The University of Texas System announced Wednesday it will expand its free tuition program for lower-income families to include all families making $100,000 or less a year.
The Board of Regents gave preliminary approval to the plan, which is an expansion of its Promise Plus program. The free tuition for undergraduate students will begin in the fall of 2025 and will cover tuition and fees.
In a press release the UT System said the move will make it one of the few in the U.S. to offer “such a sweeping financial aid benefit.”
The school system, with nine universities and five health institutions, is the largest university system in the state and one of the largest public systems in the country, with over 256,000 students enrolled.
The expansion of the program comes after the Board of Regents established a $167 million endowment at UT Austin in 2019 to cover tuition and fees for in-state undergraduate students for families with an annual gross income of up to $65,000 and reduce tuition costs for families earning to $125,000. In 2022, a second endowment extended that program to all UT academic institutions.
The effects have already been felt: UT graduate debt declined from 53.6% in 2019 to 47.8% in 2023, the release said.
“The combination of these actions today will ensure that average student debt at UT academic institutions continues to decline. Today it is the lowest across Texas public four-year universities,” the release said.
UT System Chancellor James B. Milliken said in a statement: “Across UT institutions, enrollment is growing, and student debt is declining, indicating success in both access and affordability. That’s a rare trend in American higher education, and I’m proud the UT System is in a position to be a leader.”
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology made a similar announcement Wednesday — eliminating tuition costs for undergraduate students whose families make less than $200,000.
“Eighty percent of American households meet this income threshold,” the school said in a release.
Further, families with an income below $100,000 will have tuition as well as housing, dining fees and allowances for books and personal expenses covered.
“The cost of college is a real concern for families across the board,” MIT President Sally Kornbluth said, “and we’re determined to make this transformative educational experience available to the most talented students, whatever their financial circumstances. So, to every student out there who dreams of coming to MIT: Don’t let concerns about cost stand in your way.”