Contact: Anthony de Bruyn or Cile Spelce, (512) 499-4363

Date: April 1, 2005

UT System News Release

Regents Approve Tuition Rates for UT Arlington and UT Dallas

Austin – The Board of Regents of the University of Texas System approved tuition and fee rates for fall 2005 on Friday (April 1) for UT Arlington and UT Dallas. The regents approved the overall rates of 4.95 percent for UT Arlington and 3.5 percent for UT Dallas for 15 semester credit hours after reviewing campus proposals submitted to the UT System for review. The Regents reduced the proposed rates for 12 semester credit hours at each institution.

UT campuses were instructed last fall to keep the tuition and fees increases at approximately 5 percent or less, barring exceptional circumstances or need. Earlier this month, the board approved tuition and fee rates for the other seven academic institutions and two health institutions.

Campus tuition proposals approved by the board, along with analyses conducted by the UT System, are posted on the UT System tuition website and are available for viewing or downloading. The website also includes details about the process that the UT System and its campuses use to set tuition, information about financial aid, and many other features.

In approving the tuition proposals, the regents emphasized that the new tuition revenue generated by these plans will enhance academic programs and student services, encourage timely graduation, and ensure adequate financial aid be made available to meet students' needs.

"I applaud the move of more of our campuses to flat-rate tuition and including additional incentives to encourage students to take more credit hours each semester to improve graduation rates and reduce the overall cost of obtaining a UT degree," said James R. Huffines, chairman of the Board of Regents. "As I stated earlier this month, we are confident that the UT System and its institutions have created tuition programs that address higher education's broad priorities, in particular addressing the needs of a diverse and rapidly growing student population and assisting the state in achieving its goals for increased college enrollment and timely graduation rates."

"The tuition levels we have set are fair and strike a balance between the need to keep costs low for Texas students and provide a quality education," said Huffines. "The broad support for these tuition proposals received at the campus level continues to be evident in the presentations and feedback heard today by the board. I am grateful to the presidents, student leaders, faculty and staff for their hard work in developing these campus proposals."

In making his recommendations to the board, Chancellor Mark G. Yudof said, "I want to underscore that the actions the board has taken today – and those taken at the last meeting – are designed to encourage all UT System students to graduate in a timely fashion and to reward those who do.

"By graduating within four or five years, students and their families realize significant cost savings and our institutions make space for more students. For many, if not most, of our students, innovations like flat rate tuition, off-peak hour class discounts and tuition rebates result in lower tuition costs," Yudof said. "We are offering our students a markdown when they buy in volume … and we hope they take us up on the offer."

The regents' approval of the UT Arlington and UT Dallas plans include setting aside at least 20 percent of new tuition revenues for financial aid programs, as well as a variety of ways that students can take advantage of special discounts in tuition rates.

UT Dallas will implement a consolidated tuition and fee plan. A flat rate will be assessed for semester credit hours that combine most course and program-specific fees with tuition and mandatory fees, creating a common price structure for enrollment in a given number of semester credit hours. Students taking 14 or 15 hours will see smaller increases while those students taking 16 or more hours will see no increases in their charges compared to the current average charges.

"This tuition and fee strategy provides strong motivation for students to take higher course loads and therefore to graduate in four or fewer years and commence their careers," said Dr. Teresa A. Sullivan, executive vice chancellor of academic affairs for the UT System. "Timely graduation yields major benefits for students, for the university, and for society.

UT Arlington will continue to provide a $3 per semester credit hour discount to students who pay their full tuition and fee bill on time. Prior to instituting this discount in spring 2004, approximately 25 percent of UT Arlington's students paid in full on time. Since then, the number of students meeting the payment deadline has increased to over 40 percent.

"Prompt payments help UT-Arlington maximize its resources in assigning faculty to courses at an earlier date," said Dr. Sullivan.

UT Arlington will also offer a $200 annual tuition reduction for students who complete 30 semester credit hours that is designed to increase retention and accelerate graduation rates by encouraging students to enroll in and complete a full course load each year.

UT Arlington is a comprehensive teaching, research and public service institution located in the heart of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Its state-of-the-art research facilities, strategic location and innovative student employment programs enhance its partnership with area businesses and industry. UT-Arlington has more that 25,000 students from 150 countries and offers 91 baccalaureate, 76 masters and 35 doctoral degrees. These are within the academic units of architecture, business administration, education, engineering, liberal arts, nursing, science, social work, urban and public affairs.

UT Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson , Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor®, enrolls more than 14,000 students. The school's freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment of bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs.

The UT System has 15 campuses, including nine academic and six health institutions, and an annual operating budget of $8.5 billion (FY 2005). Student enrollment exceeded 182,000 in the 2004 academic year. The UT System confers one-third of the state's undergraduate degrees and educates three-fourths of the state's health care professionals annually. With more than 76,000 employees, the UT System is one of the largest employers in Texas.

Read the Motion

Table: Resident Undergraduate Tuition and Mandatory Fees Proposed and Adopted Rates for Fall 2005 Semester (top chart) - 4/1/05, includes UT Arlington and UT Dallas

Table: Resident Undergraduate Tuition and Mandatory Fees Total Dollar Increase for Fall 2005 Semester (bottom chart) - 4/1/05, includes UT Arlington and UT Dallas

Tuition Proposals and Analyses

Tuition Website

News Release and Support Materials from Previous Board Meeting on Tuition - 3/10/05