The new STEM building at UNT Dallas. [Image: UNT Dallas]
The University of North Texas at Dallas is launching a new program called the Trailblazer Tuition Trust, which will cover full tuition and mandatory fees for up to four years for eligible Texas high school graduates pursuing their first bachelor’s degree at UNT Dallas.
The announcement was made by Dr. Warren von Eschenbach during a ceremony honoring him as the fourth president of UNT Dallas in its 15-year history.
“UNT Dallas remains committed to providing access to those for whom higher education historically has been out of reach,” von Eschenbach said. “Universities are about people and community. We are a beacon of hope and promise for many. This is the transformative power of education.”
During an address to faculty, staff, students, alumni, civic leaders, and members of the UNT System Board of Regents in Campus Hall at the UNT Dallas Student Center, von Eschenbach’s announced the Trailblazer Tuition Trust—benefiting Texas families with a total income of $100,000 or less—as the centerpiece of an institutional mission to make a four-year-university education attainable for Texas families, while preparing graduates for meaningful lives and future careers.
“UNT Dallas seeks to be the leading regional university in southern Dallas, Ellis County and beyond by delivering a holistic experience that integrates career-ready skills, leadership development and experiential learning throughout the curriculum,” von Eschenbach said.
More on the Trailblazer Tuition Trust
The Trailblazer Tuition Trust will cover full tuition and mandatory fees for up to four years — or eight consecutive semesters — for graduating Texas high school seniors enrolling at UNT Dallas to pursue their first bachelor’s degree. Funding comes from a combination of federal, state, and institutional grants, and scholarships, helping eligible students complete their degree without the burden of tuition costs.
According to UNT Dallas, to be eligible, students must:
• Be a graduating Texas high school senior enrolling at UNT Dallas in the fall semester
• Be a Texas resident graduating from a Texas high school
• Be eligible for the Federal Pell Grant
• Be eligible for Priority Texas Grant funding
• Have a total family income of $100,000 or less
• Be admitted to UNT Dallas and have a valid FAFSA on file by June 1, 2026
Eligible students will be considered automatically, with no separate application required. To renew the award each year, students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA at UNT Dallas, remain in good academic standing, and stay enrolled full time (a minimum of 12 credit hours) in both fall and spring semesters.
Targeting affordable, ‘holistic’ education
The Trailblazer Tuition Trust builds on such programs as the Dallas County Promise, expanding tuition support to qualifying students from across the state of Texas. UNT Dallas said it will work closely with high schools, school counselors, and community partners to ensure prospective students and families understand how to participate the program.
“UNT Dallas has invested in bold strategies to grow enrollment, advance student success and community impact,” State Sen. Royce West said in a statement.
Affordability is part of a larger vision, UNT Dallas said, with the priority as a “holistic educational experience” that goes beyond earning a credential or training narrowly within a chosen major but helping students lead meaningful lives. The program will target rigorous academics along with critical thinking, ethical reasoning, communication, civic engagement, and personal growth through what occurs in classrooms, residence halls, student organizations, mentoring relationships, and service in the community, the university said.
‘We need to future-proof our students’
Within that vision, the university said it is developing a curriculum and a “multi-disciplinary education model designed to prepare students for AI-proof jobs” by focusing on careers that require creative problem-solving, ethical judgment, leadership, and the ability to work in a variety of fields within diverse environments.
The university said it is creating distinctive programs, majors, and course offerings that set UNT Dallas apart, combining liberal arts with applied disciplines and connecting students directly to employers, civic institutions, and community partners across North Texas.
“We need to create an educational ecosystem that supports students in their personal, academic, social and cultural growth,” von Eschenbach said. “We need to future-proof our students by instilling in them enduring and authentically human skills that employers seek, such as resilience, empathy, self-awareness and character.”
Recent milestones support the vision, including the establishment of the university’s Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning, the recent opening of a $100 million STEM Building, expanded health professions programming in collaboration with UNT Health Fort Worth, and continued investment in experiential learning and industry partnerships across North Texas, UNT Dallas said.
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