4 hours Ago By Jennifer Scott
The University of Texas System Board of Regents approved a groundbreaking initiative Wednesday, committing $35 million in immediate funding and expanding endowments to ensure long-term affordability. With the expansion, qualifying students will be able to attend any UT institution completely tuition-free beginning next fall. “What we’ve done is we've added to our Promise Plus program, which was initiated by the Board of Regents three or four years ago to help with tuition assistance and fee assistance for our students,” said Kevin Eltife, chairman of the Board of Regents.
“We voted to make it across the board at all nine academic institutions, which includes UT Tyler and SFA (Stephen F. Austin State University).” The Promise Plus Program is designed to help in-state undergraduate students by combining multiple forms of financial assistance into a comprehensive package.
The program uses adjusted gross income (AGI), reported on tax returns, as its benchmark, just like other financial assistance programs such as Pell Grants and state grants. “These are students who would be applying for tuition assistance anyway, so they go through that process,” Eltife explained. “Once they prove eligibility for those grants, if the family’s adjusted gross income is $100,000 or less, they can apply for the Promise Plus program.
This ensures they receive all available federal and state grants, and the Promise Plus program will cover the rest, fully meeting their tuition and fees." Eligibility for the new initiative extends to all undergraduate students, whether incoming freshmen directly from high school or those returning to school later in life, with the same eligibility requirements based on their family’s adjusted gross income of less than $100,000. This includes single parents with an AGI under $100,000, or families where both parents work and the combined AGI on the tax return is below that threshold.
“There are so many students and families that will qualify for this,” Eltife said. “It's a game changer.” Sign up to get our free daily email of the biggest stories! The initiative is projected to benefit approximately 80 to 90 percent of undergraduates at UT Tyler and SFA.
While the focus is on helping full-time undergraduates — who are most vulnerable to accumulating significant debt—there are currently no plans to extend the program to graduate or part-time students. The priority remains on making higher education more accessible and affordable for students at the beginning of their academic journey. Eltife emphasized the importance of education in the state’s long-term success: “We’re one of the fastest growing states in the country.
We have one of the largest economies in the country. We have got to have an educated workforce and what we're trying to do is provide the ability for our kids throughout the state who normally might not be able to afford it to go to college and..
. not accumulate a bunch of debt when they get out.” This initiative marks the latest milestone in the UT Regents' continued dedication to ensuring that every eligible Texas resident who aspires to earn a bachelor’s degree from a UT institution has the opportunity to do so, regardless of financial barriers.
In 2019, the Regents took a major step by establishing a $167 million endowment at UT Austin, designed to fully cover tuition and mandatory fees for in-state undergraduates from families with an AGI of up to $65,000, while also providing significant tuition relief for families earning up to $125,000. The Regents further expanded their commitment by establishing a second endowment of nearly $300 million in 2022, which builds upon the original Promise Plus program and extends it across all UT academic institutions. This additional funding strengthened the program, helping more students statewide access financial support to cover their tuition and fees.
Over the past five or six years, the UT System has undertaken a range of significant projects, including expanding campuses, establishing a medical school in Tyler, and integrating SFA into the system. However, according to Eltife, the initiative to provide tuition-free education for in-state undergraduates stands out as the most impactful for the Board of Regents. It is seen as a groundbreaking effort that will have a lasting effect on families and future generations.
“I came from a single-parent home and had to rely on Social Security benefits...
and was working part-time to put myself through college,” Eltife shared. “Doing this feels like it’s the right thing to do. We think it's really going to help a lot of people and it's going to help our state.
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