Senator Eliot Shapleigh - El Paso, Texas

AUSTIN -- Money will be tight in the next state budget, and it's not likely that much will be left to help schools like the University of Texas at El Paso achieve tier-1 status, some leading lawmakers said Wednesday.

"I don't think we're going to have a lot of new money to spread around," said state Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, which helps write the two-year state budget.

On Monday, El Paso lawmakers announced that obtaining funding to catapult UTEP into top-tier status was their top priority for the legislative session that will start Tuesday. During a legislative preview hosted by The Associated Press Managing Editors on Wednesday, Chisum and other lawmakers said a strained economy dimmed the possibilities for increased funding for universities wanting to become national research institutions.

Only two public universities in Texas are considered among the top tier of research institutions nationally -- UT Austin and Texas A&M University.

States such as California and New York each have several top-tier universities.

UTEP is among seven Texas public universities, including the University of Houston, UT Dallas and Texas Tech University, striving to be the state's next elite institution. The title confers prestige and money for the school and for the city where it's situated.

In meetings over the past year, lawmakers and university leaders have discussed proposals to fund more tier-1 universities that could ease some of the political fights that have stymied such movements in the past.

"I think there will be some initiatives to help jump-start the creation of tier ones," said state Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, a member of the Senate Higher Education Committee.

The discussions have centered on creating a pool of matching funds the state would dole out to universities as they take steps to reach the tier-1 goal.

"The question is whether or not there is going to be any money to do it," West said.

As the state stares down decreasing tax revenue in a declining economy, as well as growing costs for public education and health care, Chi sum said that isn't likely.

The dollars may not be available now, said state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, but lawmakers could create the basic outlines for a program that would provide incentives for universities.

If that happens, he said, UTEP should be at the table.

"UTEP has earned the sweat equity to be a tier-1," Shapleigh said.

Richard Adauto, UTEP executive vice president, said officials there know state funding is going to be tight this year. All they want, he said, is the chance when money is available to play on a level field against other schools that want to be the next tier-1 school.

In the past 20 years, he said, UTEP has increased its yearly research expenditures from $5 million to $50 million. The number of doctoral programs increased from one to 16.

"We're ready," Adauto said. "We're ready to compete."