If Texas were to institute a universal Education Savings Account (ESA) program, Dr. Patrick Wolf of the University of Arkansas argues that by 2022 it would generate an additional 11,809 high school graduates. Having more high-school educated students would be good for Texas. These individuals would, on average, make more money (and thus pay more in taxes), be less likely to get into contact with the criminal justice system or end up on public assistance, and would live longer, healthier lives. This paper looks into the long term fiscal effects of the rise in the number of high school graduates from the program. In total, it estimates over $5 billion in benefits shared by participants of the program and society at large.
How Well Are Texas Public Universities Serving Their Students?
This paper represents the first installment of what will be an ongoing study of Texas public universities. This first phase, released in March 2024, is a review of three leading, existing ranking protocols, which measure free speech, academic quality, and Return on Investment by major and program. Our next installment will measure and report on...