The Stephen F. Austin State University Board of Regents voted to join the University of Texas System, selecting the Austin-based system from four across the state that had extended invitations to join their ranks this year.
Board members said all four systems — the Texas A&M University System, the Texas State University System, the Texas Tech University System and the University of Texas System — assured them that the East Texas university would be able to keep its autonomy, as well as its name, mascot and school colors. And a financial analysis showed the university would benefit financially in some form from joining any of the systems.
But regents said joining the UT System was the most attractive option because of the access to funding from the Permanent University Fund, which consists of assets created by oil and gas revenue from 2.1 million acres of land in West Texas that rake in billions of dollars annually.