Gov. Greg Abbott is ordering Texas’ public colleges and universities to keep undergraduate tuition and fees frozen through the 2026-27 school year, reaffirming a statewide tuition freeze first announced in 2024. Abbott says the move is meant to keep higher education attainable for Texas families while the state pours more taxpayer money into universities and community colleges.
In a letter sent Wednesday to college and university presidents, Abbott reminded schools that he previously directed all public institutions of higher education to freeze undergraduate tuition and fees for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 academic years.
He makes clear the order is still in full effect, telling schools that “no undergraduate tuition or fees should be increased in the forthcoming academic school year.”
Abbott framed the mandate as a matter of affordability and workforce development, saying access to “affordable, high-quality higher education” is essential for Texans to gain skills for “family-sustaining jobs” and meet the demands of a growing state economy.
He also praised lawmakers for codifying parts of his earlier freeze for general academic four-year institutions but stressed that his directive applies to every public institution, including community colleges and health-related schools.
His letter highlights what he calls “historic investments” in higher education made over the past several years to support the freeze. In 2023, the state invested more than $680 million to overhaul community college funding formulas and expand degree pathways for students, shifting more money toward outcomes-based funding.
In the 2025 budget cycle, lawmakers also increased student financial aid funding by $328 million to expand access to state aid programs for eligible students across Texas institutions.
Abbott said Texas must “continue leading the nation” in creating affordable pathways to higher education while maintaining high academic standards.
He signaled that the current freeze may not be the last, saying he looks forward to working with the Legislature next session to extend the tuition freeze to future academic years.
