NPR’s Audie Cornish talks with Greg Fenves, president of the University of Texas at Austin, about a brand new software that covers complete lessons for students from households making under $65,000 a year.
A Texas resident attending the University of Texas at Austin pays more than $10,000 a year in training. And understand that doesn’t include room and board. That quantity by myself is disqualifying for lots of prospective Longhorns. But that could be converting. This week, the college accredited a sweeping lesson assistance software for in-nation students. Starting in 2020, the college will cover all the lessons for students whose families make much less than $65,000 annually.
Joining me now is Gregory Fenves. He’s the president of the University of Texas, and he’s on the road from Austin. Welcome to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.
GREGORY FENCES: Thank you very much, Audie. CORNISH: The UT machine is now considered one of the biggest endowments. S ., proper? I suppose it is 2d to Harvard. So what spurred this circulate now? FENCES: We recognize college affordability is one of the largest problems students face when considering visiting the university and their households. And it has been something we’ve got, without a doubt, been running on for three or 4 years right here at the University of Texas at Austin. This has just been developed as we’ve been looking at ways to make college low-priced for the notably certified college students who come to UT. CORNISH: Now, Texas has additionally been at the center of the talk over the affirmative movement. Is this part of a strategy to enhance the student frame’s range without using race-based total rules?
FENCES: Well, we’ve got defended using race and ethnicity for the instructional advantages of variety in the Supreme Court. In addition, we realize financial issues are very critical for gaining admission to college for college kids of all backgrounds and from all regions of Texas. CORNISH: Do you get the experience that this can sincerely enhance racial range properly? FENCES: We will see. We will need to see this as the years move on about students who practice and those who are determined to return. We want to ensure that for the relatively qualified students, we admit – the financial considerations are possible for them and their households. CORNISH: How are you considering the process beyond admittance? That means that once students are in, will there be programming to assist them in continuing to exist for those four years?
FENCES: Well, this is one of the real fulfillment stories at the University of Texas over the past four or five years – we have dramatically multiplied our retention quotes and dramatically extended our graduation rates. Financial resources have been part of that development and wraparound applications, particularly in the first year, wherein almost 1 / 4 of our students are first in their households to go to college. And so they want mentoring networks and help networks, and our college students were very successful with the support that we’ve provided. CORNISH: Can you communicate approximately a scholar or an application you assume is a good example of what can work?
FENCES: Yes, I’d be thrilled to. Our University Leadership Network is sincerely our most appropriate method of helping college students, especially first-generation students and students of color. And we have dramatically increased the primary 12 months retention costs for those college students. And all our records show that if a scholar comes lower back to UT for the second year, they’ll graduate. And so now our freshman retention charge on average with nearly 8,000 undergraduate students in every magnificence is about ninety-five %. CORNISH: And demanding situations going ahead? FENCES: I think the demanding situations going forward are, as the country of Texas grows and there’s extra demand for better education, how the University of Texas may be a version for other institutions in the nation for providing this exceptional training and for students to be successful once they’re on the university. CORNISH: Gregory Fenves is the president of the University of Texas. Thank you for speaking with us.
