---
title: "University of North Texas offers free tuition to 3,500 lower-income freshmen from fall 2026"
canonical: https://smallgoodthings.org/stories/usa-scholarships-2026-b4/
sourceName: "The Texas Tribune"
sourceUrl: "https://www.texastribune.org/2026/01/14/university-north-texas-free-tuition-promise/"
datePublished: 2026-01-14
---

# University of North Texas offers free tuition to 3,500 lower-income freshmen from fall 2026

The University of North Texas announced on January 14, 2026 that it will cover full tuition and mandatory fees for incoming Texas freshmen from families earning $100,000 or less, starting fall 2026. The Texas Tribune reported university officials expect more than 3,500 incoming freshmen to qualify for the North Texas Promise programme in its first year.

## What is the background?
Rising tuition costs have pushed many US universities to expand need-based aid rather than compete solely on merit scholarships. **Free tuition Texas universities** programmes have grown following moves by peer institutions to cover full costs for lower- and middle-income families.

## What happened?
The University of North Texas (UNT) announced on January 14, 2026 that it will cover full tuition and mandatory fees for incoming freshmen from Texas families earning $100,000 or less, starting in fall 2026. The programme, called North Texas Promise, covers tuition and fees for up to four years for qualifying students pursuing their first bachelor's degree.

University officials said more than 3,500 incoming freshmen could be eligible in the programme's first year.

## How did it happen?
To qualify, students must be Texas residents who graduated from a Texas high school, come from a family with a total income of $100,000 or less, and rank in the top 25% of their high school class. Students do not need to submit a separate scholarship application — anyone who completes the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by February 15, 2026 is automatically considered.

A full-time, in-state undergraduate at UNT taking 12 credit hours can otherwise pay roughly $6,000 per semester in tuition and mandatory fees, depending on their major, so the programme removes a cost that would otherwise fall directly on qualifying families.

## Why does it matter?
Automatic consideration removes a common barrier to aid: students who might qualify but never apply because they assume they can't afford the school or don't know a specific scholarship exists. Tying eligibility to the FAFSA, which many students already file for federal aid, means qualifying families don't have to navigate a second application process.

The $100,000 income threshold and top-25%-of-class requirement target the programme at students who are academically prepared but would otherwise be priced out, rather than making it universal.

## What were the key results?
- Tuition and mandatory fees covered for up to four years under North Texas Promise
- Eligibility: Texas family income of $100,000 or less, top 25% of high school class
- More than 3,500 incoming freshmen expected to qualify in the first year
- No separate application needed beyond filing the FAFSA by February 15, 2026
- Programme begins with the fall 2026 incoming freshman class
- Typical in-state tuition and fees otherwise run about $6,000 per semester
- Announcement reported by The Texas Tribune on January 14, 2026

## What happens next?
UNT plans to track how many eligible students enrol and persist to graduation under the programme.

University officials said they will evaluate expanding eligibility criteria based on first-year enrolment data.

Other Texas public universities are watching UNT's programme as they consider their own need-based aid expansions.

UNT will confirm final enrolment numbers for North Texas Promise once fall 2026 classes begin.

Primary source: [The Texas Tribune](https://www.texastribune.org/2026/01/14/university-north-texas-free-tuition-promise/)