War Hawks Lobbying for Future War Hawks

McMurry University has a small school feeling that attracts hundreds of students. What keeps students here the most are social clubs, sports, band, theater, and most importantly, the financial aid McMurry University offers.

Last week, political science majors Cody Kovar, Christian Brown, Lauren Medlock, and Peace Potentate traveled to Austin, Texas to represent the lobbyist group ICUT (Independent Colleges & Universities of Texas), who helped provide them and thousands of other students with the Texas Equalization Grant (TEG).

The TEG is a form of grant aid extended to students who are enrolled in a private, non-profit Texas college or university, providing as much as $3,364 per year at McMurry. “I think that it is not only beneficial, but absolutely necessary for McMurry University,” said student body president Cody Kovar regarding how beneficial the grant is to students. Kovar also commented how many of McMurry’s students come from a needs based background and how this grant could mean the difference in being able to afford college and not being able to attend at all.

Christian Brown commented that private colleges and universities provide students with one-on-one learning that is conducive to learning. “I come from a single parent home, and my mom wasn’t going to be able to afford McMurry; but, with the grant, I was able to afford McMurry and get the experience I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else,” commented  Christian Brown concerning on how the TEG has benefitted her.

Every two years, the budget for the Texas Equalization Grant has to be re-determined. The outcome of the lobbying is to be decided. The proposal is to increase the budget by six million for the next two years, but it will have to pass through the Texas House of Representatives and Senate when the budget is finalized at the end of this legislative session.

ICUT supports many private universities in Texas, and if the budget for the TEG passes through the legislative red tape in front of it, then more financial aid will be awarded in the TEG to students who qualify. Our student representation in Austin will no doubt serve as a catalyst to pass this grant and consequently, more students will be able to enjoy McMurry’s unique experience.