Guaranteed Tuition
UTRGV has established guaranteed tuition plans for all resident and non-resident students, except medical students. The cost of tuition and mandatory fees at each credit hour load will not increase during the guarantee period.*Participation is mandatory, and there is no requirement to sign a contract or opt-in.
These plans, which provide a predictable cost and encourage timely graduation, also include a 12 hour cap on tuition and mandatory fees.
For undergraduate students, tuition and mandatory fee rates will be guaranteed for four years starting with the initial enrollment at an institution of higher education.
For graduate students, tuition and mandatory fees are guaranteed for four years for traditional programs and two years for accelerated online programs.
Medical school tuition and fee rates will vary by program year.
Tuition and mandatory fees rate tables.
Q&A
UTRGV has established guaranteed tuition plans for all resident and non-resident students, except medical students. The cost of tuition and mandatory fees at each credit hour load will not increase during the guarantee period.* Participation is mandatory, and there is no requirement to sign a contract or opt-in.
These plans, which provide a predictable cost and encourage timely graduation, also include a 12 hour cap on tuition and mandatory fees.
For undergraduate students, tuition and mandatory fee rates will be guaranteed for four years starting with the initial enrollment at an institution of higher education.
For graduate students, tuition and mandatory fees are guaranteed for four years for traditional programs and two years for accelerated online programs.
Medical school tuition and fee rates will vary by program year.
The guarantee covers the tuition and mandatory fees required for general enrollment. These fees cover university services, medical services, recreation, student services, intercollegiate athletics*, and the student union.
The guarantee does not cover fees not required of all students for general enrollment. Examples include charges for housing, meal plans, parking, traffic citations, labs, continuing education, special programs, supplemental instruction, testing, and various incidental fees.
Importantly, the tuition surcharges applicable to resident undergraduates for repeated and excessive credit hours are not covered by the fixed-price tuition guarantee.
The guarantee period begins with the first semester in which a student is enrolled at an institution of higher education. This includes enrollment at other institutions, including community colleges.
Earning college credits prior to high school graduation or its equivalent does not constitute initial enrollment in college for purposes of the guarantee period. This includes credits earned through participation in dual credit enrollment, early college high school, and Math & Science Academy programs.
No, the guarantee period is not extended when a student does not enroll for one or more semesters. The “clock” starts with the initial college semester and, in the case of a four-year guarantee, will expire after 12 consecutive semesters (counting the summer period as one semester).
Students not graduating within the guarantee period will shift to the lowest rates available among all open (non-expired) plans. The new rates may be lower (but never higher) than the rates applicable to entering students.
The 12-Hour Cap
Tuition and mandatory fee charges at UTRGV are capped for resident students at 12 credit hours each semester. In other words, taking 15 or 18 hours a semester (or more) will cost the same as taking 12 hours.
Charges for non-resident students are also capped at 12 credit hours except for non-resident statutory tuition rates which are required to be charged, by state statute, for each hour enrolled.
The 12-hour cap does not apply to lab and supplemental instruction fees. In addition, the cap does not apply to tuition surcharges for repeated and excessive credit hours and to accelerated online programs.
Transition to Graduate School
Students who earn an undergraduate degree may use unexpired time in their guarantee periods to continue into graduate programs at the graduate rates in effect when they initially enrolled in college.
Getting a Head Start: Earning College Credits while in High School
The Dual Credit Program provides opportunities for students to earn college credit hours while enrolled in high school. UTRGV will provide this instruction at no cost, resulting in significant savings in the cost to earn a degree. For more information.
*By student referendum, students entering Fall 2022-Summer 2023 and subsequent academic years are subject to an Intercollegiate Athletics Fee of $26.25 per semester credit hour. However, implementation of the full $26.25 per semester credit hour is currently deferred pending approval of The University of Texas System Board of Regents. Upon approval by the Board of Regents, the full $26.25 per semester credit hour (or, an additional $135 for a full-time undergraduate student) will be assessed to students entering Fall 2022 and after, starting the semester following the Board’s approval, and the appropriate tuition and fees table(s) will be updated accordingly.