Billionaire Jeff Yass donates $100 million to the University of Austin as the school moves toward a tuition

Students considering the University of Austin, a young private school founded by critics of mainstream higher education, are now being promised something many college applicants only dream about: a bachelor’s degree without tuition costs, permanently. Billionaire trader Jeff Yass has committed $100 million to the institution. He says he wants to show that student opportunity and free expression can be supported by private philanthropy instead of government funding. The University of Austin confirmed the donation this week after initially declining to identify the donor, according to The Texas Tribune. The school was founded in 2021 and enrolled its first freshman class in 2024. Its mission is to build a campus culture where open debate is encouraged and where students feel confident q