ACC program proposes free tuition for high school seniors

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Community College District (ACC) said it wanted to create a new program that would make college tuition free for all high school seniors in Central Texas. 

ACC said the program, if approved, would start in the fall and would cover the cost of tuition for all local, 2024 graduating high school seniors. ACC said the goal of scaling the program was to offer free tuition for everyone.

“This will be a really powerful project for ACC and our community,” ACC Chancellor Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart said in a release. “Students have told us the affordability of college and the subsequent debt they could incur is keeping them away.” 

According to the college, data showed approximately 12,000 Central Texas seniors did not attend any form of higher education in the state after graduating high school in 2023.

ACC said in the proposal, the cost of tuition would be covered to allow for financial aid and scholarship money to go toward helping students pay for living expenses.

“Students could still apply for Pell grants, financial aid, and scholarships to get additional financial support to help cover other expenses like housing, child care, textbooks, and more,” ACC said.

The college said the program would include:

• Fund $85 per credit hour for up to 3 years
• $67 Resident Tuition
• $15 General Fee
• $2 Success Fee
• $1 Sustainability Fee

“Under the program, all high school seniors in the service area who graduate in spring 2024 would have the benefits for a three-year timeframe from their high school graduation to help them work toward completing their associate degree. Those who continue at ACC to pursue a bachelor’s degree would receive two additional years of tuition support,” ACC said.

The program would be funded by money already available within ACC’s annual budget, according to the college, and if approved, the college said it hoped to expand partnerships and grow the pilot program to all students.

ACC said it expected to present a formal plan for the pilot program to the Board of Trustees in February.