Student Financial Services
The Office of Student Financial Services offers financial assistance to students who might otherwise be unable to attend the University. Financial aid awarded through the office may be gift aid, which includes grants and scholarships, or self-help aid, which includes student employment programs and long-term loans. Most financial aid is based on documented financial need. Financial need is the difference between the cost of attending the University and the financial resources available to the student.
To apply for financial assistance, a student must complete a need analysis form each year. The office requires the student to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ to be evaluated for financial need. The need analysis helps the office assess available family resources and determine eligibility for specific aid programs.
Students who are admitted as transient/non-degree-seeking and attend the University only in the summer session are not eligible for financial aid through the Office of Student Financial Services.
Estimated costs. The following are estimated typical costs for tuition, fees, room, board, books, travel, and personal and miscellaneous items for a new single student living in University-owned housing for the long session (fall and spring semesters) 2012–2013. The tuition amounts included in these figures are based on an average course load of twelve semester hours for undergraduates and nine semester hours for graduate students.
|
Texas residents |
Nonresidents |
|
|
Undergraduate |
$25,394 |
$48,662 |
|
Graduate |
$25,130
|
$33,320 |
Application dates. The University strongly recommends that all students complete the FAFSA by the University’s FAFSA priority date. More information about the FAFSA priority date and financial aid is published by Student Financial Services at http://finaid.utexas.edu/ . This information is also available by mail from The University of Texas at Austin, Office of Student Financial Services, P O Box 7758, Austin TX 78713-7758. A student may apply for financial aid before being officially admitted to the University, but the awarding of aid is contingent upon admission. Aid cannot be disbursed until the student is officially enrolled.
Prospective freshmen apply for scholarships by completing the freshman scholarship application in ApplyTexas, https://www.applytexas.org/ , the online admission and scholarship application. Continuing and transfer students may apply for annually awarded scholarships by completing the online continuing and transfer scholarship application, http://www.texasscholarships.org/apply/continuing/CSA.html . More information, including deadlines, is published at http://www.texasscholarships.org .
Course load requirements. Most financial aid programs are based on a minimum full-time enrollment of twelve hours for undergraduate students and nine to sixteen hours for graduate students, depending on the student’s academic program. Students may receive financial aid for less than full-time enrollment with the approval of their financial aid counselor. Some aid programs require that assistance be reduced proportionately for less than full-time enrollment. To receive financial assistance for the summer session, students (except those admitted as transient/non-degree-seeking) must enroll for classes in a six-week term, the nine-week term, or the twelve-week term.
Changes in financial circumstances. Students are responsible for reporting to the Office of Student Financial Services any change in their financial resources that occurs after the initial application for aid is submitted. A documented decrease in resources may provide for an increase in financial aid if funds are available; an increase in resources may result in a reduction or cancellation of financial aid funds or a requirement to repay awards already released to the student.
Satisfactory progress. Federal law requires that institutions of higher education monitor the academic progress of students who receive federal financial aid. In order to remain eligible for federal, state and some institutional financial aid, students must comply with The University of Texas at Austin's standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress; requirements for satisfactory progress are:
- Minimum GPA: An undergraduate student must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.00. A graduate student must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00.
- Minimum Pace: A student must successfully complete at least 75% of the credit hours they attempt.
- Maximum Timeframe: A student may attempt no more than 134% of the credit hours required by his or her degree program.
For more specific information about the policy and the appeal procedure, see the Office of Student Financial Services Web site, http://finaid.utexas.edu/ .