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PayDirt Promise Reaffirms UTEP's Continued Support and Commitment to El Paso Students

Last Updated on July 18, 2019 at 12:00 AM

Originally published July 18, 2019

By UC Staff

UTEP Communications

The number of students able to attend The University of Texas at El Paso without worrying about the cost of tuition is poised to grow significantly.

UTEP's comprehensive array of funding sources in support of its students is getting a major enhancement with the introduction of the PayDirt Promise, which covers tuition and mandatory fees for students whose families make $40,000 per year or less. Photo: UTEP Communications
UTEP's comprehensive array of funding sources in support of its students is getting a major enhancement with the introduction of the PayDirt Promise, which covers tuition and mandatory fees for students whose families make $40,000 per year or less. Photo: UTEP Communications

UTEP’s comprehensive array of funding sources in support of its students is getting a major enhancement with the introduction of the PayDirt Promise, which covers tuition and mandatory fees for students whose families make $40,000 per year or less. The new program is an expansion of an already existing financial aid opportunity known as the UTEP Promise, which covered tuition and mandatory fees for students whose families made $30,000 or less annually.

The PayDirt Promise comes at a time when the model of access and excellence pioneered by UTEP increasingly takes hold across the world of higher education.

“The conviction that talent is everywhere has been a guiding principle on our campus for more than 30 years,” said UTEP President Diana Natalicio “I am therefore extremely pleased that, with the introduction of PayDirt Promise, UTEP is now in a position to offer more students from the Paso del Norte region affordable access to a top-tier education, comparable to that offered by prestigious colleges and universities across the U.S. We know that many of our students’ families face major financial challenges. This program will enable us to provide innovative and strategic financial support, minimize the burden of student debt and achieve UTEP’s goal of fostering social mobility.”

The PayDirt Promise is available for undergraduate students who are Texas residents, and who plan to attend UTEP full time (at least 12 credit hours per semester) starting in the fall of 2019. It adds to the broad range of options that already allows more than half of all UTEP students on financial aid to attend the University without having to pay out-of-pocket for the cost of tuition and mandatory fees.

“The PayDirt Promise is a decisive step forward in our commitment to the success of students in our region,” said Gary Edens, Ed.D., Vice President for Student Affairs. “It is also a recognition by the University that there are many students for whom a top-tier higher education can be within reach with just a little more financial support.”

 

UTEP’s enrollment continues to grow and reached a record 25,151 students in fall 2018. Admissions and financial aid applications are still being accepted for fall 2019.