Venisha Colon 
300 W. 15th St., in Austin, Texas.
Venisha ColĂłn/THE RIDER
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to end three state funded work-study programs, on the basis that they discriminate against religious students.
The lawsuit was filed on Nov. 12 and is currently ongoing.
In a Nov. 14 news release by the Office of the Attorney General, Paxton stated the Texas College Work-Study Program, the Texas Working Off-Campus: Reinforcing Knowledge and Skills (WORKS) Internship Program and the Texas Innovative Adult Career Education (ACE) Grant Program “unconstitutionally discriminate against religious students.”
According to the eligibility requirements of the Texas College Work-Study Program guidelines, under the Texas Admin Code Title 19, Section 22.130, applicants must not be enrolled in a seminary or other program leading to ordination or licensure to preach for a religious sect or to be a member of a religious order” to be eligible for funds awarded by the program.
Similar requirements exist for WORKS under Texas Education Code, § 56.0855 (b)(4) which states, “To be eligible to enter into an agreement with the coordinating board to participate in the program, an employer must: … Provide employment to a student employed through the program in nonpartisan and nonsectarian activities.”
A rule exists for the ACE Grant Program which states program funds “may not be used for the purpose of funding … religious activities such as sectarian worship, instruction, or proselytization.”
In a statement within the news release, Paxton referred to the laws as “anti-Christian” and said they “must be completely wiped off the books.” He goes on to say in both the news release and the case file the programs violate the First Amendment by barring religious organizations and students receiving religious instruction from access to these state funds.
However, a political science professor at UTRGV argues Paxton’s remarks imply a promotion of a specific religion above others that goes against the Constitution.
In an interview with The Rider, Mark Kaswan, associate professor of political science at UTRGV, explained the Constitution is clear in forbidding states from promoting any one religion.
Kaswan said in regard to the First Amendment, the idea of taxpayer funds going toward religious institutions or the advancement of any religion is something the First Amendment is “explicitly intended to prevent,” and would contribute to a dilution of the separation of church and state.
UTRGV received the most state funding through the Texas College Work-Study Program in Texas in the 2026 Fiscal Year with a total of $427,998 awarded for both the Texas College Work-Study Program and the Work-Study Student Mentorship, according to a THECB report.
Jennifer Karolina Aguilar Lopez, a finance senior, said the work-study program at UTRGV has benefitted her both professionally and academically in her time as an assistant in the Office of the Dean of the College of Education and P-16 Integration.
Though Aguilar Lopez receives federal funding and would not be affected by the lawsuit, she believes students would be negatively impacted if anything were to happen to these programs.
“It’ll be really hard,” Aguilar Lopez said. “I would see it becoming very hard for a lot of students ’cause then the other options will be outside. I would say that it would be really hard for a lot of students and maybe it will affect them right in their studies during the semester.”
The Rider reached out to officials of the Division of Strategic Enrollment and Student Affairs seeking more information on how many students are employed through state funded work-study programs. Maggie Hinojosa, executive vice president for Strategic Initiatives and Student Affairs and deputy to the President, directed The Rider to Patrick Gonzales, vice president for University Marketing and Communications, who as of press time Friday, has yet to reply.
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