UTA undergraduate students whose families make less than $100,000 annually will get free tuition and waived fees starting 2025.
At its Thursday meeting, the UT System Board of Regents approved the initiative for all academic universities within the system, which includes UTA. The approval will help increase funding and establish a new baseline for UTA’s Blaze Forward initiative, which is also supported by university funds, and federal and state grants.
The initiative, launched in 2022, covers tuition and mandatory fees over four years for UTA undergraduates and two years for transfer students who have completed their associate degree.
To be eligible, students must be Texas residents, full-time undergraduate attendants and be able to receive federal and state grants. There is no required application for the program, but students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, FAFSA, or Texas Application for State Financial Aid, TASFA.
With Blaze Forward as one of multiple resources offered to UTA students, the university committed to $400 million in financial support to students entering fall 2024.
President Jennifer Cowley said in a press release Thursday that 49% of undergraduates had their tuition and fees fully covered this year.
“We are thrilled to create the opportunity to help even more students achieve their dreams of a college degree,” Cowley said.
The average cost of tuition and fees for a full-time undergraduate student paying an in-state rate at UTA is $12,208.
“Blaze Forward provides meaningful financial assurances to thousands of Texas families. This program expansion reflects UTA’s enduring commitment to ensuring that the resources students need to succeed and thrive throughout their Maverick journey are available to them, regardless of financial background,” said Tamara Brown, Academic Affairs provost and senior vice president, in the press release.
The UT System Board of Regents’ Academic Affairs Committee preliminarily approved the introduction of $35 million across all nine academic institutions during Wednesday’s meeting. The investment will derive from endowment distributions, the Available University Fund and other resources.
“To be in a position to make sure our students can attend a UT institution without accruing more debt is very important to all of us, and as long as we are here, we will continue our work to provide an affordable, accessible education to all who choose to attend,” said Kevin Eltife, chairman of the Board of Regents, in the press release.
The move follows Gov. Greg Abbott's recent announcement that he will prohibit public colleges or universities from increasing tuition in the next two years.
"The State has made historic investments in higher education, including increased funding for universities and financial aid programs," Abbott wrote in a letter to public colleges and universities.
News clerk Dang Le contributed to this report.
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