Greg Abbott ordered Texas public colleges and universities on Wednesday to keep undergraduate tuition and fees frozen for the 2026-27 academic year, extending a policy that has already held prices down since 2023. The directive applies to every public two-year and four-year institution in the state, including general academic and health-related schools.
Abbott sent the order in a letter to college and university presidents on May 27, saying his November 2024 directive remains fully in effect. He wants to work with lawmakers next session to extend the freeze beyond next year, keeping a cap in place that Texas lawmakers already applied to the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years.
The governor framed the move as part of a broader push to make higher education more affordable while keeping Texas institutions competitive. He said Texas must continue leading the nation in creating affordable pathways to higher education while maintaining the high academic standards that make its institutions strong. He also said higher education must be attainable for Texas students and families, and that access to affordable, high-quality higher education is essential to ensure Texans learn the skills needed to secure family-sustaining jobs and meet the demands of a growing workforce.
Abbott pointed to state spending already on the books to justify the freeze. He cited more than $680 million in 2023 state investment to reform community college funding and expand degree pathways, along with $328 million in increased student financial aid funding during the 2025 budget cycle. Texas undergraduate tuition and fees at public institutions have remained frozen since 2023, making the latest order the third year in a row the state has kept prices from rising.
The policy is not without friction. Last week, the University of Texas System approved some non-academic mandatory fee increases even as the tuition freeze remained in place, underscoring that the state’s effort to hold down college costs does not reach every charge students may face. Abbott said he looks forward to working with the legislature next session to extend the freeze to future academic school years and to identify additional opportunities to make higher education more affordable.
For Texas students and families, the immediate answer is clear: undergraduate tuition and mandatory fees at public colleges will stay flat through the 2026-27 academic year. The bigger question now is whether Abbott and lawmakers turn that one-year extension into a longer-term policy when they return next session.
