Tuition Adjustments
Refunds are applied to any current and outstanding debts owed to the University. Section 54.006(d) of the Texas Education Code requires that the University refund tuition paid by a sponsor, donor, or scholarship to the source, rather than directly to the student, if the funds were made available through the University.
Refunds for Students Withdrawing from the University
Students who withdraw from the University receive a refund of a percentage of their tuition. The percentage varies as shown below according to the student’s effective withdrawal date.
Long Session and Summer Session (Whole-Session Classes)
| Official withdrawal date | Percentage refund |
|---|---|
| Prior to the first class day | 100% less $15 matriculation fee |
| During the first five class days | 80% |
| During the second five class days | 70% |
| During the third five class days | 50% |
| During the fourth five class days | 25% |
| After the fourth five class days | none |
Summer Session (First-Term, Second-Term, and Nine-Week Classes)
| Official withdrawal date | Percentage refund |
|---|---|
| Prior to the first class day | 100% less $15 matriculation fee |
| During the first, second, or third class day | 80% |
| During the fourth, fifth, or sixth class day | 50% |
| After the sixth class day | none |
Withdrawal refunds are based upon the effective date on the withdrawal form. Adds and drops are included in the calculation. In some cases, a student may receive two refund checks, one based on dropped courses and one based on withdrawal percentages for remaining courses.
A student who elects to pay their tuition on the installment plan and then withdraws from the University may still owe a portion of the tuition and fees; the installment service charge is not refundable. Likewise, a student who defers their tuition to financial aid and withdraws before the aid disburses may be responsible for a portion of the tuition. A bar will be placed on the student's record until all financial obligations are met.
Students withdrawn by the University because of a returned check are assessed a $25 service charge, a $15 matriculation fee, and a $50 reinstatement fee. A student withdrawn by the University for scholastic reasons, class cancellations, or other reasons receives a full refund; the matriculation fee is not charged.
A student who withdraws as a result of being called to active military service may choose to receive a tuition refund. More information about withdrawal for active service is given in the section Withdrawal.
A student who withdraws after receiving any cash payment from the Office of Financial Aid may be required to make full or partial repayment. Funds received through the Federal College Work-Study Program are not subject to repayment. Students should contact the Office of Financial Aid for information regarding repayment obligations.
Student Accounts Receivable initiates refunds for all eligible students who submit approved withdrawal petitions to the Office of the Registrar as described in the section Withdrawal. A refund is issued no earlier than thirty days after the date the student paid the initial tuition bill. The refund is sent to the address specified on the withdrawal petition.
Adjustments for Added and Dropped Classes
Charges for added classes must be paid by the end of the twelfth class day in the fall and spring semesters and by the end of the fourth class day in the summer. Revised tuition bills are not sent to the student when they change their schedule. It is the student's responsibility to check "My Tuition Bill" or "What I Owe" to see what payments are still outstanding. Failure to pay for added classes may result in the cancellation of the student’s entire registration. Students can determine what they owe by viewing My Tuition Bill on the Student Accounts Receivable website.
Overpayments of tuition resulting from classes that a student drops (1) during the first twelve class days in a fall or spring semester; (2) during the first twelve class days of a whole-session class in the summer session; or (3) during the first four class days of a first-term, second-term, or nine-week class in the summer session will be refunded. No refunds are made for classes dropped after these dates. Tuition refunds begin processing the week after the twelfth (or fourth) class day. They are mailed to the student’s local address or deposited into the account the student has designated if an electronic funds transfer authorization is in effect. The student may contact Student Accounts Receivable at (512) 475-7777 to verify account information.
Tuition Rebates for Certain Undergraduates
An undergraduate may be eligible for a tuition rebate of up to $1,000 if, at graduation, he or she has attempted no more than three semester hours beyond the minimum number of hours required for the degree. The student must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- The student must not have been enrolled at any institution of higher education before the fall semester 1997.
- At the time he or she earns a first undergraduate degree, the student must have attempted no more than three semester hours beyond the minimum number of hours required for the degree. Hours attempted include all courses the student has undertaken, such as transfer credit, courses the student dropped or from which the student withdrew after the date the official enrollment count was taken, developmental courses taken for credit, optional internship and cooperative education courses, courses the student failed, and courses the student repeated. If the student has earned credit by examination for more than nine hours of coursework, the hours in excess of nine are also counted as hours attempted.
Courses dropped for reasons that are determined by the institution to be totally beyond the control of the student shall not be counted.
Beginning with degrees awarded on September 1, 2007, or later, course credit is not counted if the student earned it to meet ROTC requirements but it is not required for the degree. Beginning with degrees awarded August 2011, or later, course credit is not counted if it is earned before graduating from high school (except for course credit earned exclusively by examination).
If the student earned a bachelor’s degree and a Texas teaching certificate concurrently, required teacher education courses are not counted as hours attempted if they exceed the number of hours of free electives allowed in the bachelor’s degree program.
- The student must have been a Texas resident and must have been eligible to pay resident tuition at all times while pursuing the degree.
- If the student received a bachelor’s degree in architecture, engineering, or any other program that is determined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to require more than four years to complete, then the student must have graduated within five calendar years after first enrolling in a Texas public senior college or university. If the student’s degree is in a field other than those that have been determined to take more than four years to complete, he or she must graduate within four calendar years after that first enrollment.
Requirement 4 applies only to students who enrolled in a public Texas senior college or university for the first time on or after September 1, 2005.
A student who was unable to meet requirement 4 because of a hardship may seek an exception to this requirement from his or her dean.
An eligible student should submit a request for a rebate in their dean’s office when the student files an application for graduation. The request must be submitted before the official date of graduation. If the student’s request for a rebate is denied, he or she may appeal to the vice provost and registrar in the Office of the Registrar. The rebate may be reduced by the amount of any outstanding student loan owed to or guaranteed by the State of Texas.
Tuition rebate policies are governed by section 54.0065 of the Texas Education Code and by the rules of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
If a student does not qualify for a tuition rebate only because of study abroad coursework that exceeds the number of hours required for the degree, then the student may be eligible for an institutional award from the University in place of the tuition rebate. Students who are interested in this institutional award should apply for a tuition rebate. They will be considered for the institutional award if they are eligible.
Longhorn Fixed Tuition Rebates
An undergraduate who enrolled in the Longhorn Fixed Tuition program may be eligible for an additional $2,500 tuition rebate if, at graduation, he or she meets the following eligibility requirements:
- Resident and Non-Resident undergraduate students must have enrolled in the Longhorn Fixed Tuition before the twelfth class day (fourth class day in summer) of their first semester at The University of Texas at Austin.
- Student must not have attempted more than three semester credit hours in excess of the minimum number required to complete the degree in the catalog under which they graduate.
- Students who want to receive the rebate must graduate within four calendar years for a four-year degree program or within five calendar years if the degree requires more than four years to complete.
- Students must complete at least 60 semester credit hours of coursework counted toward the degree in residence.
- Student must not have already received a bachelor's degree.
- A student is required to apply for his/her tuition rebates through his/her dean's office prior to graduation.
- Resident undergraduate students are eligible for an additional $1,000 rebate if they meet the criteria for the existing tuition rebate program.