Monday, March 23, 2020
  Community, Announcements

By News and Internal Communications

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, TEXAS – COVID-19 (coronavirus) has created an environment of unprecedented uncertainty for all of us.

But we at UTRGV believe earning your degree should never be an uncertainty – which is why we are formally announcing today a bold increase to our already-historic Tuition Advantage program.

Beginning Fall 2020, UTRGV will cover the cost of tuition and mandatory fees for qualified students with a family income of $95,000 or less. This is a $20,000 increase from our current plan. 

“UTRGV remains committed to Student Success and doing all we can to support our current and future Vaqueros,” said UTRGV President Guy Bailey. “Now more than ever, an education will ensure the future of our students. I truly hope this free tuition program — which is the best in the state — can serve as one less burden for our students and their families as we forge ahead.

UTRGV Tuition Advantage is open to all in-state undergraduate students, including incoming freshmen and returning and transfer students, who meet the program’s requirements. 

Overall, UTRGV estimates more than half of its undergraduate students will attend the university during the 2020-2021 academic year without paying tuition and mandatory fees. 

UTRGV, which in January was named the top public university for least student debt, has always been committed to keeping costs low for students. The university has one of the lowest average tuitions among the state’s public universities and also offers:

  • Guaranteed Tuition: UTRGV’s tuition is guaranteed for all students for four years, meaning costs will not increase during this time period.
  • 12-Hour Cap: UTRGV caps tuition charges at 12 hours, which means any additional courses a student enrolls in after 12 hours are free. For example, if a student enrolls in 15 hours, the extra class is free; 18 hours, the two extra classes are free.

Additionally, Money magazine has ranked UTRGV the third-best public university in Texas (behind Texas A&M University and The University of Texas at Austin, respectively) based on quality of education, affordability and outcomes.

And in the recent Washington Monthly college rankings, UTRGV was the highest-ranked public university for value nationwide, and a Top 20 Master’s University.

ABOUT UTRGV

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) was created by the Texas Legislature in 2013 as the first major public university of the 21st century in Texas. This transformative initiative provided the opportunity to expand educational opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley, including a new School of Medicine, and made it possible for residents of the region to benefit from the Permanent University Fund – a public endowment contributing support to the University of Texas System and other institutions.

UTRGV has campuses and off-campus research and teaching sites throughout the Rio Grande Valley including in Boca Chica Beach, Brownsville (formerly The University of Texas at Brownsville campus), Edinburg (formerly The University of Texas-Pan American campus), Harlingen, McAllen, Port Isabel, Rio Grande City, and South Padre Island. UTRGV, a comprehensive academic institution, enrolled its first class in the fall of 2015, and the School of Medicine welcomed its first class in the summer of 2016.