Texas Prepaid Tuition Program enrollment deadline approaches

Texas families can lock in today’s cost of undergraduate resident tuition and schoolwide required fees at Texas public colleges and universities by enrolling their children in the tax-advantaged Texas Tuition Promise Fund before the close of the current general enrollment period on Feb. 28, the Texas Comptroller’s office announced Feb. 22.

“It’s never too late to start planning for a child’s college education, so I’m encouraging Texas families and individuals to remember the upcoming deadline to prepay and lock in today’s rates for all or some future tuition at two- and four-year Texas public colleges and universities,” Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar said. “Families will find that when it comes to planning for their children’s future education, every little bit adds up.”

The Texas Tuition Promise Fund, the state’s prepaid college tuition program, allows participants to prepay undergraduate resident tuition and schoolwide required fees by purchasing tuition units for a four-year degree, two years of community college or just a few semesters. For additional flexibility and portability, the plan also can be used at Texas medical and dental institutions; Texas private colleges or universities; out-of-state colleges or universities; or career schools, where tuition and schoolwide required fees are not locked in and the benefits and payouts would be based on the transfer value.

To enroll children younger than 1 in the program at 2020-21 prices, the deadline is July 31. The next general enrollment period begins on Sept. 1, with new contract prices based on Texas public college tuition and schoolwide required fee costs for the 2021-22 academic year.

Complete plan information — including residency and other requirements, current prices, enrollment forms and more — is available online at TuitionPromise.org, or by calling 800-445-GRAD (4723), Option 5.

The program’s outreach team also offers free webinars to provide an overview of the plan and discuss the different tuition unit types and payment options, as well as provide information about Texas Match the Promise Foundation matching scholarship opportunities. Go to the Texas Tuition Promise Fund website for information about how to register to attend upcoming webinars.