Illustration by Todd Wiseman

The cost of a public college education in Texas has increased 147 percent since 2002. Who is to blame? And how is it affecting families across the state? The Texas Tribune hopes to examine those questions before lawmakers convene in Austin in January.

We want to learn about the reasons behind the rising costs, the effect on families and what would have happened to our public universities if tuition hadnโ€™t climbed.

To do so, we need your help.

We want to hear from all kinds of Texans โ€” rich, poor and middle class; educators, parents and students; recent graduates and old alumni. Tell us how you saved for college, what it cost you and how difficult it was to afford your education. Or maybe you are still saving for college. We want to hear about that, too. Our goal is to compile data to understand trends and differences among different income groups and ages. And we want to hear individual stories that will help us understand how lawmakersโ€™ decisions are affecting people’s lives.

You can help by filling out the survey below. Please be as detailed as you can. We promise not to identify you or publish your information without your permission.

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Matthew Watkins began serving as editor in chief of the Tribune in September 2024. He is a Texas native, born in Houston and raised in Austin. He attended Texas A&M University and has spent his entire...