Starting in January, the University of Texas at Arlington is increasing the income cap up to $65,000 for families of undergraduates to get free tuition in its two-year-old Maverick Promise program, officials said.
The program had a $40,000 cap this fall and expects to add 120 to 125 students to the estimated 550 who receive Maverick Promise grants, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported Wednesday in its online edition.
The announcement of a $25,000 cap increase comes less than a month after Texas A&M University said it was offering free tuition for middle income families. In order to be eligible for free tuition, families of Texas A&M freshmen must have incomes of $60,000 or less, up from the limit of $40,000 in another program.
UT Arlington officials said they had been considering widening the coverage of the financial aid program for some time.
"We want to do our share to make higher education more affordable and accessible for a greater number of people in this region," UT Arlington President James D. Spaniolo said Tuesday in a statement.
Eligible UT-Arlington students must be enrolled at least halftime and qualify for a federal Pell Grant and in-state tuition, according to director of financial aid Karen Krause.
