AUSTIN — Seven state-supported universities, including three in North Texas, would be propelled toward elite tier-one status under legislation passed unanimously by the state Senate on Wednesday.

The University of Texas at Arlington, the University of North Texas in Denton and the University of Texas at Dallas would be eligible for matching state financial assistance to put them on track toward becoming top-flight universities, competing with some of the nation’s most prestigious institutions.

The 31-0 vote on Sen. Judith Zaffirini’s bill came just days after House members passed a similar measure that incorporates elements of Zaffirini’s proposal. A third tier-one bill sponsored by Sen. Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock, could come up for a vote in the Senate today. The issue will eventually be resolved in a House-Senate conference committee.

Officials at UTA have expressed support for the measures as part of their long-term goal to achieve tier-one status. The three universities have also worked together in the effort, saying the populous Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan region is long overdue for a top-level university.

Texas now has only two public tier-one universities — the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University in College Station — and one private tier-one university, Rice, in Houston. Educators and state officials say the shortage results in a brain drain as students leave Texas to seek a blue-ribbon education in other states.

Zaffirini, a San Antonio Democrat who leads the Senate Higher Education Committee, told senators that her bill would "create a pathway for our seven emerging research universities to reach that coveted status in the academic arena." Tier-one universities are measured by a number of factors, including their research dollars, the amount of private donations and the number of faculty members with doctoral degrees.

The other schools that would benefit under Zaffirini’s bill are Texas Tech University in Lubbock, the University of Houston, the University of Texas at El Paso and the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Zaffirini’s bill emerged from an interim study ordered by Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, the Senate’s presiding officer. Dewhurst assigned the legislation one of his priority bill numbers, SB 9. Twenty-two of the Senate’s 31 members co-sponsored the bill, including Chris Harris, R-Arlington, and Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth.

Boards of regents would be required to submit long-range strategic plans on attaining tier-one status. Two state funds would provide financial assistance toward obtaining that goal.

Universities with at least $50 million in research expenditures averaged over three years would be eligible for $1 million for every $10 million in research expenditures. Institutions with less than $50 million in research would receive $500,000 for every $10 million. The money would come from the 2-year-old Competitive Knowledge Fund.

According to figures provided by Zaffirini from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, UTA’s three-year research average was $36.1 million and UT-Dallas’ was $44.2 million. Of the seven institutions, the University of North Texas had the lowest average, $15.8 million. The University of Houston had the highest, $78.4 million.

Additional funds would also be based on the number of graduates during the two most recent fiscal years and the percentage increase in the number of graduates during the two most recent fiscal years.

The bill also creates the Texas Research Incentive Program to provide matching funds to universities based on the amount of their private donations. Another program, the Texas Centers of Excellence, would help undergraduate programs at universities not on the tier-one track.