UNT slashes budget deficit with cost-cutting measures

"We expect to close this fiscal year with less than a $19 million budget deficit," Keller said. "We think we'll actually be able to get it under $17 million, which is less than 2% of our overall budget."

Over the last school year, UNT announced that a combination of market forces and changes state and federal policy had precipitated losses. The major dip in international student enrollment led to longer-term structural budget changes. The 2025-26 year started with 1,000 fewer international graduate students. International students aren't eligible for state or federal lending, so they come to UNT paying cash for their tuition. 

"We took decisive action across multiple fronts that included reviewing every UNT degree and certificate program, and even as we pulled back in some areas, we also made strategic investments in other areas that are important for our future," Keller said.

Those investments were in student retention and support for transfer students. The university also put more resources into the school's top-performing researchers.

Keller said university leaders also kept their eyes on the prize: getting students across the commencement stage and into careers that will put them on a path toward affluence.

"We ... stood up new capabilities to partner even more closely with industry," Harrison said. "And all of those strategic investments will help us recruit and retain talent and grow revenue through [fiscal year] ’27 and beyond."

International undergraduate enrollment has gotten a modest but welcome bump, a gain of more than 300 this school year compared to 2025-26.

Keller said that as of late last week, UNT enrollment "sits at 41,369 students."

Keller said the number of students transferring from community college is up 11%, and transfer student enrollment from other colleges and universities is up by 8%. About 20% of community college transfers are from UNT's partnership with Collin College. UNT is in talks with nine other community colleges to broach transfer pathways from their certification and associate's degree programs to UNT. 

University leaders also reduced course offerings at UNT at Frisco, Keller said, to drill down on high-demand industry opportunities. 

"By focusing our resources on high demand programs, our UNT Frisco enrollment is up nearly 10%, to a record high of 3,643 students," he said. "We've got more work to do, but those early results for transfers, and for UNT at Frisco, are encouraging for our team and encouraging for our future."

Keller said the "Better Look North" campaign has earned buy-in from donors and partners. 

"We set an ambitious goal for this fiscal year of $60 million in fundraising for [fiscal year] ’26," Keller said. 

AS UNT closes the fiscal year, Keller said the university is on track to break the university's fundraising record.