AUSTIN (KXAN) -- An additional 3,000 students at the University of Texas at Austin will have their tuition fully paid for or "deeply discounted" next school year, following action taken by the University of Texas System Board of Regents this week.
The board voted to cover tuition free of charge for undergraduate students whose families "have an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $100,000 or less," UT officials said in a Friday news release. Currently, the UT System provides free tuition for undergraduate students coming from families making $65,000 or less.
The change will take effect beginning in fall 2025, officials confirmed. It will apply to students at all UT System institutions, the release added.
Officials said 14,500 UT Austin undergraduates currently receive free or reduced tuition as part of the Texas Advance Commitment, or TAC.
“We do not want affordability to be a barrier to a first-class college education, and we are extremely thankful to the Board of Regents for making this incredible investment and inspiring our collective vision to make our University affordable and accessible for all Texans who earn a spot on the Forty Acres,” UT President Jay Hartzell said in the Friday release. “We are thrilled to welcome even more students and families to Longhorn Nation who may not have otherwise considered UT Austin. Applications are open through Dec. 1, so I encourage interested future Longhorns to apply today.”
Not everyone supported the expanded coverage. More than 10 Texas lawmakers co-authored a letter to the University of Texas Board of Regents with questions and concerns about the announcement. Texas State Rep. Brian Harrison (R-Midlothian) slammed the measure on social media, calling it a "socialist, regressive, and possibly unconstitutional 'free' college scheme."
“Nothing is free. This outrageous abuse of power by unelected, executive branch bureaucrats makes higher education in Texas more socialist than California. A decision this consequential should only be made by the legislature," he said. "If you liked Biden’s unconstitutional loan forgiveness program, you’ll love this. The legislature must stop this Nancy Pelosi-esque, regressive, welfare-for-the-rich program that abuses working class Texans by forcing them to fund “free” college for “LGBTQ Studies” students. There must be consequences. UT’s budget must be cut, and bureaucrats should be fired.”
Other financial assistance efforts at UT include its housing affordability scholarship program, designed to mitigate some housing costs for students living in UT's residence hall. That program is offered to students who qualify for TAC.
