ACC Free Tuition Plan

The proposal begins with a pilot program. Under this program, starting with the class of 2024, high school graduates & GED® completers who live in the ACC service area would receive free tuition at ACC. The ACC service area includes portions of Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, Blanco, and Caldwell counties. Visit austincc.edu/servicearea to view the service area map.

Eligible high school graduates & GED® completers get three years of free tuition at ACC from the time they graduate to earn up to an associate degree or five years of free tuition if they want to pursue their bachelor’s degree at ACC.

Austin Community College offers bachelor’s degree programs in Nursing, Manufacturing, Software Development, and Cybersecurity.

Yes. Eligible students who live within the ACC taxing district receive free tuition and mandatory fees, which are $85 per credit hour. Students who live in the ACC service area and are out-of-district, also receive free tuition and mandatory fees but are still required to pay the out-of-district fee of $201 per credit hour. You can learn more about our service area by visiting austincc.edu/servicearea.

The ACC Free Tuition Pilot Program launches in fall 2024.

The college recommends all students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) and apply for scholarships. The free tuition program will allow scholarships and financial aid to go further and help students pay for other life expenses.

The ultimate goal is to make ACC tuition free for all students, but we are starting with a pilot program first. Graduating high school seniors and GED® completers were identified as the first cohort in part because of concerning regional data that indicate 57% of all 2023 high school graduates in our region did not enroll in any postsecondary education in the state after high school. The proposal begins with this cohort — starting with the class of 2024. It also includes all future classes of high school graduates and GED®/HSE completers in subsequent years.

Visit austincc.edu/servicearea to view the ACC service area. If you live within the service area and pay ACC taxes, you’re considered in-district. These areas include the City of Austin, Austin ISD, Del Valle ISD, Elgin ISD, Hays CISD, Leander ISD, Manor ISD, and Round Rock ISD.

The ACC service area covers all or portions of six Central Texas counties: Bastrop, Blanco, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson. You can view the service area map at austincc.edu/servicearea.

With the high school class of 2024 receiving free tuition, the college anticipates more scholarship dollars will be available for current students and adult learners. Everyone is encouraged to submit a scholarship application and apply for financial aid. Learn more about paying for college at ACC. 

The pilot program starts with the class of 2024 and will continue for future classes in subsequent years for the next five years. Ongoing planning is underway to examine future phases of the program that would allow the college to expand ACC Free Tuition to more student populations.

Based on the number of 2023 graduates from area high schools, the college estimates that covering tuition for 2024 high school grads will cost around $7 million. ACC was awarded $6.8 million in additional funding from House Bill 8 (HB8) — the bill that shifts funding from enrollment-based to an outcomes-based model, rewarding community colleges for student completions, transfer, and successful dual credit. The college expects to use those dollars to fund core operations at the college — ultimately freeing up the budget to help us cover the costs of tuition for this program.

The vision is to scale the program for all students as soon as possible. The college will begin working immediately with the ACC Foundation and community partners to fundraise so that we can expand the program to all student populations in subsequent years.