News Story

UNT Dallas has announced the launch of the Trailblazer Tuition Trust, a transformative new program that will cover full tuition and mandatory fees for up to four years for eligible Texas high school graduates pursuing their first bachelor’s degree at UNT Dallas. The announcement was made by Dr. Warren von Eschenbach during his Investiture as the fourth president of UNT Dallas, opening a defining new chapter in the university’s 15-year history.

“UNT Dallas remains committed to providing access to those for whom higher education historically has been out of reach,” Dr. von Eschenbach said. “Universities are about people and community. We are a beacon of hope and promise for many. This is the transformative power of education.”

Delivered before faculty, staff, students, alumni, civic leaders and members of the UNT System Board of Regents in Campus Hall at the UNT Dallas Student Center, Dr. von Eschenbach’s address positioned the Trailblazer Tuition Trust – benefiting Texas families with a total income of $100,000 or less – as the centerpiece of a renewed institutional mission: making a four-year-university education attainable for Texas families, while preparing graduates for purposeful lives and resilient careers in a rapidly evolving workforce.

“UNT Dallas seeks to be the leading regional university in southern Dallas, Ellis County and beyond, by delivering a holistic experience that integrates career-ready skills, leadership development and experiential learning throughout the curriculum,” said Dr. von Eschenbach.

What the Trailblazer Tuition Trust Covers

The Trailblazer Tuition Trust will cover full tuition and mandatory fees for up to four years — or eight consecutive semesters — for graduating Texas high school seniors enrolling at UNT Dallas to pursue their first bachelor’s degree. Funding is delivered through a combination of federal, state, and institutional grants and scholarships, ensuring eligible students can complete their degree without the burden of tuition costs.

Eligible students will be considered automatically — no separate application is required. To renew the award each year, students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA at UNT Dallas, remain in good academic standing, and stay enrolled full time (a minimum of 12 credit hours) in both fall and spring semesters.

“UNT Dallas has invested in bold strategies to grow enrollment, advance student success and community impact,” said State Sen. Royce West.

The Trailblazer Tuition Trust builds on the proven model of programs like the Dallas County Promise, expanding tuition support to qualifying students from across the state of Texas. UNT Dallas will work closely with high schools, school counselors, and community partners to ensure prospective students and families understand how to take advantage of the program. More information is available through the UNT Dallas admissions office at admissions@untdallas.edu.

More Than a Degree: A Holistic Educational Experience

Affordability is one piece of a larger vision. Dr. von Eschenbach has been clear that the priority at UNT Dallas is a holistic educational experience — not simply earning a credential or training narrowly within a chosen major but cultivating the full range of capacities students need to lead meaningful lives. That means rigorous academics paired with critical thinking, ethical reasoning, communication, civic engagement, and the personal growth that happens in classrooms, student organizations, mentoring relationships and service in the community.

Within that vision, the university is building an innovative curriculum and a multi-disciplinary education model designed to prepare students for AI-proof jobs – careers that draw on uniquely human capacities like creative problem-solving, ethical judgment, leadership, and the ability to work across fields and across difference. That investment is taking shape in distinctive programs, majors and course offerings that set UNT Dallas apart, blending the liberal arts with applied disciplines and connecting students directly to employers, civic institutions and community partners across North Texas.

“We need to create an educational ecosystem that supports students in their personal, academic, social and cultural growth," Dr. von Eschenbach said. “We need to future-proof our students by instilling in them enduring and authentically human skills that employers seek, such as resilience, empathy, self-awareness and character.”

Recent milestones reflect that direction: the establishment of the university’s Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning, the recent opening of a $100 million STEM Building, expanded health professions programming in collaboration with UNT Health Fort Worth, and continued investment in experiential learning and industry partnerships across North Texas.

Looking Ahead

The Trailblazer Tuition Trust, paired with the university’s renewed focus on holistic education and career readiness, signals an ambitious decade ahead for UNT Dallas: deeper employer partnerships, expanded pathways into high-demand fields, and a clear-eyed commitment to making a four-year degree both attainable and economically meaningful for students across Texas.

With Dr. von Eschenbach now formally installed and the Trust officially launched, UNT Dallas enters its next chapter – one defined by access, opportunity and a renewed promise to the students, families and communities it serves.