UTRGV offers free tuition

UPDATED AT 11:37 A.M. SEPT. 23, 2019:

Next fall semester, UTRGV will offer “the most expansive free tuition program in the state” to qualifying, in-state students with a household income of under $75,000.

Calling it the most exciting project he has been a part of in higher education, UTRGV President Guy Bailey announced the new UTRGV Tuition Advantage program on Sept. 16 in the Performing Arts Complex lobby on the Edinburg campus.

The renewable program is designed to cover all tuition and mandatory fees after applying federal and state aid offered to eligible students, not including loans.

To qualify for the program, undergraduate students must be Texas residents, enrolled in at least 15 semester credit hours and have completed their FAFSA/TASFA by March 1.

Bailey said in addition to all students with a household income of under $75,000 getting free tuition, about half the students with a family adjusted gross income between $75,000 and $100,000 will have reduced tuition and fees as well. 

“UTRGV [Tuition] Advantage is the most expansive free tuition program in the state of Texas,” he said. “We have the highest income ceiling, and we cover more than any other program. This is available to all in-state undergraduate students, including incoming freshmen, returning students and … transfer students if you meet the program requirements, and this is available to everybody.”

To be eligible for the program, returning and transfer students must maintain a minimum GPA of  2.5, while incoming freshmen need a minimum score of 19 on the ACT or 1010 on the SAT, or be ranked in the top 10% of their high school. 

Bailey said it is expected that more than half of UTRGV’s undergraduate students attending next academic school year will not have to pay tuition or mandatory fees.

Magdalena “Maggie” Hinojosa, vice president for Strategic Enrollment said the program is expected to cost the university “a little over $6 million, just to start.”

Hinojosa said the program is funded by using the university’s “financial aid dollars” called tuition set-aside.

She said it took about three months to plan the program over the summer.

State Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. (D-Brownsville) said he felt emotional about the program, recollecting the struggles he underwent being one of 10 children in his family.

“We had to go to college. Period,” Lucio said. “It was a no-brainer for my mom and dad because they wanted us to have a better quality of life than they did, and only an education at a college or university would be able to have us do that. So, I think of them. They’re not with us anymore but this would’ve been a beautiful day for them to witness, to see and to know that other families in our neighborhood and our communities throughout the Valley are going to have an opportunity to do what we didn’t have back home when we were growing up.”

He said the program will lead to economic development and growth since the Rio Grande Valley will have an educated workforce and in the future, industry will come to the region.

“New companies, new jobs will be established and no longer will we see that most of our people have to leave to go find a job,” Lucio said. “It’s going to be right here in [our] backyard, and I’m so happy that we’ve been able to reach this milestone.”

Alexandra Smith-Macias, Student Government Association vice president for the Edinburg campus and a political science junior, said the program is a great opportunity and hopes it will encourage future students to apply to UTRGV.

“I do come from a low-income family, so without grants, I wouldn’t be able to come to [the] university,” Smith-Macias said. “Honestly, this is a great opportunity because, now, I think even more students are going to be able to pursue an education that maybe before it seemed like it was impossible to get. And I feel like life is made of opportunities, and this is a great one for people in our area especially.”

She said she 100% believes the program will help the university grow and is excited to see where UTRGV is going.

“The next step is we look how to expand this even further,” Bailey said. “We would love to have every student graduating without debt. … We want you to get a high-quality education without mortgaging your future.”