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About your Financial Aid Offer

About your Financial Aid Offer

Types of Financial Aid

Click to learn more about the different types of aid that you may see in your financial aid offer.

Achievement-based scholarships are applied directly to your cost of attendance and never have to be repaid.  The Office of Admission reviews applications to determine initial scholarship eligibility.  

Students must show that they have maintained full-time academic status each semester, enrolling in a minimum of 12 credit hours each semester. In addition, students must always meet Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements and must not be on financial aid suspension at the end of any term.  Please note that institutional academic scholarships apply only to fall and spring semesters; they do not apply to summer sessions including Mayterm.  Full tuition scholarships cover up to 18 credit hours each for the fall and spring semesters.

At the end of a student's sophomore (or second) year at ³Ô¹ÏÍø, a 2.5 cumulative GPA is required in order to remain eligible for all merit scholarships.  If a student does not meet the 2.5 cumulative GPA by the end of four semesters, the affected scholarship(s) will be suspended or adjusted.

Your scholarship may be renewed for up to eight (8) consecutive semesters providing eligibility requirements are met. For complete requirements for scholarship renewal and eligibility, please see here or the University Bulletin. 

This applies to:

  • Trustee Scholarship
  • President's Scholarship
  • Provost's Scholarship
  • Dean's Scholarship
  • Founder's Award
  • National Merit Scholarship
  • Other merit scholarships

Departmental Scholarships require a minimum of a 2.95 cumulative GPA as well as the  renewal requirements here.

Need-based grants are applied directly to your cost of attendance and never have to be repaid.

Federal Grants:

Pell Grant and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)

The federal and are offered based on financial need as demonstrated by the result of the FAFSA®. The actual amount of the grant may be based on the number of hours enrolled. These grants are based on full-time enrollment. 

A student eligible for a Pell grant will be offered Pell funds, however,  SEOG is a limited federal fund based on allocations to the school, so only continuing students with exceptional need who apply by the priority deadline*, will be considered. 

* For the 2024-25 aid year and the 2025-26 aid year, the priority deadline is March 15, 2024. In following years it will be January 15.

State Grants:

Texas Tuition Equalization Grant (TEG)

is a need-based grant for Texas residents attending private colleges, such as the ³Ô¹ÏÍø. The ³Ô¹ÏÍø reserves the right to interchange financial aid offers for the maximum benefit of the student.  Eligibility is determined by the results of the FAFSA® and by additional requirements of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, which may include, but are not limited to, major course of study, total family income, completion of 24 credit hours in the preceding academic year, and maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress

The availability of this grant is subject to funding by the State of Texas. 

TEG Renewability Requirements:
To be considered for a TEG in the next academic year, you must:

  • Submit a completed FAFSA® with demonstrated need, AND
  • Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50, AND
  • Have earned 24 hours between September and August of the previous academic year. 

³Ô¹ÏÍø Institutional Grants and/or awards:

These grants or awards are based on financial need as demonstrated by the results of the FAFSA®. ³Ô¹ÏÍø reserves the right to change institutional grants and awards with specific endowment funds as needed. These changes will be instituted and reported to Student Account Services. 

Note: Federal and University grants require that a student meet Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements.

This program is neither a grant nor a loan, but an opportunity to earn a certain amount of money each semester directly through employment in approved Federal Work-Study (FWS) positions.  Work-study funds are made out of an annual allocation the University receives, and the priority deadline is used in managing this fund. FWS is a need-based program available to only undergraduates at ³Ô¹ÏÍø, and eligibility is based on federal guidelines. The FWS amount in your Financial Aid offer indicates the maximum amount of FWS income you are allowed to earn in a given year if you apply and are hired for an approved FWS position. A FWS offer does not guarantee you FWS employment, nor does it obligate you to obtain a FWS job. You must be enrolled at least half-time to be eligible for FWS.

This need-based program amount will NOT show on your student account. If you are offered FWS, this amount will appear in your Financial Aid offer. Student Account Services cannot use this amount to determine your balance since this award is based on hours worked, and ³Ô¹ÏÍø cannot require students to relinquish paychecks for balances owed.

While employed with a work-study position, you will receive a bi-monthly paycheck for actual hours worked.  FWS employment is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The typical hours worked per week is 6-10. Students may not work more than 15 hours per week and may not earn more than the amount awarded per semester. All students on FWS must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress and be enrolled full-time.

If you accept your work study, it is highly suggested that you access Human Resources' Student Employment webpage for additional information. Additional paperwork for employment may be necessary.

Unlike grants, loans from any source must be repaid at some point. Most government loan programs offer low interest and/or deferred interest payments. Most do not require re-payment of the principle and accrued interest until you graduate or cease to be enrolled at least half-time.

Federal Loans

Subsidized and Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loans
Subsidized and Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loans are low-interest loans that help eligible students pay for their education.  This program enables you to borrow directly from a the federal government. You must be enrolled at least half-time to apply. The loan amounts are determined by the results of the FAFSA and your year in college (specific amounts available here). Repayment on Subsidized and Unsubsidized Direct Loans begins six months after you are no longer enrolled at least half-time or leave school completely.

Subsidized Federal Direct Loans are based on financial need as determined by the FAFSA®. The federal government will pay the interest on the subsidized loan as long as the student remains enrolled at least half-time. Interest rates are adjusted July 1st of each year per federal guidelines.  The current, fixed rate can be found . 

For Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loans, the interest starts to accrue as soon as the loan is disbursed to you. The current, fixed rate can be found The interest must be paid by you during enrollment periods.  You may defer interest payments on the unsubsidized loans as long as you continue to be enrolled at the University at least half-time. 

If you are borrowing loans at the ³Ô¹ÏÍø for the first time, and if you accept a subsidized and/or unsubsidized loan, you must complete a for the Direct Loan program and complete at . 

If you are a continuing student at the University who participated in the Federal Direct Loan program during a previous academic year, you do not have to complete an additional MPN or Entrance Counseling. Active MPNs (loan agreements) are valid for 10 years.

Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS)
PLUS loans are made to the parents of dependent students to assist them in paying for post-secondary education. A PLUS Loan application needs to be submitted by one of the dependent student's parents, and the student must have a completed FAFSA® on file with us in order to receive PLUS loan funds. PLUS borrowers may receive an amount up to their dependent child’s cost of education minus other financial aid, including federal Subsidized and Unsubsidized Direct Loans. Parent borrowers are subject to a credit evaluation. (If a PLUS loan is denied to your parents, as a dependent student you may be eligible for an additional amount of an Unsubsidized Direct Loan).  The current interest rate on the PLUS loan can be found .

Repayment of a PLUS loan begins within 60 days of the final disbursement, unless the parent borrower qualifies for deferment. Interest must be paid or capitalized (added to the principal) if payment is deferred.  To determine eligibility for deferment, the borrower must contact the lender.

Private Loans

Please see the Private Loan information page for lender options and comparisons.

General Notes

If you are the recipient of any type of financial aid from a source other than the ³Ô¹ÏÍø, you must report it to the Financial Aid Office as soon as possible so that arrangements can be made for appropriate credit.  An adjustment in your financial aid offer may have to be made according to guidelines of the program (e.g. in the case where funds can only go towards tuition charges, and a student already has tuition covered).

If you are a recipient of a full-tuition award from the ³Ô¹ÏÍø and also receive financial aid from an outside source, reduction of the University’s full-tuition award will be made in accordance with organization requirements.

Total institutional aid cannot exceed direct costs.

If you receive a scholarship from an outside source that requires specific billing from ³Ô¹ÏÍø, you must notify Student Account Services.

If you receive financial aid funds from the ³Ô¹ÏÍø and subsequently withdraw or terminate your enrollment for any reason during the aid period, you may be required to repay all or part of the aid you received that semester.  An evaluation will determine if you qualify for a tuition refund or if you will be required to return all or part of the aid you have already received back to the University.