UTEP Expands Paydirt Promise Free Tuition to Families Making Up to $80K
University keeps its promise to make higher education affordable
EL PASO, Texas (Dec. 14, 2023) – The University of Texas at El Paso’s signature Paydirt Promise Program is expanding to make higher education affordable to more students. The program, which previously covered undergraduate tuition and mandatory fees for Texas students with a family income of under $75,000, will now include students with an adjusted gross family income of up to $80,000.
“UTEP is the No. 1 university for social mobility in Texas because of programs like the Paydirt Promise,” said Amanda Vasquez-Vicario, Ph.D., vice president for enrollment management. “Expanding the Paydirt Promise will remove financial barriers for more students so they can earn a life-changing, excellent education.”
Funding for the most recent expansion will come from multiple sources, including the Toward Excellence, Access and Success (TEXAS) grant funded by the Texas legislature, federal Pell grants and The University of Texas System’s Promise Plus Endowment.
UTEP data shows that financial support helps students persist to graduation.
Mariana Ronquillo is a first-generation college student at UTEP studying biological sciences with a biomedical concentration. After graduation, she plans to apply to medical school and become a psychiatrist.
Ronquillo chose to attend UTEP because of the Paydirt Promise and because she could stay close to family and earn a higher education in a place where she felt culturally at home. She said the program relieved financial pressure on her family and took the stress out of planning for college.
“It’s a weight lifted from our shoulders and has really encouraged me to stick with my degree plan,” she said.
Approximately 8,000 current students in the 2023-24 school year are eligible for the Paydirt Promise.
A version of the Paydirt Promise has existed since 2007, but the program has expanded and improved in recent years. A Promise Plus endowment created by the UT System in 2022 generated additional funding, making it possible to raise the family income threshold to $75,000.
Eligible students who apply will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis while funding remains available. Interested students are encouraged to apply as soon as the 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) becomes available on Dec. 31, 2023.
To learn more about the program and application process, visit the Paydirt Promise website.
About The University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso is America’s leading Hispanic-serving university. Located at the westernmost tip of Texas, where three states and two countries converge along the Rio Grande, 84% of our 24,000 students are Hispanic, and more than half are the first in their families to go to college. UTEP offers 171 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs at the only open-access, top-tier research university in America.
Last Updated on December 14, 2023 at 12:00 AM | Originally published December 14, 2023
By MC Staff UTEP Marketing and Communications
