Rocio Villalobos 
EDINBURG – Titled UTRGV Tuition Advantage, the waving of tuition and fees for undergraduate students meeting a certain criteria will take effect next fall.
UTRGV President Dr. Guy Bailey made the announcement earlier this month and said it is expected to cover more than half of the university’s population.
“We really have spread out footprint across this Valley,” said Bailey. “Furthermore, we strive to become the Valley’s university by putting our students first.”
In-state returning, transfer and incoming freshman students are all eligible to receive the grant.
UTRGV’s Associate Director of Financial Aid explains the requirements.
“If the student is an entering freshman, the student would have to have an ACT of a 19 or higher, or SAT of a 1010 or higher,” said Jael Perez. “If the student is a returning student, or a transferring student, they have to have a 2.5 GPA.”
The funding for the program comes from a $6 million endowment UTRGV has designated for student’s financial aid, which is applied to any remaining tuition costs after utilizing federal and state assistance.
“The key with this program of course is it’s a program that works with all the other financial aid programs,” said Perez. “So the students receive their financial aid programs and the ones that have a gap will actually receive funds from this particular program.”
Nursing Sophomore Antheus Pickett says he is excited for the transformational effect Tuition Advantage will have on the region.
“I think it’s gonna be very beneficial,” said Pickett. “It’s gonna create a lot more opportunities for people who can’t really afford to go to school, and it’s gonna open a lot more doors for people in the Rio Grande Valley.
To be considered, you will need to complete your FAFSA or TAFSA application by the first of March.
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