The costs of attending college have doubled over the past 15 years, and many Texas students are finding postsecondary education well out of reach. A flurry of recent announcements on tuition prices have highlighted this crisis and point to differing approaches at the state and local levels.
The University of Texas at Austin currently estimates that 14,500 undergraduates benefit from the Texas Advance Commitment (TAC), an initiative that guarantees free tuition to students whose families have an adjusted gross income (AGI) of $65,000 or less. In a move that underscores the affordability crisis in higher education, UT Austin announced in November that it would expand the TAC to cover those with an AGI of up to $100,000. The university estimates this policy will benefit over 30,000 additional students.
And UT Austin is not alone, and addressing higher education affordability is not limited to four-year universities. This free tuition expansion follows Austin Community College’s decision earlier this year to offer free tuition for students in its service area.
While institutions are stepping up with tangible solutions, the state remains fixated on waging culture wars within its college and universities, offering only short-term fixes for real problems. For many families, free tuition programs from UT and ACC offer critical support, but these efforts can only go so far without robust state funding and policy changes.
Gov. Greg Abbott recently announced that the tuition freeze at Texas colleges and universities will continue. While that freeze will provide some immediate relief, it does not address the long-term problem. Instead of just treating the symptoms of tuition hikes, our state Legislature and elected leaders should be ready to admit and treat the root cause: that the deregulation of higher education tuition was a mistake that has had devastating consequences for many Texas families and students.
“Anything that slows the unyielding affordability crisis in higher education is a good step. But a temporary freeze is a solution in the same way a Band-Aid fixes a broken bone.,” said Texas AFT President Zeph Capo after Abbott’s announcement. “What this moment should mean is the start of a real conversation about education affordability and investing in our Texas workforce, including the faculty and staff who keep our colleges and universities running, often barely making ends meet themselves.”
Texas AFT remains committed to advocating for systemic reform to make higher education accessible and sustainable for all Texans. Students, families, and educators deserve more than piecemeal solutions—they deserve a future built on solid, sustained investment, not one sabotaged by temporary fixes and inadequate funding.