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Billionaire Jeff Yass, a major backer of efforts to expand private school vouchers, donated $100 million to offer free tuition permanently to students who enroll at the University of Austin, the fledgling private university founded by critics of traditional higher education who argue colleges have grown hostile to free speech and merit.

The university, which announced the gift last month, did not initially identify Yass as the donor. It named him in a Wednesday news release.

The gift comes amid a broader push by wealthy conservative

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