Sul Ross State University is seeking more than $250 million in state funding for projects ranging from an expansion of the Borderlands Research Institute to a new academic building at its Eagle Pass campus, according to reporting by The Skyline, the university’s student newspaper.
The Skyline Editor Maya Tinajero reported Sunday that Sul Ross President Carlos Hernandez sent a formal request Aug. 20 to state Sen. César Blanco, D-El Paso, outlining the university’s legislative funding priorities ahead of the 2027 legislative session.
“Continued investment from the state plays a vital role in ensuring SRSU can deliver an exceptional, affordable education to the students and communities we serve,” Hernandez wrote in the letter, according to The Skyline.
The requests total $256 million and include a $25 million one-time capital request for the Borderlands Research Institute; $3 million for student success initiatives at the Alpine campus; $3 million for the Sul Ross State University Law Enforcement Academy; $75 million to renovate, modernize and expand agriculture, life and physical sciences facilities in Alpine; and $150 million for construction of a second academic building and learning commons at the university’s Eagle Pass campus.
The Eagle Pass request comes as Sul Ross continues a broader effort to expand its presence there. The university has previously outlined plans to grow the campus as enrollment increases and eventually establish an independent four-year university in Eagle Pass.
The Borderlands Research Institute, established in 2007, conducts research, education and outreach focused on natural resources in the Chihuahuan Desert borderlands.
Tinajero reported that the latest funding requests come after Sul Ross lost $10 million in Department of Education funding and implemented a 7% across-the-board budget reduction last spring.
The Texas Senate Committee on Education is scheduled to meet Oct. 6, according to The Skyline. The 90th Texas Legislature is scheduled to convene Jan. 12, 2027.
