The University of Texas (UT) system is supposed to offer free tuition to undergraduate students whose households have an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $100,000 or less. The initiative is aimed at easing the financial burden on low-income families and is open to students enrolled at any of the system’s nine academic institutions.
The plan is expected to receive final approval from the board on Thursday. If approved, $35 million will be immediately allocated to participating campuses. Funding comes from endowment distributions, available university endowments, and other resources.
The program will begin next fall, making the UT System the first in Texas and one of the few in the nation to implement such a broad financial aid initiative, according to an official statement.
The UT System includes universities in Arlington, Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Permian Basin, Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio, and Tyler.
The development follows a similar announcement by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which announced that starting next fall, students from families with annual incomes of less than $200,000 will be eligible for tuition-free education.
These efforts reflect a growing trend among universities to address affordability and improve access to higher education for a broader range of students.
