least some cuts, said Suzanne Allmon, senior adviser to the ACU president.

We appreciate Schubert’s and other members of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas, Inc.’s support of TEG and dedication to preserving the grants as much as possible, but students and administrators must be prepared for cuts.

Schubert said ACU won’t make any significant back-up plans until it’s determined whether their will be cuts and how much will be cut. However, students receiving TEG must be aware of what could happen, and start looking for additional means of funding in advance.

Administrators also should think about how they best can serve the needs of students relying heavily on TEG. They should make these students aware and help them find different ways to pay for college because, if the university loses students, it also loses money. With more time to research alternatives, students could apply for more scholarships, grants or summer jobs.

Although we would rather prevent TEG cuts all together, students relying on grants still should know what could happen, and prepare accordingly – for their and the university’s sake.