For the sixth year in a row, The University of Texas at Arlington has enrolled the most first-time-in-college students in University history, surpassing the fall 2021 total by nearly 7%, according to preliminary census numbers.

A total of 4,463 first-time college students enrolled at UT Arlington for fall 2022, an increase of nearly 300 students over the previous year.

This is the first semester students are eligible for UTA’s new Blaze Forward program, which makes a college education more accessible by covering 100% of tuition and mandatory fees for undergraduate students who meet all eligibility requirements and are from families with adjusted gross incomes up to $85,000.

The latest record-setting class enrolled 13 months after UTA earned the coveted Texas Tier One designation, a signifier of academic and research excellence. The University also is one of just 20 nationwide categorized as both R-1 (very high research activity) by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education and as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education.

“I tell people that UTA is a national treasure, and it’s because we combine academic rigor with our unwavering commitment to access for students from all backgrounds,” UTA President Jennifer Cowley said. “We know that our students’ lives are transformed when they have the opportunity to attend UTA, and that’s why we are so firmly committed to ensuring that students have access to our outstanding education.”

The College of Engineering (21%) saw a significant enrollment increase, driven in part by a surge of students in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering.

Eric Pham, a microbiology major and valedictorian of Keller Fossil Ridge High School in 2022, came to UTA after receiving a tuition scholarship waiver and several generous outside scholarships. He chose the University because of its proximity to family and its welcoming campus environment.

“I have some friends who went to UTA, and I learned that everyone—from the students to the teachers—are all so down-to-earth, kind and personable,” Pham said.

Freshmen Denny Seibert and Dylan Baumbach are both National Merit Scholars who came to UTA because of its academic offerings and the opportunities it provides for students to get involved. Seibert, an architectural engineering major, said he also was drawn to UTA because of its diverse student population.

Baumbach, who is majoring in civil engineering, said he chose UTA because of its “amazing engineering school and real-world research and innovation” opportunities.

Kassandra Miranda, a 2022 graduate of W.W. Samuell High School in Dallas, earned an associate degree from Eastfield College through dual-credit courses.

“I came to UTA because of the nursing program,” said Miranda, who also has interned at Parkland Hospital. “I always knew I wanted to do something in the medical industry.”

Troy Johnson, UTA vice president for enrollment management, said students continue to seek out UTA to learn from renowned faculty, pursue groundbreaking research and prepare to enter one of the strongest workforces in the country.

“We are the pre-eminent research university in North Texas,” Johnson said. “More and more students from both inside and outside of Texas are learning about our exceptional research and academic opportunities.”