Letter to the editor

Dear Editor,

Several of you have asked if Texas A&M University has plans for a tuition-free program for students from low-income families similar to what the University of Texas recently announced.

In fact, Texas A&M University implemented virtually the exact same program 10 years ago. The Texas A&M program is called Aggie Assurance. And since 2008, the program has allowed 33,447 undergraduate students from families earning less than $60,000 a year to attend college tuition free.

In addition, Texas A&M University System regents set aside $30 million additional dollars in 2018 to provide help for students of families who earn $100,000 or less, or who are stricken with financial hardships such as losses during natural disasters, death of a breadwinner or some other calamity. This program, dubbed Regents’ Grants, was created after Hurricane Harvey and has helped hundreds of students who lost books, clothes and transportation, among other things. The Regents Grants Program is available not only to students at Texas A&M University, but also to students at each of the universities in our System, about 150,000 in all.

We congratulate the University of Texas on adopting a program similar to Aggie Assurance. I know their students will benefit from it just as ours have for the last decade.

Sincerely,

John Sharp

Chancellor, The Texas A&M University System