The beginning of Spring 2025 draws UTRGV a semester closer to its 10-year anniversary, a milestone in the institution’s legacy since it first opened its doors Aug. 31, 2015, after the consolidation of legacy institutions University of Texas at Brownsville and University of Texas-Pan American.
At the forefront of their efforts, according to university President Guy Bailey, is getting scholarships for students.
When the university was consolidated, Bailey thought the biggest barrier for most people to go to college was financial.
“We thought, you know, that if we could make it affordable for students, that our enrollment would grow, students would do better,” Bailey said. “It would solve so many issues.”
During the initial stages, the university set out to enable students to graduate with minimal debt–which, according to Bailey, is an achievement they have reached leading up to a decade as an institution.
According to Patrick Gonzales, vice president of University Marketing and Communications, UTRGV has offered $20.7 million in institutional scholarships to 6,727 students as of Jan. 14.
“This past fall, 90% of our full-time undergraduate students … paid no tuition or mandatory fees,” Bailey said. “That’s a number we’re very proud of. We want to continue that. And this spring, we’ll continue to look for ways to make our university more affordable to students.”
The number, according to Bailey, is the reason why UTRGV has grown in enrollment and graduation rates, because it allows students to graduate with minimal debt.
“It makes all the difference in the world,” he said. “If you can graduate with very little debt, that means the minute you get a job … you can do all other things rather than have to worry … about paying off your student debt.”
According to criminal justice junior Andrew Del Villar, scholarships are “really important.”
“They take less stress off of you ’cause sometimes the FAFSA does not give enough money,” Del Villar said. “But, if you apply for scholarships early on time it helps you with any books you need.”
During the Spring 2025 semester, Bailey said the university intends to “continue what [they] have been doing.”
“We’ll continue to cultivate the alumni association,” he said. “We’ll continue to look for better ways to advise our students and help them graduate. We’ll continue … trying to raise money for scholarships, help our faculty get research grants. All of the things we normally do, we are going to continue those.”
Dean of Students Ismael Amaya said it is an “exciting time to be at UTRGV.”
“That’s the best, shortest way I can describe it is an exciting time and there are those opportunities that make it exciting: the growth of the campus, the student body, the growth of services that we’re providing.
“And I think … we’ve achieved a lot in 10 years. I know it’s … built on the work that was done at the legacy institutions … it’s not just those that have been here in the last 10 years, it’s everybody who’s … been part of, these legacy institutions or UTRGV in the last years have gotten us to where we are. And, we’ll keep moving us forward.”
