University of Austin Kicks Off Academic Year, Welcomes First Class of Students

University of Austin, a private university in Texas, the United States, opened its doors to the first undergraduate class of students this September.

“We’re starting a new university, and I’m proud to be part of it,” Associate Economics Professor Thomas L. Hogan wrote on X.

The idea of the new University of Austin, previously referred to as UATX, was introduced three years ago as a response to concerns over free speech and in an effort to combat what the university’s representatives believe is a culture of censorship at US universities and colleges.

University founders said that college campuses were no longer places where students and staff could openly express their ideas. In previous statements, representatives said they were done waiting for universities to fix themselves. Therefore, they decided to begin with a new institution.

The school officially started operations on Monday, September 2, with its inaugural class of 2028. Tuition costs about $32,000 annually. Erudera.com reports.

University of Austin received an approval from the state of Texas last year, allowing the institution to grant degrees. It announced its certification on X and, at the same time, opened admission for first-year students in the fall of 2024.

“The state of Texas has officially certified UATX as the University of Austin, now operating and recognized as a degree-granting university,” the school wrote on November 8, 2023.

On Monday, September 2, the new higher education institution welcomed the first inaugural class. On this occasion, the President of the University of Austin, Pano Kanelo, described students, staff and faculty as “courageous pioneers” and “heroes.”

“I see a room filled with the courageous, the bold, with pioneers, with heroes. I see a room filled with those who have said, emphatically, ‘We will not accept passively what we have been handed, the givens are not good enough, we will create anew.’” he posted on X.

The university applied for accreditation in December 2022. However, it has yet to be accredited. Despite this, students can still earn bachelor’s degrees in STEM, arts, politics, economy, etc.

Upon announcing its new status in November last year, the University of Austin promised to offer 100 full scholarships to the first undergraduate class, which would cover all their four-year undergraduate programs.

Texas Tribune reported that the university would use some of the $200 million its founders raised since 2021 to allocate these scholarships. According to the same source, the University's President Kanelos, said that the first students would have the chance to help build the university's culture.

Image source: Official X account of University of Austin, posted on July 31, 2024