HOUSTON -- An 11 News/KUHF Houston Public Radio poll finds broad support for Proposition Four in the Houston area.

The proposed constitutional amendment would release approximately half a billion dollars from a state bank account, and make it available to seven public universities in Texas over the next several years. Because the money is already being held by the state, approval of the proposition would not require a tax increase.

Supporters say diverting the money currently held in the state’s Higher Education Fund to a “National Research University Fund” would help those universities become “tier one” research centers. Under the plan, universities would have to raise matching funds from private sources before they would be able to access the state dollars.

According the poll, 63 percent of likely voters in the city of Houston plan to vote in favor of Proposition Four, while 14 percent plan to vote against it. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.2 percent.

The state money would help the seven eligible universities become “Tier One” public institutions. Currently, Texas has two such universities – the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M. Rice University is also a Tier One institution, but it is private, not public.

The other so-called “emerging research universities” that would be eligible for funding if Proposition Four passes are the University of Houston, Texas Tech University, the University of North Texas, the University of Texas at Arlington, the University of Texas at Dallas, the University of Texas at El Paso, and the University of Texas at San Antonio.