How to Apply

Financial Aid

The video series 7 Easy Steps to FAFSA provides a great starting guide for students who need advice or guidance when completing the FAFSA.

To apply for financial aid, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the appropriate academic year. Applications are available online. UT Tyler's school code is 011163. Once the FAFSA is processed through the Central Processing System, a Student Aid Report (SAR) is made available to the student at https://studentaid.gov/. The schools listed on the FAFSA will receive the processed information electronically from the processing center. The SAR provides the student's Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which the school will use to determine the student's eligibility for the various financial aid programs in which the school participates.

You MUST be admitted to UT Tyler before your FAFSA is processed by the Financial Aid Office. If you submit your FAFSA before you are admitted, you will need to contact the Financial Aid Office once you receive your acceptance letter from the Admissions Office.

If you did not supply your Social Security Number on your Admissions Application, your FAFSA will not be processed. You will need to notify the Financial Aid Office and provide a copy of your social security card to the Enrollment Services Center to update your Admissions records.

Priority Deadline

The University of Texas at Tyler's priority deadline for submitting the FAFSA is January 15.

This means all continuing students and new students that have met the admissions deadline, have submitted a FAFSA that includes the UT Tyler School Code of 011163, and all supporting documentation from the students checklist that is required no later than January 1.

Some times of funding are limited, so we recommend submitting your FAFSA as early as possible after October 1.  If you submit the FAFSA after January 15, you will still be eligible for aid but may not be considered for some funds that are limited. 

IRS Data Retrieval for FAFSA processing:

All students and parents are encouraged to use the IRS Data Retrieval tool when completing the income portion of the FAFSA (student and/or parent section). The IRS Data Retrieval tool allows students and their parents (if a dependent student) to electronically retrieve their income tax information directly from the IRS and transfer it to the FAFSA. To use the IRS Data Retrieval tool, follow the steps below:

• Select "Link to the IRS."
• The FAFSA will be saved and you will be transferred to the IRS website.
• On the IRS website, enter the requested information.
• Once the IRS has validated your and/or your parent's (if a dependent student) identification, your IRS Tax information will display.
• Choose to transfer your and/or your parent's (if a dependent student) information to the FAFSA
• After the transfer, the questions populated with tax information will be marked "Transferred from the IRS".
• Do not change any answers to questions marked "Transferred from the IRS." Making changes to the information transferred from the IRS may cause processing delays regarding your financial aid.
• Complete the remainder of the FAFSA as directed.

Students selected for verification who used the IRS data retrieval will not be required to submit the tax return transcript, but will need to submit the other verification documents listed on the To Do List on myUTTyler account. Students selected for verification who fail to complete the IRS Data Retrieval will be required to submit the tax return transcript. You may request a free tax return transcript from the IRS online, or by calling 800.908.9946.

See FAQ's for additional information.

How Financial Aid Eligibility is Determined

To determine aid eligibility, the school computes the cost of attendance for the student based on average costs for tuition and fees, books and supplies, room, board, transportation, and personal expenses. The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) (produced from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and any other resources the student may receive (such as scholarships, agency awards, tuition exemptions, etc.) are subtracted from the cost of attendance to define the student’s financial need. The Financial Aid Office attempts to provide a “package” of gift and self-help aid to meet the student’s need with the available financial aid resources. An E-mail Notice is sent to the student's Patriot e-mail account with instructions for on-line acceptance. Non-degree seeking students are NOT eligible for financial aid.

NOTE: Students may request a re-evaluation of their financial aid award based on the following:

• Dependent childcare expenses paid by an independent student.
• Full-Time Enrollment
• Change in Housing Status

See "Forms Library” page for Financial Aid Re-Evaluation request form.

How & When Financial Aid Funds Are Disbursed

Tentative funding for grants and scholarships are made available for students to use for the payment of tuition, fees, books, and supplies. Enrollment is checked and awards are adjusted to reflect the student’s eligibility for the semester. Students must be enrolled for the appropriate number of hours at the close of business on the Award Confirmation Date (see the financial aid calendar) to qualify for financial aid funding.

If the aid adjustment causes a student’s charges to become unpaid, it is the student’s responsibility to pay the unpaid charges in a timely manner. If award funds are remaining after all the student’s expenses have been paid, the unused portion of the awards will be released to the student through their P2 Account. Disbursement dates are listed in the Financial Aid Calendar. See Student Business Services for refund information with the new P2 Card.

Federal Stafford Loan funds (both subsidized and unsubsidized) are paid in two equal installments (usually half in the fall semester and half in the spring). Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford Loan funds are electronically transmitted to UT Tyler. UT Tyler confirms the student borrower’s continued eligibility and credits the loan disbursement to the student’s account. Student loan funds received prior to Award confirmation date will pay AFTER grants/scholarships. If loan funds are remaining after all the student’s expenses have been paid, the unused portion of the loan(s) will be released to the student through their P2 Account. Student Loan and Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) refunds are released according to the Financial Aid Calendar, provided the funds have been received and the student is enrolled and eligible. Borrowers have 14 days after student loan funds are received by the school to decline the loan funding. See Student Business Services for further information on the new P2 Card.