Admissions & Scholarships
Texas State expands Bobcat Promise free tuition from Fall 2027 — are international students eligible?
Texas State is expanding Bobcat Promise — its free tuition and mandatory fees programme — beginning with the freshman class entering in Fall 2027. The family income ceiling doubles to $100,000 a year, and about 3,400 incoming freshmen are expected to benefit.
What exactly changed
Bobcat Promise has run for nearly two decades for families with an adjusted gross income of $50,000 or less. From the Fall 2027 intake it gains a second tier:
| Family income (AGI) | Academic requirement | Award |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 or less | No class-rank requirement | Free tuition + mandatory fees |
| $50,001 – $100,000 | Graduate in the top 25% of your class | Free tuition + mandatory fees (new) |
The award runs for up to four years (eight consecutive semesters).
For nearly two decades, the Bobcat Promise has helped students from lower-income families achieve the dream of a college degree without the cost of tuition and mandatory fees. By extending this opportunity to high-performing freshmen from families that earn less than $100,000 a year, doubling the current cap, TXST is opening more doors to deserving Texas students.
KELLY DAMPHOUSSE, Ph.D. — PRESIDENT, TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITYFull eligibility
- Be a Texas resident and have graduated from a Texas high school
- Apply for admission and be accepted to TXST
- Meet the applicable family income requirement
- Demonstrate financial need through the FAFSA by 15 March before enrolment
- Enrol full-time and complete at least 15 credit hours each fall and spring, at the San Marcos or Round Rock campus
So what are international students eligible for?
The first two conditions — Texas residency and a Texas high school — rule international applicants out. So does the FAFSA, which is U.S. federal aid for citizens and permanent residents.
Texas State runs a separate system for international students, and it is not small:
Assured scholarships are awarded automatically from SAT/ACT scores and class rank, to international students on the same terms as U.S. students, with no separate application. On top of that, earning $1,000 or more in competitive scholarships from the university can qualify you for a waiver of the nonresident portion of tuition — roughly $12,840 a year. The full tier table is on the international scholarships page.
Why the news still matters if you are not eligible
It tells you the direction the university is taking on cost. In the same year, Texas State has held tuition flat since 2021 with a commitment through 2027, expanded Bobcat Promise, and pointed to future three-year bachelor’s degrees. A university pushing costs down for in-state students is generally not one about to raise prices sharply on international ones.
What it really costs
Estimate your own total with the cost calculator.
International scholarships
The full tiers and the waiver rule on the scholarships page.
Record enrolment
47,513 students and tuition frozen through 2027 — read more.
Source: TXST expands Bobcat Promise program, extending free tuition beginning with Fall 2027 freshman class, news.txst.edu, 1 September 2026, by Jayme Blaschke. International scholarship figures come from the university’s scholarship pages as cited elsewhere on this site. The eligibility comparison for international students is the International Office’s own.
Want to know which scholarship tier you qualify for?
Send your SAT/ACT score (if any) and class rank — we match you to the 2026–27 tiers and reply within 1–2 business days.
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