Summary
The University of Texas System has approved a tuition-free program for undergraduate students from families earning $100,000 or less, starting next fall.
The initiative, funded by an immediate $35 million in endowments and long-term investments, seeks to lower student debt and improve access to higher education.
Qualifying students must be Texas residents, enroll full-time, and apply for financial aid.
While the program builds on previous UT tuition relief efforts funded by endowments and oil royalties, critics, including Texas lawmakers, have called it unconstitutional and proposed cutting UT’s budget.
Reminder to everyone, college and university didn’t used to cost verymuch. Governor of California Ronald Reagan didn’t like the Vietnam War protests happening on University of California campuses and decided to change the university funding model to make students pay a lot more for their education and reduce the number of protesters. President Nixon saw this and asked for advice to stop college protests nationwide.
The Origin of Student Debt: Reagan Adviser Warned Free College Would Create a Dangerous “Educated Proletariat”