Student Financial Aid
Teaching and
Research Assistantships
Teaching
Assistantships are available on a limited basis in most graduate programs.
Also, many faculty members have research projects which provide Research
Assistantships. These Teaching and Research Assistantships normally involve
half-time employment and are awarded on the basis of merit. Students holding
these assistantships must be enrolled for a minimum of nine semester hours for
each regular semester in which the assistantship is awarded. The Dean of each
school designates the minimum semester hours for a summer session. A student on
a Teaching/Research Assistantship who is enrolled in the minimum number of
hours and wishes to drop a course must obtain the signature of the Dean of
Graduate Studies. Students on probation will not be supported on an
assistantship. Applications should be made to the appropriate Graduate Program
office at least 60 days prior to the date of registration.
The Student
Financial Aid Office is available to assist students in obtaining funds to
attend the University. Aid is available in the form of loans, grants, and
part-time employment or any combination of those programs. Limited numbers of
scholarships are available. The total amount of aid the student receives
depends on the level of financial need, submission of appropriate financial
information and applications, academic records, and the availability of funds.
Most of the aid
listed in this catalog is awarded on the basis of financial need. Students are
encouraged to determine the amount of resources that they can provide toward
their education and to compare it with the average cost of attending the
University. Student budgets are reviewed annually in accordance with federally
accepted guidelines. Federal guidelines outline what can be included in student
budgets. The costs of tuition, fees, books, supplies, room and board, in-city
transportation, and a limited amount for other personal expenses are the basic
components of student budgets. Unusual expenses, such as childcare costs or the
student’s medical disability, may be considered when they have been properly
documented.
In determining
whether a student is considered independent or self-supporting, the Financial
Aid Office adheres to the standards set by the Department of Education to
establish an applicant’s dependency status. Students the age of 24 years or
older are considered financially independent. Students under the age of 24 are
considered financially dependent unless they are orphans, wards of the court,
veterans, graduate students, married, or unmarried but with legal dependents.
Both self-supporting and dependent students must submit a Free Application for
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form in order that a determination can be made of
the expected resources available to the applicants.
Selective Service
Male
students between the ages of 18 and 26 must be registered with Selective
Service to qualify for Federal student loans or grant programs. This includes
College Work Study, Federal Stafford Loans, Graduate PLUS Loans, and Federal
Perkins Loans. The Selective Service requirement also applies to Texas student
loans or grant programs. Students may register with Selective Service by
visiting their local postal office or online. Graduate students wanting
to verify their Selective Service registration may do so online by visiting the
Selective Service site.
Required Course Load
To be considered for federal financial aid a
graduate student has to be enrolled for a minimum of five semester credit hours
of graduate coursework during each long term and a minimum of three semester
credit hours of graduate study during any summer session.
The
aid package 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 level of financial need, submission of
appropriate financial information and applications, academic records, and the
availability of funds.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for Federal Financial
Aid
The
University of Texas at Dallas has a “Satisfactory Academic Progress” policy for
a student receiving federal student financial assistance.
Renewal of Financial Aid
For a student
to be considered for a renewal of financial aid, a new Free Application for
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and supporting documents must be submitted for each
academic year. The awarding of renewal aid is subject to the same
considerations used in awarding all previous financial assistance.
Revocation
of Aid
Financial aid
packages are reviewed by the Financial Aid Office and canceled if the student
fails to maintain a satisfactory record of academic progress or to enroll for
and maintain the minimum number of course load hours. Aid packages may also be
revoked because of changes in financial status. Partial or full repayment of
awards may be required. In some instances, immediate repayment may be required.
Types of Financial Aid
Following
is a summary of the types of assistance that are available to graduate 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 Financial Aid Office
unless otherwise noted.
An
act of the 64th Texas Legislature established a grant program to provide
financial assistance to students. This program is funded through appropriation
of a portion of the tuition charge for resident and nonresident students. Texas
Public Education Grants may be awarded through the Financial Aid Office
depending upon need and availability.
Funds through
this program are made available through a set-aside of Designated Tuition.
Graduate students demonstrating financial need, as determined through a
completed FAFSA, will be considered for aid. Amount of award will vary each
year based on availability of funds.
Through the
proceeds from the International Education fee, scholarships are available for
study-abroad programs. These scholarships are open to both graduate and
undergraduate students enrolled at least one-half time (six hours or more).
Graduate students should be admitted to a degree program and have a GPA of 3.0.
While abroad, the recipient of this scholarship must be enrolled in a full-time
course of study. Course work undertaken must apply to the student’s degree
program.
Hazlewood Veteran Tuition Exemption
Certain
veterans who have served on active military duty, who were residents of Texas
at the time of entry into the service, who have resided in Texas for the last
12 months prior to the date of registration, and whose entitlement to
educational benefits under federal legislation has been exhausted, are eligible
for exemption from the payment of tuition, general fee and laboratory fees.
However, an individual who has “exhausted his/her federal education benefit” as
a result of a default on a federal or state loan may NOT receive the Hazlewood
benefit. These exemptions also apply to children of those members of the Armed
Forces killed in action, missing in action, who became totally disabled for
purposes of employability as a result of a service related injury or who died
while in service, or whose death is documented to be directly caused by illness
or injury connected with service in the armed forces, and to children of those
members of the Texas National Guard killed since January 1, 1946 while on
active duty. This exemption can be used if a student’s federal veterans
benefits are less than the hazlewood exemption value, the student may receive a
hazelwood exemption that equals the difference between total tuition and fees
and the federal veteran benefits for a state funded program. As of the Fall
1995 semester, the maximum number of credit hours (including remedial courses)
which a person may receive benefit under the Act is 150 credit hours.. Applications are available in the Financial Aid office or
online at http://financial-aid.utdallas.edu.
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.
Texas residents
who meet eligibility requirements may borrow funds to meet a portion of their
school expenses. The loan carries a modest interest rate. Repayment begins six
months after graduation or withdrawal from the university.
Funds from this
program are made available to the student through the Federal Direct Loan
Program. There are two types of Stafford Loans: subsidized and
unsubsidized. A student must demonstrate financial need, according to the
FAFSA, to qualify for the subsidized loan. In this case the government will pay
the interest on the loan while the student is in school. Financial need is not
a requirement for the unsubsidized loan. This loan accrues interest while the
student is in school; a student may choose to pay the accruing interest while
in school.
Short-Term Emergency Loans
Students
needing emergency help with educational expenses may borrow from the short-term
loan fund. Loans must be repaid within 60 days from the date of issuance or one
week prior to the end of the term for which the student applied for the short
term loan, whichever comes first. A late fee of $30.00 per month will be
charged, up to a maximum of $90.00 per loan. Contributions to these funds have
been made by Mrs. Lloyd V. Berkner, Mr. and Mrs. Louis Castelli, the Kiwanis
Club of Richardson, Rotary Club of Richardson, Richardson Savings and Loan
Association, the First Texas Savings and Loan Association of Dallas, Richardson
Altrusa Club, Chaparral Steel Company, and funds set aside out of student
tuition.
College work
study employment is available to students on the basis of demonstrated
financial need. The acceptance of employment reduces the amount of loan
assistance a student will be permitted to accept in order to meet financial
need to cover educational expenses.
Other On-Campus Employment
Various
programs and schools of the university employ students in positions that are
not 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 19.5
hours per week. Students interested in these positions should contact the
Career Center at (972) 883-2943.
Information
about a variety of scholarships awarded on the basis of academic merit and
achievement is available from the Office of Financial Aid. The University of Texas
at Dallas also offers a number of endowed scholarships that are administered by
a school, department, 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
Please visit UT Dallas Scholarships for more information.
Graduate
Scholarships Selection Criteria:
•
Good
academic standing
•
Show
academic promise
•
Full
or part-time
•
Pursuing
a program of study leading to a degree
•
May
show financial need but not required
