UHD to guarantee admission to eligible HISD students

How it works: HISD seniors must maintain at least a 2.5 GPA and submit an application on time.

• The application fee will be waived for guaranteed admission students.

By the numbers: About 7,700 HISD seniors already meet the GPA threshold, according to officials.

• About 70% of UHD's 13,500 students are the first in their families to go to college.

Between the lines: UHD will have increased enrollment as it works to return to pre-pandemic levels, Long Huynh, vice president of enrollment management, tells Axios.

• Huynh says the university is prepared for the increased enrollment and plans to expand merit scholarships. For a full-time Texas resident living at home, the estimated cost of attendance is about $23,000.

What they're saying: "To those eligible HISD seniors who think college is for others, we want you to know today that we see your potential and we see your promise. We want you here," UHD President Loren Blanchard said at an event Tuesday.

• "That kind of certainty can change lives. It gives students confidence that college isn't just a dream, it's a real, attainable future," HISD board member and UHD alum Paula Mendoza said.

• "Today, we are sending a clear message to thousands of HISD students: you belong in higher education."

Zoom out: Public universities in Texas guarantee admission to students in the top 10% of their graduating class, with the exception of the University of Texas at Austin, which guarantees admission to the top 5%.

What's next: The first class of guaranteed-admission students is expected to enroll for the 2026–27 academic year.

• Blanchard said UHD hopes to refine the model and potentially replicate it at other places.