UT Arlington, A&M both offering free tuition to "higher income" low-income families

Colleges & Universities A-Z The University of Texas at Austin
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<p>From today's Daily Texan:
UT Arlington Maverick Promise offers free tuition to families making under $65,000</p>

<p>
[quote]
UT Arlington sets new max for free-tuition
*by Lindsey Morgan*</p>

<p>The University of Texas at Arlington announced last week that it is raising the maximum income for eligibility in its free-tuition program.</p>

<p>Starting in 2009, the university’s “Maverick Promise Program” will increase its income cap to $65,000 from the current $40,000. The financial-aid program began in 2006, promising a year of free tuition to low-income families that met certain income requirements.</p>

<p>“Every year, we review our whole awarding philosophy and see what we can we afford,” said Karen Krause, UT-Arlington’s financial aid director. “I wouldn’t expect [the income cap] to go up anytime soon, but it’s possible.”</p>

<p>The increase in available aid is derived from enhanced federal and state institution grants, mainly extending from the augmented Federal Pell Grant fund that is required for eligibility.</p>

<p>The cost of tuition for an undergraduate student taking 12 hours at UT-Arlington is a flat rate of $3,890 per semester, according to UT-Arlington’s Web site.</p>

<p>Eligible students must fall under the delineated income amount, receive a federal Pell Grant and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid by the April 1 deadline. All renewable funds can only be awarded if the student maintains a 2.0 GPA, Krause said.</p>

<p>UT-Arlington’s increase followed closely behind Texas A&M University’s announcement that its “Aggie Assurance Program” will extend its offer for free tuition this fall to families making up to $60,000.</p>

<p>“We now have the highest income cap that I am aware about, but that doesn’t mean there are not others out there,” Krause said. “Hopefully, we could be a trendsetter; it wouldn’t surprise me to see other universities make a move.”

[/quote]
</p>

<p>The UT Arlington press release says students must be eligible for a Pell grant and must be at least half-time studetns. It notes that the free tuition is renewable for up to five years.
UT</a> Arlington to grant free tuition to students from households making $65,000 or less</p>

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<p>This is fantastic news for those who qualify. I wonder if UT will follow.</p>

3

<p>Not a chance UT will follow. They are already full as is, as much as a help it could be to some of their students, it wouldn't make sense for them to change from a fiscal standpoint.</p>

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<p>Maybe this will make it a little bit easier to get into UT by affecting UT's yield (the proportion of accepted students who decide to attend)? Although UT is not like other colleges that can pull people in off a wait list if their yield is lower than expected. Hmmm.</p>

<p>At other schools, you are
1) admitted
2) waitlisted
3) rejected</p>

<p>At UT, you are
1) admitted for the next fall
2) admitted for the next summer as part of the "Summer Freshman Class"
3) CAP'ed so you can easily transfer in later
4) rejected</p>

<p>If the yield for next year were lower than expected, I wonder what they would do. Let some of the SFC enter in the fall, and then offer some of the CAP'ed students a spot in the SFC, maybe?</p>