Beyond Tuition
Making the Total College Experience More Affordable
At The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), access to higher education goes beyond covering tuition. By addressing the cost of experience, UTSA ensures students can thrive academically and socially—unlocking the full potential of their college journey.
Explore how UTSA is setting a national standard for student success by eliminating financial, academic and experiential barriers.
THE CHALLENGE:
BARRIERS TO ACCESS
At UTSA, students embody resilience and determination as they pursue their dream of a college education, with a community that includes:
- 60% Hispanic students
- 43% First-generation students
- 43% Pell Grant-eligible students
These students bring immense strengths and potential to the campus. To ensure they have every opportunity to thrive, UTSA has developed innovative solutions to address barriers, providing resources and support for essentials like books, housing and meaningful participation in extracurricular activities—ensuring the total costs of students’ experience are addressed.
THE BOLD PROMISE:
OPENING DOORS
The first step is to remove barriers associated with tuition and fees. UTSA launched the Bold Promise program in 2020 to guarantee tuition-free education for Texas students whose families earn $70,000 or less. That income threshold will rise to $100,000 or less in the fall of 2025.
Bold Promise Fast Facts:
- Covers 100% of tuition and fees for eligible students.
- Encourages participation in the full college experience, from student government to study abroad.
- Results in increased enrollment. At UTSA, more than 4,000 students have enrolled through Bold Promise since 2020.
“We believe that no student should have to choose between paying tuition and experiencing college life. UTSA’s Bold Promise opens doors in every sense.”
MEET THE STUDENTS
Click on each student's name to read their story:
Maria Gonzalez
Jorge Alvarez
Sophia Nguyen
BEYOND TUITION:
ADDRESSING THE FULL COST OF COLLEGE
UTSA's cost of experience model extends far beyond covering
tuition, encompassing holistic support of students:
SCHOLARSHIPS AND INCENTIVES
- Academic Momentum Scholarships reward students for staying on track toward graduation.
MEETING BASIC NEEDS
- The Roadrunner Pantry tackles food insecurity.
- Emergency aid provides relief for sudden financial hardships.
- Subsidized on-campus housing options ease cost-of-living pressures.
ENRICHING THE COLLEGE SOCIAL EXPERIENCE
- Funding for study abroad programs.
- Supporting participation in student organizations, empowering them to create and experience life-changing opportunities.
ENSURING CAREER-READINESS
- Providing funding to participate in internships, undergrad research and other activities.
- Offering faculty coaching and peer mentoring through innovative programs like First Gen Scholars.
- Giving opportunities to earn microcredentials that empower them to build and showcase their career-ready skills.
WHAT IS THE COST OF EXPERIENCE?
UTSA redefines affordability to include the experiences that make college life transformative.
Tap or hover over the image in each category to see how UTSA is addressing the full-range of costs involved in the total college experience:
Housing
Subsidized housing options for those in need.
Meals
Access to the Roadrunner Pantry for food security.
Technology
A Technology Access Program that provides laptops and Wi-Fi hotspots.
Social Engagement
Support for joining clubs and attending events.
Heading
Writing is a medium of communication that represents language through the inscription of signs and symbols.
Career Engagement
Opportunities for studying abroad and paid internships, undergraduate research and more.
MEASURING IMPACT
UTSA’s INNOVATIVE APPROACH IS DELIVERING RESULTS:
Retention Rates: Compared to their peers, Bold Promise students saw a 6% increase in retention.
GPA: Bold Promise students have an average GPA of 3.05, compared to a 2.9 GPA for their peers.
Average Credit Hours: On average, Bold Promise students earned 25.98 credit hours in a year, vs. 24.69 credit hours earned by their peers.
“UTSA helped me afford college, but more importantly, it gave me the freedom to dream and grow as a leader.”
NEXT-LEVEL PROGRAMS:
BOLD SCHOLARS AND
FIRST-GEN SCHOLARS
Building on the success of the Bold Promise program,
UTSA launched two new programs:
BOLD SCHOLARS
Launched in the fall of 2022, this program enables more students to experience the important benefits of living on campus their first year of college.
FIRST-GEN SCHOLARS
Debuted in the spring of 2024, a scholarship program for first-generation students that reduces loan debt while increasing graduation rates and career-engaged learning.
Preliminary data from the First-Gen Scholars program highlights its significant impact, having served 123 unique full-time, first-generation, Pell-eligible students to date. Impressively, 98% of the spring program cohort persisted to the fall semester.
Similarly, data from the first two cohorts of Bold Scholars shows remarkable outcomes: these students are achieving higher grades, enrolling in more credit hours, and persisting at a greater rate compared to other Bold Promise students who are not part of the Bold Scholars program.
LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS:
A VISION FOR CHANGE
“At UTSA, affordability is about ensuring every student can access the experiences that make higher education life-changing. From the classroom to campus life, we’re creating opportunities for transformation.”
LOOKING AHEAD:
A NEW STANDARD FOR ACCESS
UTSA’s current efforts to expand access are just the beginning. Future initiatives on the horizon include:
- Scaling the Bold Promise program to more Texas families.
- Increasing resources for underrepresented student populations.
- Partnering with public and private organizations to enhance holistic support.
EXPLORE MORE
Dive deeper into UTSA’s story and discover how these strategies can inspire change at your institution.
Read the Full Case Study »
EXPLORE MORE
Dive deeper into UTSA’s story and discover how these strategies can inspire change at your institution.
Read the Full Case Study »
This custom content is sponsored by The University of Texas at San Antonio and developed by Inside Higher Ed's sponsored content team. The editorial staff of Inside Higher Ed had no role in its creation.
Built with Shorthand