Prompted by federal directives restricting funding, a staff hiring freeze at the University of Texas at Arlington will take effect July 3.
UTA President Jennifer Cowley announced the measure, along with a pause in salary adjustments for staff, in a June 16 message to the campus community. No end date for the freeze has been determined.
“We are seeing a marked decline in research grants, a pause on visa interviews for international students, a travel ban on students from some countries, and federal budget proposals that could impact financial aid, student support services, and research and development,” Cowley said. “These circumstances make it important that we plan for decreased resources while maintaining academic excellence and supporting student success.”
The Report reached out to the university on the hiring freeze. The university did not share additional details beyond Cowley’s June 16 message.
The staff hiring freeze does not impact faculty or student positions.
Offers accepted before July 3 but starting after that date will be honored. There will be no new job postings for affected staff roles, and current job postings may be deactivated.
Andy Milson, chair of the UTA Faculty Senate, said some faculty members fear they might be next.
“I think there is a sense of this could just be the beginning,” said Milson, a professor in historical geography. “I think anyone who’s paying attention would see that this could get worse before it gets better.”
The Report reached out to leaders of UTA’s staff advisory council, who advocate for the university staff. The chair declined to comment.
The budget reduction measures also include software purchase restrictions and moderate reductions in administrative and academic unit budgets, Cowley said.
Cowley acknowledged the effect that the pause in hiring will have in offices across the university.
“Additional cost-cutting measures could be necessary as we continue to monitor federal funding and other key factors,” she said.
Although the public university with over 40,000 students has had stable state funding, several federal directives including drastically decreased discretionary funding for research and measures affecting international students have affected or will affect the university’s funding, Cowley said.
About 17% of the university’s funding comes from the federal government, with nearly 9% for student financial aid and 8.5% for grants and contracts.
UTA follows in the footsteps of other universities that announced hiring freezes earlier in 2025, including Emory University, University of Pittsburgh, North Carolina State University and the University of Washington, according to NPR.
The university is one of the top 10 employers in Tarrant County, according to the county government.
Shomial Ahmad is a higher education reporter for the Fort Worth Report, in partnership with Open Campus. Contact her at shomial.ahmad@fortworthreport.org.
The Report’s higher education coverage is supported in part by major higher education institutions in Tarrant County, including Tarleton State University, Tarrant County College, Texas A&M-Fort Worth, Texas Christian University, Texas Wesleyan University, the University of Texas at Arlington and UNT Health Science Center.
At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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