University of Texas at Austin
PA-7: Affordability and Access

In addition to traditional financial aid options, UT Austin is committed to making higher education possible for students from low- and middle-income families. The Texas Advance Commitment ensures that incoming freshmen with family adjusted gross incomes of up to $100,000 and who have financial need will receive guaranteed need-based aid. For students from selected low-income high schools across Texas, UT Austin has collaborated with college access platform RaiseMe to award students for studying, volunteering, and getting involved in their community. Students can earn "micro-scholarships" during their years in high school to begin preparing for their undergraduate experience at UT Austin.

The Office of Institutional Equity offers an Inclusive Classroom Leadership series of training to help teaching assistants and faculty members understand students from diverse backgrounds and better serve those students in the classroom. http://equity.utexas.edu/education/inclusive-classrooms/

UT Outreach targets and serves underrepresented students by providing college readiness enrichment activities designed to assist them in graduating from high school and matriculating to institutions of higher education, including The University of Texas at Austin. Five UT Outreach Centers located in Austin, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and South Texas work with low-income and first-generation students in targeted low-income, underserved high schools. The Outreach Centers have vigorous programs that includes tutoring, study skills workshops, workshops to prepare for the SAT and ACT exams, assistance with college applications, and special programming for parents and guardians to educate them with regard to student needs to be college eligible. http://diversity.utexas.edu/schoolpartnerships/ut-outreach/ Similarly, the Advise Texas program is in 15 different low-income high schools around the state. Recent UT Austin graduates serve as college advisers at the schools, supporting students as they navigate the complex processes of college admissions, matriculation and securing financial aid. The advisers serve all students in a school and focus on helping students find the best college setting to suit their needs. Advisers help students weigh factors such as institutional characteristics, academic requirements, costs, financial aid and possible careers within a chosen field of study. Advisers encourage students to apply to three or more institutions so that they will have many options to choose from. http://diversity.utexas.edu/schoolpartnerships/advise-tx/

The University of Texas at Austin has numerous scholarship programs for students from low-income backgrounds. A summary of scholarships may be found at http://www.texasscholarships.org/ Our most innovative program is Texas Advance which offers $5,000 per year for four years as well as the opportunity to participate in the University Leadership Network program which includes a four-year roadmap for success, leadership training, community and university service and other opportunities. The University Leadership Network is for students with unmet financial needs. https://texasadvance.utexas.edu/

DDCE Academic Diversity Initiatives partners with the Office of Admissions to recruit students from low-income, first generation backgrounds. Once students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds have applied and are admitted to UT Austin, the Longhorn Center for Academic Excellence (led by Dr. Moore) and the UT Outreach Centers co- sponsor an on-campus day-long event to recruit them to say yes, instead of selecting another university. This event helps students become more familiar with campus, introduces them to faculty and staff and provides access to student activities such as football games and special events. Staff members talk to them about special student services, study abroad, financial aid and academic support services that are available once they matriculate. The Texas Advance scholarship program is another tool used to target low-income students. https://texasadvance.utexas.edu/ We also partner with the Posse Foundation and Gates Millennial Scholars Program to help recruit students from diverse backgrounds.

UT partners with hundreds of non-profit and education organizations to offer programming for low income, first generation, and underrepresented students in the central Texas area and across the state. The Division of Diversity and Community Engagement alone collaborates with 300 community organizations to cultivate mutually beneficial community-university partnerships that further the mission of UT to serve Texas and beyond, with an emphasis on historically and currently underserved communities. Some of those organizations include the National Hispanic Institute, 100 Black Men Inc., Con Mi MADRE (Mothers and Daughters Raising Expectations), My Brother’s Keeper, The Thinkery, Google Community Leaders Program, and many others.

All financial aid packages through the Office of Financial Aid are available to students taking at least 6 hours of coursework per semester. http://finaid.utexas.edu/faqs/eligibility.html#Q4

UT Austin's Child Development Center's mission is to serve university families with an accessible and affordable model child care program, and to offer a resource on child care and parenting. We achieve this through the following core values: -Providing a developmentally appropriate, nurturing, stimulating, and safe environment for emotional, social, intellectual, and physical growth for children -Encouraging parent / teacher partnerships through two-way communication and mutual support -Promoting a strong sense of community -Welcoming diversity in backgrounds, lifestyle, individual differences, and needs -Sustaining a supportive workplace that respects individual teaching styles, fosters creativity, and encourages teacher loyalty and professional growth -Receptive to the needs of parents Serving as a model program for the Austin child care community, other employers, and university students learning about the child care profession. The UT Capitol Complex CDC has established a sliding scale tuition fee structure in order to be affordable while maintaining a budget needed to operate a quality child care program. To receive Level A or B tuition a family’s “need” is considered. Need is defined in two ways. First, a family’s household income is considered. Household income ranges and corresponding tuition levels are below. In addition to income, to receive the Level A tuition rate, a family must have no one else available in the home to care for the child. https://childcenter.utexas.edu/

UTransition is a program within the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement’s Longhorn Center for Academic Excellence (LCAE). It is geared for students who transfer from community colleges or other four-year institutions to the University of Texas at Austin. The program provides academic support as well as social activities, peer mentoring and advising from the LCAE staff. http://diversity.utexas.edu/academiccenter/utransition/ The Division of Diversity and Community Engagement also houses the Multicultural Engagement Center, the Gender and Sexuality Center and Services for Students with Disabilities which provide support (academic and social) for students of color, LGBTQ students and women, and students with disabilities. The GSC also has occasional special programs for students who are parents. Links to these programs: http://ddce.utexas.edu/multiculturalengagement http://ddce.utexas.edu/genderandsexuality http://ddce.utexas.edu/disability There is also a Veterans Service Center on campus which provides a one-stop shop for veterans with regard to academic, social and health care services. http://deanofstudents.utexas.edu/veterans

https://news.utexas.edu/2018/04/20/ut-increases-aid-to-low-and-middle-income-families https://news.utexas.edu/2018/04/17/how-to-increase-access-for-low-income-students https://studentsuccess.utexas.edu/ https://utexas.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/nts_at_utaustin