States' funding of major public research universities dropped 20 percent in constant dollars -- those adjusted for inflation -- over eight years, according to federal data released last week.
The trend held true in Texas, but was less pronounced, according to the report from the National Science Board that examined 101 institutions.
The state's per-student funding to the four universities examined -- Texas A&M University, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Texas at Dallas and the University of Houston -- dipped 12 percent in constant dollars from 2002 to 2010.
Ray Bowen, the chairman of the National Science Board and a former Texas A&M president, expressed hope for improvement, despite his body's bleak report and universities, including the one he led, slashing faculty and staff to meet budget reductions.
"There may be a few more years of difficulty, but I think long-term you should not be pessimistic," he said. "The history of our nation, particularly since World War II, is that we have funded the big research universities and made investments in basic research to drive the economy. And I don't think that has fundamentally changed."
As a percentage of the total budgets of the institutions examined, state funding declined from 28 percent in 2001 to 19 percent in 2009, the research found. At Texas A&M, from fiscal year 2002 to 2012, the drop was from 25 percent to 18 percent, according to university data.
At Texas A&M, the state's funding per-student this year was just under $4,600, which is lower than 2002 levels in current dollars, or those not adjusted for inflation, the university data shows.
The state reductions have led universities to increase tuition for students. The cuts accelerated in recent years amid economic woes. Over the last couple of years, Texas A&M let go more than 500 faculty and staff to deal with reductions.
The National Science Board advises the American president and Congress on science and engineering education, and also oversees and sets policies for the National Science Foundation, the $6.9 billion agency that funds about 20 percent of federally supported basic research at America's colleges and universities.
Bowen, who served as Texas A&M president from 1994 to 2002, was appointed to the 25-person board by former President George W. Bush for a six-year term in 2002 and reappointed in 2008. He was elected chairman in 2010.
Ogden optimistic
State Sen. Steve Ogden, like Bowen, expressed optimism, saying he believed the higher education funding cut during the last Legislative session was likely more a dip than a structural, long-term reduction.
The Bryan Republican said higher education faced a disproportionate amount of cuts because it truly was discretionary funding and didn't have the legal protections that some of the other sectors did, such as Medicare, a federal program, or K-12 education.
"We didn't do it because we liked to. We did it because we had to," Ogden said. "I'm proud of the fact that we didn't cut more than we did. And I'm proud of the fact that we didn't have to cut as much as other states."
Positive signs exist for the next Legislative session, said Ogden, who served as chair of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, and it's possible that Texas could actually have a surplus as the economy picks up, largely because oil is at $100 a barrel.
But the oilman's optimism was tempered.
"If the price of oil goes to 50 bucks," Ogden said, "we're in the tank."
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