Texas Community College Students Head to the State Capitol for House Bill 8 Testimony
On September 24, two representatives from the Texas Community College Student Advisory Council (SAC) testified before the Senate Higher Education subcommittee to share their insights into the implementation of House Bill 8.
Passed in 2023, HB 8 established Texas’ new performance-based funding formula that rewards community colleges based on students’ successful completion of degrees and credentials. The testimonies provided by these students helped illuminate how this groundbreaking legislation is already beginning to improve opportunities and support for students across the state.
Students Testify
During the hearing, Isabel Torres and Myles Lopez-Cepero, both members of the SAC, offered personal insights into how HB 8 has impacted their educational journeys.
Isabel, who completed her associate’s degree last year at age 41 and is now pursuing her bachelor’s degree in health sciences, spoke about her journey as a parenting student, balancing the demands of higher education with her responsibilities as a parent. She emphasized how affordable on-campus childcare, frequent checkpoints with her advisor, and emergency aid helped her stay on track academically. As a staff member at her community college, she spoke to how investments in personalized advising and wrap-around support services are now benefiting other hard-working students who face similar challenges.
Both Chairman Creighton and Senator Springer expressed gratitude for the students’ firsthand accounts of the legislation’s impact. Senator Springer closed by saying: “Listening to Isabel and Myles really brought some joy to the conclusion of my time here on Higher Ed … for Myles, I look forward to him dropping that ‘low-income’ in front of a description about one’s self. And from Isabel, helping an adult learner come back and better their life. It’s why we come down here, to help people like that make a difference.”
On behalf of the entire Student Advisory Council, we thank the committee for listening to these student’s testimonies and acknowledging their contributions during the hearing. By centering students’ needs and aspirations, Texas can continue to address the state’s workforce needs and remove barriers to success for all students. Dialogue between policymakers and students will be key to the ongoing implementation of HB 8 and to future policy decisions impacting postsecondary affordability and success.
Organized and supported by Young Invincibles, EdTrust in Texas, and Breakthrough Central Texas, the Student Advisory Council represents current and recent community college students from across the state, including first-generation college students, parenting students, armed forces veterans, and Texans of diverse races, ethnicities, ages, and backgrounds. The Council’s formation dates back to the Commission on Community College Finance formed in 2022; since then, members have engaged directly in policy conversations impacting the more than 675,000 students enrolled at Texas community colleges.
