Texas Southern University has forgiven outstanding balances for more than 2,000 students, totaling almost $2.4 million according to FOX 26 Houston.
This includes students who graduated in the spring and summer of 2023, who are now entering the world debt-free.
“Students may have owed anywhere between $100 all the way up $10,000,” said Texas Southern Provost and Sr. VP for Academic Affairs Carl Goodman
Texas Southern Doctoral student Saul Zarco who owed the university $10,000 said the debt forgiveness has taken an immense weight off his shoulders.
“I’m so grateful. I don’t have to worry too much about how I’m going to budget for it because I know it’s covered. It’s not going to take away from me having to decide whether bills have to be paid,” Zacro told FOX 26 Houston. “It means that I don’t have to take out any loans. As a dissertation student, we only take one class, so we don’t qualify for financial aid.”
Goodman explained the significance of Texas Southern’s decision to clear student debt. “When you look at minority students and us being an HBCU, a minority serving institution, and you look at why students aren’t progressing or why they aren’t graduating in a timely fashion, it is because of financial reasons,” said Goodman.
According to FOX 26 Houston, the university is funding the student debt forgiveness through its remaining federal COVID dollars.
