Texas launches free college application week this October
Texas students have just taken a step closer to their college dreams without the price tag.
Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board have announced Free College Application Week, scheduled for October 13-19, 2025. For one week, public colleges and universities across the state will waive application fees for Texas residents applying through ApplyTexas.
It’s a small but significant shift. Application fees, often $50 to $90 a piece, can add up quickly, especially for families encouraging students to cast a wide net. For first-generation students, that cost can be enough to deter them from applying at all.
The program, created under Senate Bill 2231 during the 89th Texas Legislative Session, fits into a broader effort to expand access through tools like My Texas Future and Direct Admissions, which help students match interests to careers and identify schools where they qualify even before they apply.
Still, free applications are only a first step. The bigger challenges remain, like rising tuition, living expenses and unequal access to financial aid. For now, though, Free College Application Week tears down one more barrier between Texas students and opportunity.
Mike Miles’ $173K bonus sparks debate
Houston ISD’s recent decision to award Superintendent Mike Miles a $173,660 performance bonus, bringing his total compensation above $635,000 for the 2025-26 year, has stirred questions about priorities and accountability.
This includes a base salary of $462,000, which increased from $380,000 when the board extended his contract for five years.
The bonus was contractually justified. In his annual evaluation, Miles scored high marks in student achievement and leadership rubrics. Supporters argue that his leadership is driving needed academic gains: Fewer failing campuses, rising metrics in critical assessments and a reform agenda aimed at lifting outcomes.
However, many in Houston say the bonus rewards are based on performance on paper, not the lived experiences of students, teachers and parents. Enrollment has dropped amid sweeping changes. Critics point to program cuts, school closures, community disruption and reports of burnout and instability among staff.
Lina Hidalgo’s exit leaves Harris County at a crossroads
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s decision not to seek reelection in 2026 marks the close of a political era that redefined local leadership. When first elected in 2018 at just 27 years old, she upended expectations, unseating a Republican incumbent and shifting the Commissioners Court toward a Democratic majority.
In our interview earlier this year, Hidalgo admitted she was not sure about running again. That uncertainty has now ended.
Her tenure has been both groundbreaking and polarizing. Her political trajectory has borne the toll of constant scrutiny, partisan battles and the pressures of steering Texas’ largest county through floods, a pandemic and public safety debates.
Either way, Hidalgo’s presence changed the conversation in Houston and beyond, showing that young, diverse voices could command the center of Texas politics.
Her recent conduct in Commissioners Court also shows increasing tensions with fellow commissioners, both Democratic and Republican, around budget priorities, decorum and the balance between law enforcement funding and social services.
Hidalgo introduced a property tax increase to sustain early childhood education programs (Early REACH), funded previously by federal relief. Some commissioners criticized the proposal as lacking adequate data and said they weren’t briefed until after documents were released.
In early August, the Court formally censured Hidalgo for multiple breaches of decorum. These included her swearing in front of a 7-year-old during a meeting and interrupting commissioners during debate. It was the first time a sitting Harris County Judge was admonished in this way.
Hidalgo walked out of a budget meeting after her efforts to prevent cuts to child-related programs failed. She expressed frustration that colleagues would not support motions to protect early childhood programs, including questioning where the concern for children was in budget choices.
She has also resisted large pay raises for law enforcement, warning that they could force deep cuts elsewhere in county services, particularly for children and social programs.
Now, Harris County faces a crossroads. Without Hidalgo, Democrats risk losing control of the court and Republicans see an opening. More importantly, residents must ask: What kind of leadership do Houstonians want next?
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