Patriot Promise

A UT-Quality Affordable College Education

UT Tyler is committed to providing high-quality, affordable education for anyone who wishes to pursue a degree. The UT Tyler Patriot Promise is a tuition promise program that aims to make college more accessible and affordable to Texans. Qualifying students will have their tuition and mandatory fees fully covered for up to four academic years (eight consecutive fall/spring semesters) as long as students maintain eligibility.

How does it work?

Students do not have to apply separately for this program. Patriot Promise is automatically awarded to qualified Texas residents who meet the program qualifications. Tuition and mandatory fees are covered by scholarships, grants, and tuition exemptions from federal, state, and institutional funds. The Patriot Promise program operates on a last dollar basis. A last dollar award is an award that applies after all other gift aid has been added to a student's account. Gift aid refers to all scholarships, grants, exemptions, and waivers provided by the institution, by the state government, and by the federal government to a student.

Should a tuition and mandatory fee balance remain on a student's account following the application of all other gift aid, that remaining balance will then be covered by special Patriot Promise program funds to ensure complete coverage.

** Students who meet all eligibility criteria will be covered by Patriot Promise up to the available unmet financial need. **

Note: Patriot Promise does not cover expenses and fees related to books, housing, parking or meal plan.

How do I qualify?

Please note that the below information is regarding the Patriot Promise program for students admitted in the 2024-2025 school year. There are changes to initial eligibility for Patriot Promise that will be taking effect beginning in the Fall 2025 semester.

New Fall 2024 applicants pursuing their first Bacherlor's degree can qualify for the Patriot Promise program if they meet the following qualifications:

• Be a Texas resident.
• Have a family income up to $80,000.*
• Submit a Fall admission application, all required documentation, be admitted, and pay your confirmation fee by May 1st.**
• Submit a completed FAFSA by May 1st.***
• Enroll as a full-time student (at least 12 credit hours) at The University of Texas at Tyler.****

Note: Students in an online or reduced tuition program are ineligible for Patriot Promise.

*Student must have financial need. Family income information will be determined from the 2024-2025 FAFSA.

**Please see requirements for application completion. Student must have graduated high school within seven months of initial enrollment as a first-time freshman or be directly transferring from another college as a transfer student.

***A completed FAFSA means a FAFSA that is not missing any information from the application itself. If the FAFSA is selected for verification that is not required to be completed prior to May 1st, however should verification result in a change of indicated family income it may result in losing Patriot Promise program eligibility.

****Patriot Promise will only cover up to 30 credit hours of enrollment per academic year. Patriot Promise is only applied during Fall and Spring semesters.

Continuing Eligibility

To continue to receive the Patriot Promise, students must meet the following eligibility qualifications:

• Complete a minimum of 24 credit hours at UT Tyler in the previous Academic Year.
• Maintain full-time enrollment (at least 12 credit hours) at UT Tyler.
• Submit a FAFSA yearly by May 1st and continue to meet income criteria.
• Maintain a minimum cumulative 2.5 GPA at UT Tyler.
• Remain in good academic standing.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How long can I receive Patriot Promise?
  
  • Patriot Promise program funding can be received for four academic years or a total of 120 credit hours. Patriot Promise program funding will only cover up to 30 credit hours of enrollment each academic year to ensure sufficient funding for the remaining years of a student's enrollment.
• What happens if I don't complete 24 credit hours in an academic year?
  • Students who do not complete 24 credit hours are encouraged to make up the remaining hours during the Summer semester of that year. If students are unable to complete at least 24 credit hours between the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters of an academic year they will no longer be eligible for the Patriot Promise program. This cannot be appealed. Students are encouraged to work with their Academic Advisor to maintain sufficient progress towards their degree plan and timely completion of their program.
• Will I receive a refund from Patriot Promise?
  • Since the Patriot Promise program is a tuition guarantee rather than a grant or scholarship it cannot be refunded to students. Patriot Promise program funding will only be applied to a student's balance if there is still a remaining tuition and fee balance after all other gift aid, and will only cover the remaining portion. If a student additionally takes out student loans those may refund since they are not considered gift aid and therefore do not impact Patriot Promise amounts.
• Why did my Patriot Promise change after the semester started?
  • The Patriot Promise program is a tuition guarantee, therefore whenever an eligible student's gift aid or tuition and fee balance changes Patriot Promise might have to adjust to match the new amounts.
• When will Patriot Promise be added to my account?
  • If a student is eligible for Patriot Promise, their account is being closely monitored through their academic career to ensure proper Patriot Promise processing. Once a student's Fall or Spring balance is posted to their account, shortly thereafter Patriot Promise will begin closely matching remaining financial need and appear on student accounts.* Any amount posted prior to bills being added to accounts is purely an estimated number and should not be considered a final amount.
  • *Patriot Promise program funding is only available during Fall and Spring semesters.