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The University of Texas at Austin

Financial Aid

Graduate students at The University of Texas at Austin (UT) may apply for federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs administered by the Office of Student Financial Services (OSFS) by completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Who can apply?

Graduate students who meet all of the following criteria can apply for financial aid through the Office of Student Financial Services (OSFS)

What If I Attend Less than Full-Time?

It is possible to receive aid if you are enrolled in at least 6 hours during the long semesters and 3 hours during the summer.  You will need to get approval from your financial aid counselor.  You should contact the Graduate School prior to receiving your financial aid.

How Do I Apply for Financial Aid?

The Office of Student Financial Services explains the process and provides relevant links at http://finaid.utexas.edu/process/overview.html.  Students can find and complete the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

What are Some Important Deadlines?

The priority deadline for the FAFSA is March 31st if you are applying for the next fall semester.  You may still apply for financial aid after this deadline, but certain programs, such as grant and work-study, have limited funds and may not be available to late applicants.  The deadline for submitting the Continuing Scholarship Application is April 1st if you are applying for the next fall semester.  You may complete the scholarship application by accessing the OSFS web page.

What Criteria are Considered when Applying for Financial Aid?

Graduate students are, by definition, "self supporting" for financial aid purposes.  You are required on the FAFSA to submit income and asset information for yourself and your spouse, if applicable.  If you have terminated your employment or have other special circumstances that are not reflected on the FAFSA information, you should contact OSFS.

What is Available for Graduate Students?

Graduate students applying with the FAFSA are eligible for all federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs offered by UT Austin that are not limited to undergraduate students.  These include:

  1. gift aid:  state and institutional grant or scholarship funds that do not have to be repaid, and
  2. self-help aid:  student loans (need based and non-need based)

Graduate student loans are available through Federal Family Educational Loan Programs (FFELP) and/or bank and state alternative loan programs.  The type and amount of financial aid that you are awarded depends on your documented financial need.  Need is calculated using a federally mandated need-analysis formula, based on information reported on the FAFSA and the cost of education at UT.  At UT Austin, the type of aid most typically received through OSFS is student loans.  There are two types of government loans:  subsidized loans, which do not accrue interest while the student is in school, and unsubsidized loans, which do accrue interest.

What Expenses Can I Expect Financial Aid to Cover?

OSFS awards aid based on an average budget for graduate students which includes tuition and fees, books and supplies, living expenses, a small transportation allowance, and a miscellaneous allowance. In some cases, child care expenses that are necessary while you attend classes can also be covered.  Typically, financial aid is not available for consumer debt or relocation expenses.

What Happens if I Get a Fellowship, Outside Scholarship, or TA or RA?

You must report any new or additional resources to your financial aid counselor as soon as you know about them.  Federal regulations require that your financial aid awards be based on the difference between your available resources and the cost of education.  Receiving funds from the sources mentioned above does, therefore, directly affect the amount of other financial aid that can be offered by OSFS.

How do I pay my tuition and fee bill?

If you accept your financial aid awards before your tuition and fee bill is due and your awards cover your full bill, you can use your award funds to pay your tuition and fee bill by selecting the "Pay With Financial Aid" button at "My Tuition Bill."  Financial aid that covers only part of your tuition and fees will be applied to your bill automatically, and then you must select one of the other available payment options to pay the balance of  your bill by the payment deadline.  Review the payment instructions enclosed with your bill or in the UT Austin Course Schedule carefully to make sure you complete your registration successfully.

How do I pay my Housing Bill?

On-campus housing will be paid with financial aid funds that are remaining after other UT Austin debts (such as tuition and fees) have been paid.  You are responsible for paying any outstanding balances after financial aid funds have been applied.  You will receive excess funds after your UT Austin debts are paid and you may use this money for off-campus rent, deposits, utility bills, food, etc.

How and When Do I Get My Money?

Financial aid funds will be released when registration is complete, but no earlier than several days before the beginning of each semester.

You may receive your funds:

How Do I Find Out About the Status of My File, If My Bills Were Paid, and If My Money Has Been Sent to Me?

This information is readily available to you via one of the following methods:

How Important is Keeping My Local, Permanent, and E-mail Addresses Updated and How Do I Do That?

If your address is not current, mail from the university,  including financial aid checks, may be lost, delayed or returned to UT.  You should keep a current e-mail address on file and check your e-mail frequently.  You can update your addresses online at UT Direct with your UT EID.

What are the limitations of financial aid?

In a given year: a) the subsidized portion of your loan cannot exceed $8,500; and b) the unsubsidized portion of your loan cannot exceed $10,000. Thus, the total per year cannot exceed $18,500. Over your lifetime the total amount you borrow in government loans cannot exceed $138,500.

Each student's cost of attendance is calculated by the Office of Student Financial Services. For 2005-2006, the nine month amount calculated cost of attendance for the typical graduate student living off campus was $24,116 (non-resident) and $17,882 (Texas resident).    (In individual cases the established cost of attendance could be higher such as when the student has dependents.) The total amount loaned to you, whether through subsidized or unsubsidized government loans, cannot exceed your cost of attendance. If you have a fellowship, the total amount of loans you can take out for that period is lowered one dollar for every fellowship dollar you receive. In contrast, if you have a work appointment, the amount of loan money available to you is not affected.