How Students Are Notified

New students are encouraged to use the financial aid calculator at www.ut.edu/financialaid before the FAFSA becomes available in January. Official financial aid award notices are sent via regular mail and are available on "Finances" tab in SpartanWeb. Students may also view their aid in the federal Shopping Sheet format on the "Finances" tab in SpartanWeb. It may take several weeks for UT to receive need analysis results from the FAFSA processing center.

Need-based aid is awarded in a package usually consisting of grants and scholarships (which do not have to be repaid), low-interest student loans (which are repaid after the student graduates or leaves school) and work-study (through which students can earn money for college expenses).

Many aid programs have limited funding available. Funds are first offered to the students with the greatest demonstrated financial need (as determined by the results of the FAFSA) until depleted.

For new students, acceptance of aid requires an admissions deposit, which is credited to the first-term bill. Student loans offered may be accepted or declined using the accept/decline feature on Spartan Web. Parents apply for the PLUS loan on www.studentloans.gov; UT receives electronic confirmation of the credit decision and requested loan amount.