Tuition and Financial Aid

Types of Financial Aid

Basis for the Type of Financial Aid

The aid awarded to a student may consist of a loan, grant, scholarship, part-time job, or any combination of these programs. The total amount of aid the student receives depends on the student's cost of attendance, expected family contribution, meeting application deadlines, outside resources, academic history, and the availability of funds.  

The following is a summary of the types of assistance that are available to students at The University of Texas at Dallas. The student should be aware that many of the programs are subject to change without notice by the state or federal government. Information on all programs may be obtained from the Office of Financial Aid unless otherwise noted.

Federal Pell Grant

The Federal Pell Grant program provides funds to students demonstrating financial need. Students should submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) through the Internet at www.fafsa.ed.gov to apply for this program. This grant is available to undergraduate students who are pursuing their first baccalaureate degree.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

This federally funded program provides grants to undergraduate students with exceptional financial need. Students completing a FAFSA will automatically be considered for this grant. Awards are based on availability of funds and the student's financial need.

Toward Excellence, Access and Success Grant (TEXAS Grant)

This program provides grants to enable academically prepared eligible students to attend public and private nonprofit institutions of higher education in Texas. An undergraduate student is eligible who:

• is a Texas resident;
• has graduated from a public or accredited private high school in Texas no earlier than fall 1998. There is a time limit of 16 months after graduating from high school to be eligible;
• completed the Recommended High School Program, or Distinguished Achievement Program or its equivalent in high school;
• has financial need, with an expected family contribution (EFC) of 4,000 or less for the academic year;
• has accumulated no more than 30 semester credit hours, excluding those earned for dual or concurrent courses or awarded for credit by examination (AP, IB, or CLEP);
• completes FAFSA or TAFSA (if applicable) and enrolls at least 3/4 time in an undergraduate degree program;
• has not been convicted of a felony or a crime involving a controlled substance; and
• has registered for the Selective Service or is exempt from doing so;

OR

• has earned an associate degree from a public technical, state, or community college in Texas; and
• enrolls in any public university in Texas no later than 12 months after receiving the associate's degree.

The amount of the grant is based on the average tuition and fees charged at 4-year public institutions. Students who continue in college and who meet program academic standards can receive awards for up to 150 semester credit hours or for six years, whichever occurs first. Requirements for continued funding are completion of at least 75 percent of the hours taken in the prior year and completion of at least 24 credits in the prior year. Additionally, students must maintain an overall grade point average of at least 2.500 on a 4.000 scale. Awards are made through the Office of Financial Aid. Students completing a FAFSA or TAFSA will automatically be considered for this grant. Students must submit the FAFSA or TAFSA before the deadline to be considered as on-time. The deadline is set annually and can be found online at www.collegeforalltexans.com. There is limited funding available.

Top 10% Scholarship Program

The 80th Texas Legislature created the Top 10 Percent Scholarship to encourage students who graduate in the top 10 percent of their high school class to attend a Texas public institution of higher education. Qualifying students who submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA) by the deadline and have financial need may be eligible to receive up to $1,500 if they enroll full-time in a Texas public college or university in the fall semester immediately following graduation from high school. The deadline is set annually and can be found online at www.collegeforalltexans.com. Students who submit their FAFSA or TASFA after the published deadline will be awarded on a funds available basis. Please see www.utdallas.edu/student/finaid/Programs/programs.htm for additional eligibility requirements.

Eligibility Requirements

Initial Eligibility Requirements:

• Be a Texas resident
• Demonstrate financial need (to be determined by the college or university financial aid office)
• Complete FAFSA (or TAFSA if applicable) and file by the published deadline
• Completed Recommended or Distinguished Achievement High School curriculum
• Rank in the top 10 percent (as of his/her 7th semester, or 6th if the college uses that semester for admissions decisions)
• Graduate from an accredited high school in Texas
• Enroll full-time in a Texas public 2-year or 4-year college or university in the fall semester immediately following high school graduation

Renewal Requirements (contingent upon available funding):

• Complete 30 semester credit hours in the previous year
• Maintain cumulative 3.250 GPA
• Complete at least 75% of hours attempted
• Complete FAFSA (or TAFSA if applicable) by the published deadline

Texas Public Educational Grant

An act of the 64th Texas Legislature established a grant program to provide financial assistance to students. The program is funded through appropriation of a portion of the tuition charges for resident and non-resident students. Students completing a FAFSA or TASFA will automatically be considered for this grant. Awards are based on availability of funds and the student's financial need.

Educational Assistance Grant

This program was established to provide financial assistance to students by an act of the Texas Legislature. The program is funded through appropriation of a portion of the designated tuition charge for resident and non-resident students. Students completing a FAFSA will automatically be considered for this grant. Awards are based on availability of funds and the student's financial need.

General/Endowment Scholarship Programs

The University of Texas at Dallas offers a number of endowed scholarships that are administered by a school or program. Students are encouraged to contact their school dean or program office to obtain information about eligibility criteria and scholarships awarded in the student's area of study.

The Texas Education Code contains specific requirements for a scholarship to be considered competitive:

Sec. 54.213. SCHOLARSHIP STUDENT

(a) An institution of higher education may charge a nonresident student who holds a competitive scholarship of at least $1,000 for the academic year or summer term for which the student is enrolled resident tuition and fees without regard to the length of time the student has resided in Texas. The student must compete with other students, including Texas residents, for the scholarship and the scholarship must be awarded by a scholarship committee officially recognized by the administration and be approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board under criteria developed by the coordinating board.

(b) The total number of students at an institution paying resident tuition under this section for a particular semester may not exceed five percent of the total number of students registered at the institution for the same semester of the preceding academic year.

(c) A student who would be entitled to pay resident Tuition in the 2009-2010 academic year under this section as this section existed on January 1, 2009, because the student is awarded a competitive scholarship for that academic year in the amount prescribed by Subsection (a) before the beginning of the 2009 fall semester is entitled to continue to pay resident tuition under this section as this section existed on January 1, 2009, in each semester or other term in which the student is awarded such a scholarship, as long as the student remains enrolled in the same certificate or degree program. This subsection expires August 1, 2014.

(d) The difference between tuition charged to the student under this section and the tuition the student would be charged if this section did not apply to the student shall not be accounted for in such a way as to reduce the general revenue appropriation to an institution of higher education that charges a nonresident student resident tuition and fees under this section.

Transferred and redesignated from Texas Education Code, Section 54.064 by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 359, Sec. 1, eff. January 1, 2012.

In addition to any specific criteria governing awards of competitive scholarships (e.g., major field of study) the committee responsible for such awards will give primary consideration to the applicant's academic records, both evaluating the type and nature of courses taken and the grades achieved in specific courses. The committee may also consider and give positive weight to such factors as the following in designating recipients:

• Achievements in work experiences
• Community service
• Extracurricular activities; leadership
• Surmounting obstacles to the further pursuit of higher education
• Socioeconomic background
• Educational level
• Status as a first generation college student

Scholarships typically are awarded in the spring semester for disbursement during the following academic year.

Federal Work-Study Program

Federal Work-Study employment is available to students on the basis of demonstrated financial need and is counted as a form of need-based financial aid. Funds from this program are received as a result of working part-time at a position either on or off campus. The wages of students participating in this program are subsidized with federal funds, making it easier to find a part-time job. The student is paid directly. Students completing a FAFSA will automatically be considered for this program. Awards are based on availability of funds and the student's financial need.

The rate of compensation depends on the type of job, qualifications, and classification. The number of hours and work schedule will vary depending on the position. For information on job availability, students who have been awarded Federal-Work Study as part of their financial aid package should contact the Career Center at 972-883-2943 or go to their website at www.utdallas.edu/career to access the CometCareers system.

Other On-Campus Employment

Various programs and schools of the university employ students in positions that are not Federal Work-Study positions and are not based on need. In accordance with appropriate guidelines, pay scales depend on the type of job, qualifications, and classification. Normally, students will be employed for a maximum of 19 1/2 hours per week. Students interested in these positions should contact the Career Center at 972-883-2943 or go to their website at www.utdallas.edu/career to access the CometCareers system.

Federal Direct Stafford Loan

Also called a Direct Loan, funds from this program are made available to students from the U.S. Department of Education. The loan can be either subsidized or unsubsidized, or a combination of both. The maximum amount a student can borrow from this program in an academic year depends on the student's year in school (i.e. freshman, sophomore, etc.); whether the student is considered to be dependent or independent for the purposes of financial aid; the student's total cost of education as determined by the school; and what other forms of financial aid the student is receiving. To qualify for a subsidized Stafford Loan the student must demonstrate financial need. The U.S. Government pays the interest on a subsidized Stafford Loan as long as the student remains enrolled in school at least half-time. The unsubsidized Stafford Loan is available for students who do not demonstrate financial need and for students who need more funding than is available with the subsidized Stafford Loan. Students who borrow an unsubsidized Stafford Loan are charged interest while they are enrolled in school. Students completing a FAFSA will automatically be considered for this program.

Information regarding this program, including the promissory note and the Entrance Counseling, is available at www.studentloans.gov.

Federal Perkins Loan Program

This loan program provides a combination of federal and institutional funds to students who qualify on the basis of financial need. Priority is given to those students who demonstrate exceptional need. Students completing a FAFSA are considered for this program. Funding for this program is limited.

An undergraduate student may borrow up to a maximum amount of $5,500 per academic year with an aggregate undergraduate loan limit of $27,500. Graduate students may borrow up to $8,000 in a year with a total aggregate borrowing of $60,000, which includes amounts borrowed as an undergraduate. Current funding levels for this program do not allow UT Dallas to offer eligible students the maximum annual amount.

A Federal Perkins loan bears a modest interest rate. Borrowers are required to begin repayment of principal and interest nine months after they cease to be at least half-time students. Repayment may extend over a ten-year period; however, there is a minimum payment of $40.00 a month.

Hazlewood Veteran Tuition Exemption

The Hazlewood Exemption Act provides an education benefit to honorably discharged or separated Texas veterans and to eligible dependent children and spouses of Texas veterans. Eligible students may receive an exemption from the payment of all tuition and most fees at Texas public institutions for up to 150 credit hours. Information on the Hazlewood Act and eligibility requirements are available at the Texas Veterans Commission website. Additional information can be found in the Office of Financial Aid Hazlewood Exemption website.

Texas Education Coordinating Board

The Texas Education Coordinating Board administers various tuition assistance programs including programs for teachers and vocational nursing students. Further information about these programs may be obtained by contacting The Office of Financial Aid.

TEACH Grant Program

The College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 created the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program that provides up to $4,000 per year ($16,000 total for four-year programs) in grants to students who intend to teach full-time in high-need subject areas for at least four years at schools that serve students from low-income families.

Eligible students must be enrolled in coursework that is necessary to begin a career in teaching or plan to complete such coursework. Coursework that will prepare a student to teach in a high-need subject area (e.g., math courses for a student who intends to be a math teacher) is acceptable.

Eligible students must meet the following academic achievement requirements of either scoring above the 75th percentile on either the SAT or the ACT, or graduate from high school with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.250 on a 4.000 scale, or maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.250 throughout the academic program for which they receive a TEACH Grant.

Eligible students must complete TEACH Grant counseling and sign a "TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve." The TEACH Grant service agreement specifies the conditions under which the grant will be awarded, the teaching service requirements, and includes an acknowledgement by the student that if the required teaching service obligation is not met, TEACH Grant funds will be converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan that must be repaid, the interest charged from the date of each TEACH Grant disbursement.

Teaching Obligation

To avoid repaying the TEACH Grant as a loan with interest, a student must be a highly-qualified, full-time teacher in a high-need subject area at a school serving low-income students for at least four years within eight years of completing or withdrawing from the academic program for which the grant was received.