In January 2020, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and The University of Texas at Austin began a historic new partnership to close the gap in college graduation rates across income levels. The two organizations teamed up to dramatically expand individualized support services for all Pell-eligible students at the university through the UT for Me – Powered by Dell Scholars program.
While financial support is critical, closing the graduation rate gap requires more than financial support. UT for Me provides Pell-eligible undergraduate students at UT Austin with ongoing and individualized support. The program is designed to help students with significant financial need succeed at UT Austin and graduate ready to change the world.
The mission of this public-private partnership is to raise six-year graduation rates for Pell-eligible students at UT Austin from 73% to 90%. This 10-year commitment covering academic and other support began in the fall of the academic year 2020-2021.