Pam Anglin has been building college budgets since 1994.
Anglin, Tarrant County College chief financial officer, knows the usual levers: add a little here, subtract there and separate wants from needs. Raising tuition or fees comes last, as Anglin understands even a small increase can lock someone out of college.
The 2027 budget is different.
“This is the hardest budget that I’ve ever worked on,” she said. “I’ve never gone into one where, really, it’s like you didn’t have anywhere to turn.”
During an Aug. 6 special meeting, trustees got their first look at a proposed $429.4 million operating budget, about $14.4 million — or 3.5% — above the current budget. They are scheduled to vote whether to approve it on Aug. 20.
The budget Anglin proposed is balanced for a second consecutive year. Anglin said she reviewed spending line by line while trying to protect classrooms and student services.
The squeeze comes from a reduction in state funding, falling property values and pressure to keep tuition and fees flat.
Chancellor Elva LeBlanc said TCC is “stronger than it’s ever been,” producing more degrees, certificates and workforce training amid new budget realities.
“We are doing more for our students and our community than ever before, but we are receiving less funding while working to keep the tax rate lower,” LeBlanc said.
Texas shifted community colleges toward outcome-based funding in 2023, and colleges statewide outperformed projections past what the state can afford to pay. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board said 2027 formula appropriations total nearly $1.16 billion — 6.5% below 2026 — requiring payments to be reduced to stay within available funding.
In July, the coordinating board reduced how much extra money colleges receive for certain students. Schools now receive an extra 20 cents, down from 25 cents, for every dollar in outcome funding for low-income and academically underprepared students. Funding for adult learners 25 and older dropped, too, from 50 cents to 40 per dollar.
TCC now expects to get $59.6 million in state funding through the formula — about $4.1 million less than anticipated, Anglin said.
Board President Jeannie Deakyne said TCC spent money on salaries, tuition, services and materials to produce the outcomes that the state encouraged. She wants the college to seek supplemental funding from lawmakers in next year’s legislative session.
“We earned that funding, and now it is being withheld,” Deakyne said.
TCC can’t lean on students to close the gap. After Gov. Greg Abbott called for public colleges to keep tuition and mandatory fees flat in May, TCC reversed planned fee increases that would have generated more than $9 million. Tuition revenue is still expected to rise as TCC projects a 2% enrollment increase.
TCC also expects about $8 million less in property tax revenue compared to the previous year as appraised property values drop while state and local exemptions grow.
The proposed budget includes a 2% raise for more than 4,000 full-time employees, which would cost about $4.5 million including benefits. TCC is absorbing another 8% increase in employee health insurance costs following an 8% increase last year.
If trustees approve the 2% raise, salaries and benefits would account for 75.1% of TCC’s operating budget.
As Anglin looks for places to cut the budget, she said she also keeps in mind employees who are struggling with higher food and gas prices, particularly younger workers raising families.
Taking care of employees, for Anglin, falls on the needs side.
“I think about all of that,” she said. “I worry about all of it.”
Dang Le is the higher education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at dang.le@fortworthreport.org.
The Fort Worth Report partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.
The Report’s higher education coverage is supported in part by major higher education institutions in Tarrant County, including Tarleton State University, Tarrant County College, Texas A&M-Fort Worth Christian University, Texas Wesleyan University, the University of Texas at Arlington and UNT Health Fort Worth.
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