As part of a close-knit family, Jennifer Esmeralda Sandoval was always encouraged to get a college education. Not only would it help ensure a more successful future for her, it would also be one way she could help fulfill the vision her grandmother had when she came to the U.S. at 16 hoping to build a better life for her family.
“The most important thing to me is to make my family proud,” says Sandoval, now a sophomore studying business management. “To my parents, attending college means gaining more knowledge and taking an important step toward a better future. To me, going to college means having the opportunity to pursue many of my long-held ambitions.”
A middle child, Sandoval is the first person in her family to attend college. It was a decades-long, multigenerational dream made possible in part thanks to UTA’s new Blaze Forward program. Blaze Forward makes a college education more accessible for all students by covering 100% of tuition and mandatory fees for all semesters in which they meet eligibility requirements. Transfer students who have completed their associate’s degree will be covered for two years; new students will be covered for up to four. Current students will receive the aid for the number of semesters they have remaining for an on-time graduation.
When Sandoval first found out she qualified for Blaze Forward, she says she was “beyond happy.”
“I feel like now I can really give school my all without worrying,” says Sandoval. “UTA really does the most to provide for their students. It’s such a great opportunity to help so many students further their education.”
“I feel like now I can really give school my all without worrying. UTA really does the most to provide for their students. It’s such a great opportunity to help so many students further their education.” - Jennifer Esmeralda Sandoval
With Blaze Forward, Jennifer Esmeralda Sandoval says she can focus on studying with much less stress.
Sparking Hope
Launched in spring 2022, Blaze Forward is a free-tuition initiative that only requires a few simple conditions for students to qualify. Students must live in Texas, enroll at UT Arlington full time, be eligible to receive awards through Federal Pell Grant and TEXAS Grant programs, and come from a household with an adjusted gross income of up to $85,000.
“UTA serves as a beacon for thousands of Texans working to improve their lives through academic excellence,” says Troy Johnson, vice president for enrollment management. “Blaze Forward means even more students will have the opportunity to experience the transformational power of a UTA education.”
Eligible students are automatically notified they are recipients just by completing the typical admissions processes: submitting a UTA application with any required documents and filling out a FASFA or TASFA application. No additional application is needed.
Funding for the program comes from a variety of sources, including federal and state grants and a new allocation from the University of Texas System. As the program grows, more than 4,600 students a year are expected to enjoy the benefits of Blaze Forward.
The name of the program is a nod to the University’s beloved mascot Blaze and suggests a future for UTA students that will glow fiercely and brightly—transforming students’ lives and the lives of their families.
“There’s a social responsibility to make sure that universities are accessible,” Dr. Johnson says. “People who are going to become great engineers, doctors, nurses, lawyers, historians, and economists come from all walks of life and all income levels. Making sure that lower-income families aren’t left out as we move forward is a positive step.”
“It’s amazing how Blaze Forward is going to help me and other students like me focus more on studying and the academic aspect of college.” - Kelly Phan
Kelly Phan says Blaze Forward is helping her focus on her studies.
Securing Futures
The cost of attending college has increased dramatically over the last several decades. Between 1980 and 2020, the average price of tuition, fees, and room and board for an undergraduate degree increased 169%, according to a recent report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.
Yet students and parents continue to find ways to pay because they believe that a four-year degree is a worthy investment for career success and future earning potential. And it’s true: According to recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, bachelor’s degree holders are half as likely to be unemployed as their peers who only have a high school degree, and their median earnings are 84% higher.
Kelly Phan, who grew up in a family of five, wondered how she would get through the rest of her time at UTA without going into major debt—and then the financial aid from Blaze Forward became available.
“I had applied to probably hundreds of scholarships,” says the sophomore philosophy major. “I would get discouraged a lot because I literally could not afford to pay.”
The peace of mind that Blaze Forward offers her, she says, is invaluable.
“It’s amazing how Blaze Forward is going to help me and other students like me focus more on studying and the academic aspect of college,” says Phan.
Dreams Achieved
For Paola Sanchez and her family, an education at UT Arlington means opportunity and the fulfillment of what they thought was an “unattainable dream.”
“My mother used to wish for the possibility of even just stepping inside a college classroom,” says Sanchez, a junior who transferred from Dallas College and is now double majoring in business administration and marketing. “She has been neglected from so many opportunities due to not having an education.”
When Sanchez first toured UT Arlington with her mom, she says her mother “would not stop taking pictures of me because I had this huge smile on my face.”
“I just knew UTA was the right place for me,” she says.
When Sanchez found out she would be a Blaze Forward recipient via email, she cried.
“After a deep breath of relief, I felt a huge amount of stress taken off of my shoulders,” says Sanchez, who had been planning on getting two jobs to pay for her courses. She also says she felt “extremely proud” of herself due to her perseverance.
“There were plenty of times I wanted to give up. But college demonstrates everything about a person, like how much perseverance and commitment a person has,” Sanchez says. “All of the hardships we college students go through, obtaining a degree means that we are very dedicated individuals who choose to confront challenges and become better versions of ourselves.”
“At UTA, I have been able to pursue subjects that really interest me. College is a place of exploration, and as a student, you should be allowed to explore without worrying about paying for things like books and how to fund your education.” - Yvonne Gyimah
Yvonne Gyimah is ready to take on her future.
Blazing Bright
At a launch event for Blaze Forward on UT Arlington’s campus, UT System Chancellor James B. Milliken said that college costs “present a barrier for far too many talented, young people.
“Now, building on the great work of our elected officials, the UT Arlington administration, the UT System Board of Regents, and colleagues across the UT System, we are able to make a major, permanent step to make UTA an even more affordable institution for generations to come.”
The feeling of accomplishment from earning a college degree and the grit Mavericks display in doing so can be seen in the many stories of Blaze Forward recipients, like Yvonne Gyimah. Even as a senior who is finishing her degree in public health while staying active in student government, receiving this aid in her last semester was still “such a blessing” for her family.
“At UTA, I have been able to pursue subjects that really interest me,” Gyimah says. “College is a place of exploration, and as a student, you should be allowed to explore without worrying about paying for things like books and how to fund your education.”
Gyimah was born in Arlington and grew up in Kumasi, Ghana, in West Africa. She came back to Texas in high school and graduated from Juan Seguin High School, where she said she worked hard on her GPA in order to gain scholarships for college.
“I knew I needed scholarships to fund my goals because I knew my family would not be able to afford the financial aspects of my higher education,” says Gyimah.
Completing her degree at UTA will be “a milestone” for her and her family. She says the Blaze Forward program is “not just a free money opportunity, but the opportunity of a lifetime.”
“When you have money on your mind and you’re trying to work 24/7, it really affects you,” she says. “The Blaze Forward program takes away the burden of that worry. When students can focus solely on education and focus on what they are passionate about, that means that they are truly preparing for excellence and on what they can contribute to the world.” UTA
