Financing your college education will require budgeting and careful planning for you and perhaps for your parents. Although college costs are kept low at the University of North Texas at Dallas because of state assistance, many students still need help financing their education.
Financial aid makes it possible for thousands of students to attend UNTD. Financial aid awards are funded and regulated by state and federal governments, so applying for and receiving financial aid is complex. It takes time, patience and effort on your part to submit information by UNTD's priority dates and to understand the step-by-step process.
Why Should I Apply for Financial Aid?
Financing your college education will require budgeting and careful planning for you and perhaps for your parents. Although college costs are kept low at the University of North Texas at Dallas because of state assistance, many students still need help financing their education.
Financial aid makes it possible for thousands of students to attend UNTD. Financial aid awards are funded and regulated by state and federal governments, so applying for and receiving financial aid is complex. It takes time, patience and effort on your part to submit information by UNTD's priority dates and to understand the step-by-step process.
First Time Students
If this is your first time applying for federal financial aid, it's important to follow all the steps in the application process.
Other helpful tips include reviewing and printing the list of documents that are needed. This list is provided in Step 3.
You and one of your parents (if you are a dependent student) will have to sign your application. The application process is faster if you use your FSA ID to sign electronically.
Continuing Students
If you're a continuing student, you must apply each year for financial aid. You may complete a renewal FAFSA as early as Oct. 1 of each year. Changes in federal regulations, educational costs and your family circumstances make it necessary to evaluate your eligibility each year.
To maintain your eligibility, you also must meet satisfactory academic progress guidelines.
Graduate Students
There are several ways to pay for your graduate education. Your options may include a student loan, grant (based on financial need from FAFSA and availability of funds), scholarships or student employment.
Here’s a checklist of what you need to do:
- Apply for admission to Graduate Studies and to your academic program.
- Ask your academic department about scholarships. Early contact improves your chances to receive available funding.
- File and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) if you’re interested in state and federal financial aid, including student loans. Research local and national funding opportunities; requirements and deadlines vary.
Transfer Students
Transfer students are eligible to apply for financial aid.
If you have been offered financial aid at any other institution for the term in which you are seeking aid at UNTD, you will need to take the following action:
- Cancel all pending financial aid offers at the other institution(s), and
- Cancel all pending loan funds with your lender.
Please be aware that due to the timing of your admittance into UNTD and the scheduling of financial aid processes, your financial aid awards may not be available before the semester payment deadline.
UNTD offers several payment options, if needed. Please visit the Student Accounting and University Cashiering Services office or website for more information about these options.
Veterans
The Student Financial Aid and Scholarships (SFAS) office provides assistance to qualified students who need financial help to pursue their education. UNT Dallas offers a variety of options to assist you in financing your education. Financial aid is one of those options. Financial aid awards (grants, college work study and loans) are funded and regulated by state and federal governments, so applying for and receiving financial aid has been simplified by the use of Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
UNT Dallas also offers a variety of competitive academic scholarships to outstanding continuing students and to exceptional entering freshmen, transfer and continuing students. Additionally, there are many outside agencies which provide scholarships for our student veterans. A list can be found on this website here.
Additional Options Offered at UNT Dallas
What if your anticipated aid isn’t enough to cover the first tuition installment amount?
Then, you may consider applying for a short term loan that is offered by Student Accounting and University Cashiering Services.
The loans are awarded for the minimum amount of tuition and fees each semester. The loans are posted to the student account in order to make the first payment in the Fall or Spring or the entire payment in a summer semester.
In addition to short-term loans, Student Accounting and University Cashiering Services also offers a tuition and fee installment plan. You may also be eligible for an exemption or waiver. Several waivers are available for veterans and their dependents.
For more information on these payment options, contact Student Accounting and University Cashiering Services at 972-780-3658.
Fraud and Scholarship Scams
Many private entities offer scholarship search services. If you or your family do not have the time to do your own search and are willing to pay for the service, such agencies can be helpful. In order to verify their legitimacy it is best to check with the Better Business Bureau or the state attorney general’s office. When researching a scholarship opportunity, remember, if it’s “too good to be true,” it probably is.
The majority of the information private scholarship search services provide is available for free on the web. Other resources for this information may include your high school counselor or the financial aid counselors at UNT Dallas. The U.S. Department of Education and the Federal Trade Commission offer additional guidance regarding scholarship searches on their web pages: Avoiding Aid Scams and Scholarship and Financial Aid Scams.