UNT Health Fort Worth has big growth plans — and barely budging revenue.
The university projects $357.2 million in revenue under its fiscal 2027 operating budget, 0.2% more than its fiscal 2026 forecast. Expenditures would rise $8.2 million to $335.3 million.
The UNT Board of Regents approved UNT Health’s budget Aug. 13 as part of the systemwide operating budget, which takes effect Sept. 1. Comparisons use fiscal 2026 estimates as of July 15, not final audited results.
Andy North, UNT Health’s vice president of marketing and communications, said the budget supports enrollment, research, business operations, employees and the community.
“Student enrollment growth has been positive in recent years, and we are working to continue that momentum through strategic enrollment growth, advancement in research and innovation, enhancement of business capabilities, and investment in people, culture and community excellence,” North said in an email.
The approved 2027 budget comes as UNT Health expects to end fiscal 2026 with revenue and spending below estimates.
Regents approved a fiscal 2026 budget with $367.6 million in revenue and $342.5 million in expenditures, excluding transfers.
UNT Health now forecasts $356.4 million in revenue — about $11 million below budget — and $327.1 million in spending, about $15.4 million below plan. After transfers, UNT Health expects to add $727,303 to its fund balance.
In June, UNT Health streamlined its academic structure from six colleges to four. University officials said the move would reduce duplicated services, save money and prepare for long-term growth. The new structure is expected to save about $600,000 a year in administrative personnel costs, according to board materials.
“Our goal is to maximize the impact of every dollar by investing in programs and experiences that benefit learners and the communities we serve,” Christopher Ray, UNT Health’s provost and senior vice president, told the Fort Worth Report in June.
The largest revenue shortfall came from grants and contracts. UNT Health budgeted $119.7 million for fiscal 2026 but now expects $106.1 million. Its fiscal 2027 budget projects $106.5 million.
State appropriations, UNT Health’s largest revenue source, are budgeted to fall $2.3 million to $138.7 million. Net tuition and fees would rise $374,000 to $32.9 million as fall enrollment grows by 34 students to 2,526.
Clinical activity drives the budget’s largest revenue increase. UNT Health expects patient encounters to rise 17.3%, helping increase other revenue by $3.1 million to $46 million. Excluding correctional medicine, which covers the university’s federal prison healthcare contracts, UNT Health’s clinical operations are budgeted for a $2.2 million net loss as it works toward breaking even.
“The Clinical Practice Group has also remained focused on improving the patient experience and expanding service offerings, contributing to a positive outlook for operations in the coming fiscal year,” North said.
UNT Health accounts for about one-quarter of the UNT System’s approved $1.41 billion fiscal 2027 operating budget. The system expects to draw $20.9 million from reserves, mostly at the flagship campus in Denton.
Dang Le is the higher education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at dang.le@fortworthreport.org.
The Fort Worth Report partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.
The Report’s higher education coverage is supported in part by major higher education institutions in Tarrant County, including Tarleton State University, Tarrant County College, Texas A&M-Fort Worth Christian University, Texas Wesleyan University, the University of Texas at Arlington and UNT Health Fort Worth.
At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
This <a target=”_blank” href=”https://fortworthreport.org/2026/08/13/unt-health-fort-worth-expects-nearly-flat-revenue-higher-spending-in-2027/”>article</a> first appeared on <a target=”_blank” href=”https://fortworthreport.org”>Fort Worth Report</a> and is republished here under a <a target=”_blank” href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/”>Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License</a>.<img src=”https://i0.wp.com/fortworthreport.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/cropped-favicon.png?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1″ style=”width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;”>
<img id=”republication-tracker-tool-source” src=”https://fortworthreport.org/?republication-pixel=true&post=727880&ga4=2820184429″ style=”width:1px;height:1px;”><script> PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: “https://fortworthreport.org/2026/08/13/unt-health-fort-worth-expects-nearly-flat-revenue-higher-spending-in-2027/”, urlref: window.location.href }); } } </script> <script id=”parsely-cfg” src=”//cdn.parsely.com/keys/fortworthreport.org/p.js”></script>