Education

Revolutionary Scholarship Plan for Texas
In 1999, Senator Ellis authored legislation creating the TEXAS Grant program, an innovative scholarship program that will open the doors to college to a generation of young Texans.  Since the TEXAS Grant program was created in 1999, over 115,000 young Texans have received 235,000 TEXAS Grants totaling over $648 million to help them pay for college.  The funding for the TEXAS Grant program represents the largest investment in financial aid in Texas history.  In 2005, Senator Ellis led the effort to protect the TEXAS Grant program from crippling new restrictions that would have forced thousands of students to lose their aid.  At the beginning of the session, the program faced a $130 million budget cut and significant new grade-point and hours-per-semester requirements that would have forced thousands of students to lose their grant.  Thanks to Senator Ellis' leadership, TEXAS Grants received a $40 million funding increase and no significant new restrictions.

Tuition Revenue Bonds
In 2006, Senator Rodney Ellis fought hard to ensure the state universities in Senate District 13 received authorization to issue over $220.7 million in tuition revenue bonds to invest in education and to assist universities in constructing quality educational facilities that will provide quality higher education opportunities to the people of Houston. Texas Southern University, University of Houston and University of Houston-Downtown received approval to issue tuition revenue bonds for their priority projects. Texas Southern University received permission to issue $31.5 million in tuition revenue bonds for the School of Science and Technology. The University of Houston received permission to issue $57.6 million in tuition revenue bonds to renovate the Science Laboratories. The University of Houston-Downtown received permission to issue $31.6 million in tuition revenue bonds for a new classroom building. In addition, other two universities in Senate District 13 received approval to issue tuition revenue bonds. The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston received permission to issue $60 million in tuition revenue bonds for a replacement Dental Building and the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center received permission to issue $40 million in tuition revenue bonds for the Center for Targeted Therapy Research Building.

Investing in Texas Schools 
To help create more top flight Texas universities, in 2001, Senator Ellis passed legislation that will provide $67 million in special research funding to help more Texas schools, such as the University of Houston, achieve top tier status. In addition, Senator Ellis crafted a budget that will provide an additional $88 million to help Texas community colleges meet rising enrollment and an additional $2 billion to improve Texas public schools.

Supporting Texas Teachers In 2001 
Senator Ellis help lead the effort to provide health insurance for teachers and school employees. As Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Ellis devised a plan to invest $5.2 billion to fund a state teachers' health insurance program and other vital education needs. In addition, Senator Ellis passed legislation providing an additional $11 million in cost of living incentives to college students who plan to become teachers, which will help reduce the 44,000 teacher shortage currently facing our schools.