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Study Tuition-Free at the University of Texas? Learn Why More Texans Will Qualify in 2025.
30/11/2024•9 minute read
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What It Means for Students & Parents
A Shifting Financial Aid Landscape
Did you know there's a wave of US universities that are making college more affordable and accessible? Now the University of Texas is joining the list: announcing expanded financial aid support, including tuition-free education opportunities for a growing number of in-state students, beginning in 2025.
University of Texas Announces Free Tuition for More In-State Students
“Today’s board vote now establishes a new baseline of $100,000 for all of UT’s academic institutions, meaning any student whose family has an AGI of that amount or less, will not be charged any tuition or mandatory fees, regardless of the UT academic institution they attend.”
- UT System Regents Expand Affordability and Access, UT Press Release, 20 November, 2024
US schools have been announcing efforts to increase need-based financial aid to increase inclusion and affordability.
On November 20, 2024 the University of Texas (UT) jumped on the financial-aid bandwagon, announcing plans to raise the income limit for tuition-free attendance.
Now students from families with incomes up to $100,000 will be eligible to attend the University of Texas without paying tuition or fees, beginning in 2025.
Tuition-Free UT? What You Need To Know
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Raises income threshold for full tuition benefit to $100,000, up from $65,000
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Raises income threshold for partial tuition benefit to $125,000
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Students must be Texas residents enrolled full-time as undergraduates to be eligible
This promise of increased affordability and access marks an expansion of the UT Promise Plus initiative — an endowment used to help students from lower-income backgrounds attend school for less. This initiative, which is called Texas Advance Commitment (TAC) at UT Austin, will also provide partial tuition support for students from families earning under $125,000.
However, one important limitation is that to qualify for these financial aid benefits, students must be Texas residents, enroll full-time in undergraduate programs, and apply for applicable federal and state financial aid.
What This Means for Students and Parents
This is great news for future Longhorns excited about attending the highly ranked University of Texas at Austin despite coming from families with smaller incomes. In fact, the UT financial aid expansion is projected to benefit an additional 3,000 additional families beginning in 2025.
Here are the essential eligibility requirements students need to satisfy:
- Be a Texas resident
- Submit the FAFSA or TASFA
- Have demonstrated financial need (based on FAFSA/TASFA
- Be a full-time, first-time-in-college student or transfer student who is pursuing a first bachelor’s degree
- Have a family Adjusted Gross Income under $125,000
- Meet academic progress and GPA requirements to qualify for renewal each year of study
Snapshot of Increased Financial Aid for In-State Students
| Income Level | Benefits | Change Beginning in 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Below $100,000 | Attend UT tuition-free | Threshold increasing from $65,000 to $100,000 |
| Below $125,000 | Partial tuition offset | Threshold increasing from $65,000 to $125,000 |
Source: UT News, 22 November, 2024
These commitments help students access a high-quality public university educational experience with less financial strain. According to UT News, TAC investments, along with other forms of financial aid and scholarships have already reduced the average net tuition paid by in-state undergraduates to about $4,000 a year.
“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.”
- UT System Chancellor James B. Milliken
A Shifting Financial Aid Landscape
The University of Texas is one of the largest public university systems in the US, and its flagship Austin campus is a destination for many highly motivated young scholars, ranked #30 in the nation by US News and World Report.
Unfortunately, only in-state students are eligible for these UT need-based tuition scholarships, so this news doesn’t impact the many out-of-state and international students with their eyes on UT Austin — a campus that has about a 10% acceptance rate for out-of-state applicants.
The good news is that UT is just one of many universities rolling out expanded financial aid offerings in 2024 and 2025.
For example, one of the best universities in the US and the world, MIT, announced a significant expansion of financial aid eligibility on the same day as UT’s announcement.
Tuition-Free MIT in 2025: Why MIT May Become More Affordable Than Ever Before
But, MIT and UT are not alone… Recently other universities have also been announcing plans to increase affordability and access, including:
Final Thoughts
What does this shifting financial aid landscape mean for students? Above all, it means that you shouldn’t let “sticker prices” drive your decision making about which schools belong on your application list and which don’t.
Instead, you should focus on which schools, academically, are the best picks for your list of reach, target, and safety schools rather than choosing “affordable” vs. “not affordable” schools.
That said, financial aid offerings — and eligibility requirements — do vary from school to school, so be sure to research the costs of attending schools that you’re targeting, including availing yourself of the school’s financial aid calculator, if one is offered. You may also want to discuss your options with a qualified college counselor who can help.
And remember, Crimson Education strategists are great resources for navigating all aspects of your college journey. They help thousands of students every year develop well-researched and balanced lists of target schools! With personalized application support across the application process, our students are 7x more likely on average to get accepted:
- 100% of Crimson students are admitted to at least one of their safety schools
- 98% of Crimson students are admitted to at least one of their target schools
- 55% of Crimson students are admitted to at least one of their reach schools
- 30% of Crimson students admitted to at least one of their extreme reach schools
That's right, almost 1 in 3 of our students get an offer from one of their extreme reach schools!
To get answers to your questions or to find out if our services are the right fit for your college dreams, schedule your own free feedback session today.
Talking to a Crimson strategist is an effective way to see what it’s like to have an expert from a world-leading admissions team on your side, and it’s the fastest way for us to learn more about your college goals and interests.
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About the Author
Keith Nickolaus
Keith Nickolaus is a former educator with a passion for languages, literature, and lifelong learning. After obtaining a B.A. from UC Santa Cruz and exploring university life in Paris, Keith earned his Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from UC Berkeley, and then worked for 16 years in K12 education before setting up shop as a freelance writer.
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