Coordinated Admission Program Universities The University of Texas – Pan American

The University of Texas – Pan American is located in the Rio Grande Valley, a river delta located at the tropical tip of South Texas. The main campus of the university is in Edinburg, Texas, the county seat of Hidalgo County. With a population of 34,000, it is located approximately 20 minutes from the U.S./Mexico border. Six miles southwest is McAllen, Texas, with a population of 100,000, and south of McAllen is Reynosa, Mexico, with a population of one million. UTPA is located 75 miles from the Gulf of Mexico and the resort area of South Padre Island. South Texas is distinctly bicultural, and many people speak both English and Spanish.

UTPA has 17,337 students coming from 28 different states, and over 40 countries around the world.  UTPA enrolls the highest number and highest percentage of Hispanics (86%) among Texas public universities.  Of the total student population, 2,261 are graduate students participating in 48 graduate level programs.

UTPA is the 10th largest university in the state and the fifth largest in the UT System. The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education lists UTPA among its top 100 best U.S. colleges for Hispanics. UTPA offers 54 bachelor’s, 50 master’s, and two doctoral degrees, and one cooperative doctoral pharmacy program. UTPA educates the most Mexican-American students in the nation.

Financial Aid

Financial need is determined once you submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You may pick up a paper FAFSA from your high school guidance counselor or you may request that an application be mailed to your home by calling 1-800-433-3243. If you haven't done so already, you may file an application electronically on the FAFSA web site or visit the UTPA Student Financial Services site for step-by-step instructions for completing the FAFSA.

If you applied for financial aid for UT Austin (by completing the FAFSA) but plan to attend UTPA as part of the Coordinated Admission Program, you must make certain that UT Pan Am is authorized to receive your FAFSA information. The UTPA school code is 003599.

If you did not originally designate UTPA to receive your information, you can make the correction to your FAFSA in one of several ways:

On-Campus Housing

UTPA is proud to celebrate the addition of Unity Hall, the newest residence hall to the UTPA community.  The Office of Residence Life has many opportunities available for living on campus that provide not only a place to live but the ultimate university experience. 

For details or more information about living on campus, visit the Residence Life web site or contact the Office of Residence Life at 956-381-3439 or home@utpa.edu.

TSI Information

Under the Texas Success Initiative (TSI), undergraduate students entering Texas public institutions of higher education must be assessed for readiness to enroll in freshman-level academic coursework. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has approved the following four testing instruments to determine students’ readiness to enroll in college level courses:

• Texas Higher Education Assessment (THEA)
• Accuplacer
• Compass
• Asset

A student needs to select and take only one of the above assessments to meet the requirements of TSI. There are a number of ways to be exempt from taking one of the TSI tests.

For questions about meeting the TSI requirements, contact:

• Lise Blankenship
  Director
  UT Pan American
  956-381-2529

Approved CAP Courses at UT Pan American

Many students are interested to find out what courses they can take during their freshman year at UT Pan American. Review the approved UT Pan American course listings to find out what courses are available during the Fall 2009-Spring 2010 school year. (A printable list (pdf) of approved courses is also available.)

If you choose to attend UT Pan American as part of CAP, the university will contact you after you submit your online CAP agreement with information about orientation and class registration. Be sure to consult an academic advisor before making final decisions about the courses you take.

Visiting UT Pan American

Thinking about becoming a Bronc? Are you ready to learn more about UT Pan American? The UTPA Visitors Center offers tours that orient you with campus, are targeted to your college of interest and can help answer many of your questions.

Bring your family and learn about the wonderful opportunities that UTPA can offer you. Our campus guided tour incorporates a personalized presentation, a visit with an admissions counselor and an “insider’s” tour of an academic college of your choice!

Customized tours are available upon request. Contact the Visitors Center at 956-381-UTPA or 1-866-441-UTPA to arrange a campus visit.

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