Guaranteed Tuition Plan FAQs

Optional. A student must opt in to the plan. Once the Guaranteed Tuition Plan is selected, students CANNOT revert back to the Traditional Rate Plan. Students will be moved to the Traditional Rate Plan in the event they fail to maintain eligibility or fail to graduate by the expiration of their Guaranteed Tuition Plan rate plan.

All undergraduates (First-time freshmen and transfer students), except for continuing UTSA students who first enrolled at UTSA prior to fall 2014.

Designated Tuition

When a new cohort is established each year, the designated tuition rate under the Guaranteed Tuition Plan will be higher than the rate in effect under the traditional rate plan, but is guaranteed to not increase for 12 consecutive semesters.

Mandatory Fees

HB29 prohibits an institution from charging higher fees to a student participating in a guaranteed rate plan; therefore, the mandatory fees of each cohort will be locked in at the same rates in effect under the traditional rate plan at the time of enrollment in the Guaranteed Tuition Plan. If a mandatory fee should increase at some point in the future, the mandatory fee rates of cohorts already locked in will not change. Only new Guaranteed Tuition Plan cohorts and students on the traditional rate plan will pay the new increased rate.

For example, if a student is locked into the fall 2015 cohort, the student assumes the mandatory fee rates of the traditional rate plan in effect at that time. For a first-time freshman, his or her mandatory fee rates will not change for the next 12 semesters. If a mandatory fee increases the following year, the 2016 cohort will assume the new fee rate and will lock that in for the next 12 semesters. The 2015 cohort fee rate would not change.

First-time freshman

Guaranteed Tuition Plans for first-time freshmen are guaranteed for 12 consecutive semesters beginning in the initial enrollment semester. The guaranteed rates will be locked in for 12 consecutive semesters regardless if the student enrolls in each semester, unless the student does not meet the continuing eligibility criteria.

Transfer Students

If a transfer student is interested in enrolling in the Guaranteed Tuition Plan, the student must sign the UTSA Guaranteed Tuition Plan Application Form at the time of their enrollment at the other institution to lock in that years’ applicable rate. Transfer students who opt-in to the Guaranteed Tuition Plan upon their transfer to UTSA will lock in the plan’s rate applicable for that cohort year. Transfer students who intend to lock in a four-year rate may have only one valid agreement with a four-year institution in effect at any given time.

Transfer students assume the guaranteed rate of the cohort that was in effect the year of the transfer student’s initial enrollment at any institution and upon their execution of the agreement. Their plans will expire 12 consecutive semesters after their initial execution of the Guaranteed Tuition Plan Application Form.

The following are required of the student:

• Enroll in 15 or more college credit hours as of Census date in initial semester at UTSA
• Successfully complete 30 semester credit hours within each academic year at UTSA
• Maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA at UTSA
• Courses taken at a community college will not count toward the 15- or 30-hour requirement. Dual credit courses will not count toward the 15- or 30-hour requirements.

When the period of eligibility expires, students will default to the Traditional Rate Plan until graduation. Generally, the guarantee will not extend beyond four years, but extenuating circumstances may allow the guarantee to be extended for up to two additional years.

A student wishing to submit an appeal should clearly outline extenuating circumstances beyond their control and submit to Financial Services as soon as possible. The decision to extend the tuition guarantee ultimately rests with the university.