The University of Texas at Austin recently announced the expansion of its free tuition program, the Promise Plus Program, which will provide undergraduate Texas students from families earning $100,000 or less per year with free tuition and fees starting in fall 2025.
The UT Board of Regents gave preliminary approval to the expansion on Wednesday, Nov. 20, with a final vote on Thursday, Nov. 21. The board allocated $35 million to the university to support the program, making students at all nine UT institutions eligible. In a statement, Board Chair Kevin Eltife emphasized the importance of providing free tuition to young students.
“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 a UT institution,” he said.
This decision comes as college tuition prices have nearly doubled since 2000. According to the Education Data Initiative, federal borrowers age 24 or younger owe an average of $14,559 in student debt.
