WORK In PROGRESS….DO NOT DELETE DO NOT MAKE LIVE

EL PASO, Tx. – A debate over tuition at UTEP pits two men running for the same seat on the Texas Senate against each other.

According to State Senator Eliot Shapleigh, after a controversial tuition deregulation bill passed in 2003, tuition costs at Texas public universities have gone up. Now, with the help of some UTEP students he’s proposing of a new bill to reign in the rising costs.

Senator Shapleighsays the problem of the students is not how hard the classes are, but if they’re going to be able to pay tuition next semester.”

Mr. Shapleigh adds, “You can’t get a high school degree in theUS today and truly capture your success. You must move on to a college degree and we ought to make that attainable for every family.”

Republican candidate Dee Margo contends that Senator Shapleigh interestin the cost of tuition at UTEP is nothing but a campaign ploy.

Mr. Margo tells ABC-7, “To me it’s more of a campaign trick than anything else… He hasn’t even talked toUTEP about all this and I’ve verified that…”

Senator Shapleigh and members of theUTEP Student Council announced the proposal of the Texas College Success Act of 2007. If passed, the bill would implement a three-year moratorium on all tuition and fee increases.

It would also create a 5% cap on any increase after the five-year period. The bill would increase funding for Texas grants and create more work study programs on campus. And it would require public universities to develop a uniform, online degree and finance plan.

UTEP officialstell ABC-7their tuition increases help the university provide a better education for their students and fall enrollment numbers broke a record for the 5th straight year.

Officials with the University add that more than 60% of its students have received loans, grants, scholarships or other forms of aid this semester and the university has handed out more than $41.6 million in aid.