<\/p>\n
Our Lady of the Lake University has announced a five-year “no-cost master’s program.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
Christopher Lee\/Staff Photographer<\/p>\n
Abel A. Chavez, PhD, president of Our Lady of the Lake University, said the new master’s program goes “beyond expectation” of five-year plans at other universities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Christopher Lee\/Staff Photographer<\/p>\n
Staff are seen on campus at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio on Thursday, September 12, 2025.<\/p>\n
Christopher Lee\/Staff Photographer<\/p>\n
Our Lady of the Lake University announced a \u201cno-cost master\u2019s program\u201d Wednesday, a major development after the school\u00a0eliminated over a dozen academic programs last year<\/a> in the wake of a decade-long enrollment decline.\u00a0<\/p>\n The West Side campus will offer a five-year plan to students earning a bachelor\u2019s degree in one of 34 fields.\u00a0Students can then\u00a0graduate in a year with a\u00a0master\u2019s in business administration, cybersecurity, cybersecurity management, nonprofit management or social work.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The pilot program will initially serve no more than 30 students, including three online learners, admitted on a first-come, first-served basis when it starts in the fall.\u00a0 The program is designed to expand opportunities for OLLU students and place graduates quickly in the workforce \u201cwith a free master\u2019s degree.\u201d<\/p>\n To be eligible, students must qualify for financial assistance such as a federal Pell Grant, which normally requires a household income under $60,000 for a small family; maintain at least a 3.0 GPA; stay continuously enrolled; and complete undergraduate work in four years. They\u2019ll go on to earn a master\u2019s in one year, instead of two, but must finish academic work within 12 to 18 months.\u00a0<\/p>\n RELATED: OLLU mulling new degree programs after enrollment declines<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThis is probably the biggest moment for us this spring, to develop this brand new initiative,\u201d said Alan Silva, provost and vice president for academic affairs. \u201cIt really fits into our whole plan for increasing workforce readiness for our students and putting them into a career pathway.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n OLLU officials said the program goes beyond \u201cpromise\u201d programs that waive tuition in the first years of college and \u201c3+2\u201d or \u201c4+1\u201d plans that require students to pay for graduate coursework.<\/p>\n Teresa Ni\u00f1o, OLLU\u2019s vice president for marketing, communications and engagement, said the new initiative will enable students to get a license for social work or an MBA as an \u201cextra step\u201d toward a lasting career.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fact that you could get a graduate degree free of charge, that\u2019s really helpful to students who are looking at university costs being too expensive,\u201d she said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n OLLU\u2019s program allows 34 eligible undergraduate fields to participate, including biology, mass communications, criminal justice,\u00a0English, history, math, psychology, computer information systems, economics, marketing, special education, health and social work.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cToday, we take our commitment to our families one monumental step, by ensuring that access, completion, and advanced credentials are attainable and linked to meaningful livelihoods based on values,\u201d said Abel\u00a0Ch\u00e1vez, OLLU president since 2022<\/a>. \u201cOur latest innovation, the no-cost master\u2019s program, goes beyond access, and beyond expectation, to deliver a master\u2019s finish for those who are ready to go further, faster.\u201d<\/p>\n Students will still incur costs for books and fees but will have graduate tuition removed as a financial barrier through the bundling of costs for the two degrees. Funding for the program comes from scholarships, grants and discounts. Normal graduate tuition fees for 2026-27 at OLLU are $1,031 per credit hour for a master\u2019s degree. The typical cost per semester<\/a> is an estimated $17,600 for a commuter student and $23,500 for a resident student.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIn this program, they\u2019re really getting the free tuition at the end, once they get past the bachelor\u2019s degree,\u201d said Edie Cogdell, chief financial officer at OLLU.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The program\u2019s five master\u2019s degrees are among the university\u2019s most popular and attainable within 18 months, including one in social work that turns out graduates who help traditionally underserved children and families. OLLU also selected those degrees based on student and workforce demand, officials said. Three online social work students will be included in the program at a reduced 50% graduate tuition rate.\u00a0<\/p>\n The program prioritizes students eligible for Pell grants and the Texas Tuition Equalization Grant, providing opportunities for first-generation\u00a0and traditionally underserved college students. The university said it hopes to expand the accelerated program in future years to other master\u2019s degrees and make it available to more students.<\/p>\n OLLU has begun registration for the program and is reaching out to prospective students who signed up for undergraduate classes before it was announced to see if they\u2019re interested in the five-year option. Rosa Hernandez, associate director of undergraduate recruitment, is the primary point of contact for applications or questions.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n