Frequently Asked Questions
Flat Rate Tuition FAQ
The University of Texas at Austin uses a flat rate tuition system
for undergraduate students.
What does flat rate tuition cover? The flat rate tuition amount covers academic program costs, including tuition, mandatory fees and charges, and college and course incidental fees. Students taking a full load (12 or more semester credit hours) are charged the flat rate tuition amount for their college. Each college flat rate tuition amount is prorated for students taking fewer than 12 semester credit hours.
What about optional fees? You may still elect to receive optional services such as the Longhorn Sports package or the Cactus yearbook. You will be charged the appropriate fee in addition to the flat rate tuition amount.
Will I be charged any additional fees? There may be additional fees charged to you. Examples include:
- Optional items such as the Longhorn Sports package or the Cactus yearbook.
- The refundable General Property Deposit, charged one time to students enrolling for the first time at UT Austin.
- International health insurance fees (international students only). The one-time orientation fee will be charged to international students enrolling for the first time at UT Austin.
- Late registration fees, installment plan service charge, late payment charges, etc., if applicable.
- Study abroad program fees and costs for extensive field trips.
Flat Rate—What about the cost?
Does it cost more to take more hours?
The flat rate tuition amount for a full load student is a fixed amount. The cost for any hours above 12 is the same; therefore, it does not cost more to take more semester credit hours.
Did tuition increase?
Tuition rates did increase for the 2007-08 academic year—primarily for faculty expansion, competitive compensation for faculty and staff, to enhance the Student Services budget and for campus improvements. The energy fee for 2007-08 was reduced from $150 to $50 per semester.
Why are the flat rate tuition amounts different for each college?
Specific college and course services are factored into the flat rate tuition amounts. The individual college flat rate tuition amounts vary based upon the costs associated with materials or services provided in each college. View a chart of flat rate tuition amounts.
Is there financial aid available?
Contact the Office of Student Financial Services for financial aid eligibility requirements.
What is the benefit of flat rate tuition?
Graduation rates at The University of Texas at Austin are significantly lower than other comparative institutions. Because students progress slower at the university, there are fewer spaces available for new students.
Flat rate tuition provides a simplified and more uniform tuition rate among various degree programs. It also allows full load students to take more semester course hours and not be charged an additional amount. This can reduce time to graduation.
Reducing the time to graduation reduces the total education costs for students and their families. This program has increased the number of hours that students take and has increased graduation rates.
Flat Rate—Where are the fees?
What happened to the fees I used to be charged?
Mandatory, college and course fees are no longer being charged separately. The costs for these services, which previously were funded by fees, are included in the flat rate tuition amount.
I need a detailed bill showing all of the fees.
Fees are no longer charged separately, therefore there is no detailed bill available. Costs are combined together into the flat rate tuition amount.
Flat Rate—What about my situation?
What happens if I change majors?
If you change majors so that you are in a different college, you will be billed the flat rate tuition associated with the new college. If this amount is more than originally charged, you will be billed for the difference. If the new amount is less than originally charged, you will receive a refund for the difference.
How am I billed for simultaneous majors?
Students who pursue simultaneous majors in more than one college will be charged the higher college rate. They will not be charged for both colleges.
I’m part of the Texas Guaranteed Tuition Plan (Texas Tomorrow Fund).
The entire amount of resident flat rate tuition will be covered due to your participation in the plan. If applicable, you will be charged for additional fees such as optional fees, the General Property Deposit, etc.
How is the amount of nonresident tuition waivers determined?
The amount of the waiver is the difference between the nonresident flat rate tuition amount and the resident flat rate tuition amount.
How will part-time undergraduate students be charged?
Those students who take between eight and 11 semester credit hours will be charged a prorated amount. Undergraduate students taking seven or fewer hours will be charged an hourly rate.
How will the flat rate structure work for the summer sessions?
The flat rate tuition for the summer is 85 percent of the fall and spring rates. So, the summer flat rate is calculated by taking the summer hours times 85 percent of the fall flat rate tuition for the same number of hours.
If students take more hours, will the university be able to offer the classes needed to meet the increased demand?
Yes, retaining faculty and adding additional faculty are top priorities of the university.
How many faculty will be added next year?
We are planning to add 30 faculty members next year.
With students taking more hours, are you concerned about the quality of instruction?
The uses of the anticipated increase in revenue address quality. New money will be spent on adding faculty, retaining existing faculty and staff, providing new classroom and laboratory equipment, and renovating/upgrading instructional facilities.
Are there financial incentives for students who graduate in four years?
There is a legislative initiative designed to reward graduation on time. The B-On-Time Loan Repayment program provides low-interest loans to financially needy students. The loans are “forgiven” for those undergraduate students who graduate within certain limits. (Contact the Office of Student Financial Services for more information.) Perhaps the greatest incentive for graduating in four years is the amount of money saved by not paying for additional years of college and the income derived from entering the job market sooner.
Additionally, an undergraduate may be eligible for a tuition rebate of up to $1,000 if they graduate in a timely manner. For more information, visit the Office of the Registrar’s online General Information 2007-08 catalog.
Is a flat rate structure being considered for graduate students?
The Tuition Policy Advisory Committee (TPAC) may consider this in the future.
What is the university’s strategy for addressing budget deficits in future years beyond raising tuition?
The student share (tuition) of addressing the deficit is only one part of a three-part strategy. Additional funding must also come from the state and other university sources.
The university will continue to stress the importance of the investment in higher education to the Texas Legislature. The university will continue cost-savings measures. The university will continue to seek additional resources from donors. Ultimately, if additional revenues are not collected, many proposed enhancements to the education experience at the university will not be implemented.
What can students do to help persuade the Texas Legislature to appropriate more money to the university?
While university employees have constraints on advocating for additional state funding, students do not. If students feel strongly about this issue, they should contact their local legislative representatives, attend legislative hearings, write letters or participate in whatever advocacy process they feel appropriate. Resident students have the same right to participation in their government as any other citizen of Texas.
Why does the university continue to build new buildings?
The university is at space capacity. It is the university’s goal to reduce the student-faculty ratio. To do this it is necessary to provide classroom, laboratory and office space for new faculty members.
What are the requirements for tuition set asides for financial assistance?
House Bill 3015 authorized the boards of regents to determine the level of designated tuition charged to students. Financial aid is addressed in two important ways in HB 3015. The bill requires a minimum of 20 percent set aside on resident undergraduate designated tuition and a minimum of 15 percent set aside on resident graduate or professional designated tuition above the current $46/SCH designated rate. The 20 percent and 15 percent set asides are minimum requirements. Affordability is a key issue to the committee in developing any tuition proposal.
In fact, the university sets aside more than is required to fund its financial aid program. Visit the Financial Aid & Scholarships page on this Web site.
How can universities that charge less for tuition and fees be ranked higher than we are?
The tuition charged is in part dependent on the amount of state support received by the institution. In the early 1970s the state paid for nearly 85 percent of the cost of running the educational side of The University of Texas at Austin. Today, the state covers less than 35 percent. The growing gap between what it costs to run the university and what the state is able to contribute has been covered in part by private donations, efficiency and other actions taken by the university. However, if the university is to maintain delivery of the quality of education it has become known for, it determined it had to ask the students attending the university to pay for an increasing share of that gap.
States have different approaches to funding their universities. Some have maintained their support at high levels to keep student costs relatively low while some have allowed their universities to increase the cost to students as they reduced their support level.
Even after considering the recent increases, The University of Texas at Austin continues to be a nationally recognized great value in higher education. Visit the Cost of Tuition Nationally page on this Web site for more information.
How can students get involved in the process?
Students can contact their Student Government representatives directly. Students should also read the complete Tuition Policy Advisory Committee (TPAC) recommendations and attend the public forums to ask questions and listen to responses. The recommendations and the public forum dates and times can be found in the TPAC section on the Tuition Dollars & Sense Web site.
Have other questions?
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