Public school system offers free tuition for families with incomes under $100,000

The University of Texas System will offer free tuition to students whose families earn less than $100,000 a year.

The Board of Regents’ Academic Affairs Committee has given preliminary approval to the Promise Plus program, the school system announced Wednesday. Beginning in fall 2025, the program will be open to students from any of nine UT academic institutions across the state.

Any student whose household has an adjusted gross income of $100,000 or less will not be charged tuition or mandatory fees.

If approved, the plan would send an “immediate infusion” of $35 million to campuses, making it the first in the state to “offer such large-scale financial assistance,” it said in a release Wednesday.

Eligible students must be Texas residents, be enrolled in a full-time undergraduate degree program, and apply for qualifying federal and state financial aid, according to the release.

The move is an expansion of existing programs to help the school system. In 2019, UT Austin students from families with incomes of $65,000 or less were offered free tuition and mandatory tuition. In 2022, this program was expanded to include all UT academic institutions.

The UT System has 256,000 students, making it the largest university system in Texas and one of the largest public university systems in the country.

The new program is estimated to help 3,000 more students, according to UT News.

“It is important to all of us to be able to ensure that our students can attend UT institutions without increasing debt, and while we are here, we will continue our work to provide an affordable and accessible education for all. who have decided to attend UT,” Kevin P. Eltiff, chairman of the Board of Regents, said in a statement.

UT System Chancellor James B. Milliken praised the board of regents’ decision and hailed the program as having the potential to impact current and future students.

“What is especially gratifying to me and the UT presidents is that the regents are not only addressing the immediate needs of our current students, but also looking to the future to ensure that future generations will continue to benefit from this great program,” Milliken said.

He added: “Across all UT institutions, student enrollment is rising and student debt is falling, indicating success in both access and affordability. This is a rare trend in American higher education, and I am proud that the UT System can lead the way.”