Outside Scholarship Policies
Utilization Policies and Deadlines
- Semester Funding: Scholarship awards will be applied according to the instructions provided by the donor on the check or accompanying letter. For example, if a donor sends a check for $500 designated for a specific fall semester, it will be applied as specified. If the there are no instructions or if the instructions are unclear, checks over $1,000 will be divided evenly between the Fall and Spring semesters.
- Application of Funds: UT Austin cannot use scholarship funds to pay specific bills directly. Instead, when a scholarship is applied to your university account, it covers tuition, housing, and other charges, as required by many outside donors.
- Posting Limitations: UT Austin cannot apply scholarships for previous academic years. To fund the prior Fall or Spring semester, checks must be received by July 1. For ACH transfers, the deadline is August 1.
- Return of Funds: If UT Austin is required to return scholarship funds after they have been disbursed—either at the donor’s request or due to institutional policy—a bill for the returned amount will be generated and added to your account. You must pay this new bill before the University can officially process the return to the donor.
Outside Scholarship FAQs
Why does my donor need to pay my scholarship through UT?
Federal regulations require UT Austin to consider all financial resources awarded to a student when determining their eligibility for financial aid. The university must receive information or checks from outside donors to ensure compliance with these regulations. If your donor pays a scholarship directly to you, you are required to report this to UT by going to your My Financial Aid portal, clicking on Documents, then selecting the document name Report Outside Scholarships.
When will I receive my scholarship?
Funds will be released no earlier than 10 days before the start of the applicable semester.
How will my scholarship be released?
Funds will be released via your student account at the University of Texas at Austin. Outside scholarships are first applied to direct charges at the University, which include tuition, required fees, and university housing bills. If you have declined the Title IV authorization form, you will receive the funds directly and then must make payment toward institutional charges.
If the you do not have any University charges, you will receive a refund for the overage either via direct deposit (strongly recommended) or paper check- depending upon what information you have provided to UT at the time of refund.
Can I still receive my scholarship if I am not enrolled full time?
Unless otherwise specified by the donor, scholarship funds will release if you are enrolled in at least one class at UT Austin.
When the donor requires full-time enrollment, we will abide by the University’s definition of full-time enrollment which may include reduced enrollment in your graduating semester or for other approved reasons.
To request an exception to a donor’s full-time requirement, please ask your donor to send an approval to em-scholarships@austin.utexas.edu. The donor has until the end of the semester to submit the approval. If no approval has been submitted by the end of the semester, then the University will return the funds back to the donor.
If you are not enrolled in residence at UT Austin and are not taking coursework, scholarship funds will be returned to the donor.
What if I am enrolled at two institutions at the same time?
If you are enrolled at two institutions at the same time and the scholarship requires full-time enrollment, you must submit an approved Consortium Agreement so that financial aid eligibility can be based on the total hours of enrollment at both schools.