UTSA leaders will join UT System officials and students at the Downtown Campus today to share details on Promise Plus, a new endowment that will expand UTSA’s Bold Promise program by providing students significant financial support that could cover their entire tuition.
UTSA launched Bold Promise in December 2019 to create opportunities for students from across Texas whose families may not otherwise have been able to afford a college education. It covers 100% of a first-time freshman’s tuition and fees for four years. Last fall, UTSA increased the program’s family income threshold from $50,500 to $70,000 to allow even more students the opportunity to earn a college degree. The additional funding from Promise Plus will allow hundreds more students to have their tuition covered.
The UT System Board of Regents approved the creation of the Promise Plus endowment in February 2022. Funding from the endowment will also add to previous investments that the Board of Regents has made to UTSA over the last decade to help advance the institution’s goal to serve as a model for student success and as an economic engine for San Antonio and Texas.
“We are committed to increasing the affordability of a college education for more Texans by lowering the out-of-pocket cost of a UT degree for qualified students,” UT System Board of Regents Chairman Kevin P. Eltife said. “This is an investment in our students, in public higher education and the state of Texas.”
Every UT academic institution has a similar program that covers 100% of students’ tuition and mandatory fees, depending on family income. Funds from these programs are generally used to supplement federal and state aid such as Pell grants and TEXAS grants.
“This action by the Board of Regents means that even more Texans will be able to earn a UT degree tuition-free,” Chancellor James B. Milliken said. “The Promise Plus endowment ensures that our high-quality UT institutions will remain among the most affordable in the nation.”
The other institutions who will benefit from the UT System’s new Promise Plus endowment include UT Arlington, UT Dallas, UT El Paso, UT Permian Basin, UT Rio Grande Valley and UT Tyler.
UTSA recently achieved the prestigious Carnegie R1 Classification, indicating the university’s success in reaching significant benchmarks in research and academics and the highest levels of excellence, innovation and impact. The classification also amplifies UTSA’s statewide and national exposure to attract and recruit world-class faculty and top students.
