Announcements
Pre-Applications for State Aid for 2013-2014
The Pre-Application for State Aid for House Bill 1403/Senate Bill 1528 students will not be available on January 2, 2012 due to a change to the application process at UTB and TSC. You can begin preparing your Application for State Aid in January 2013 by filing your (and your parents) federal 2012 income tax return. Applications for State Aid will require an IRS Tax Transcript which are available from the IRS three weeks after you (or your parents) file the 2012 tax return and no earlier than February, 2013.
PELL LIFETIME ELIGIBILITY USED
Based on new federal regulations, the amount of Federal Pell Grant funds a student may receive over his or her lifetime is limited to the equivalent of six years. The maximum amount of Pell Grant funds a student can receive each year is equal to 100%. Therefore, the six year equivalent is 600%. The new regulation states a student’s lifetime limit will begin when the student received their first Pell Grant award.
Example: A student attends college in 1984 and receives 100% of their Pell Grant funds for that year. Student does not return to school until 1992 and again receives 100% of their Pell Grant funds. The student has now earned 200% of their lifetime Pell Grant limit. This student would have 400% remaining.
ABILITY TO BENEFIT
Beginning with the 2012/2013 award year, new students must have a high school diploma, GED or completion of secondary school in a homeschool setting in order to be eligible for Title IV funds. Students will no longer have an option of passing an approved “ability-to-benefit” test or complete six credit hours of college work in order to become eligible.
Students who were enrolled in an eligible program of study before July 1, 2012 may continue to be considered for Title IV funds based on their approved scores from the “ability-to-benefit” test or their completion of the six credit hour criteria.
Important Notice to All Graduate Borrowers
Loan interest rates and fees Important Notice to All Graduate Borrowers As a result of The Budget Control Act passed on August 2, 2011, by Congress, the Department of Education will no longer be funding subsidized loans for graduate and professional students. Loans will still be available at UTB for Graduate and Professionals; however the student will be responsible for all interest accruing on the loan(s).
Scholarship Scam
The Financial Aid Office would like to warn the UTB community of a potential email scam targeting UTB students. The subject line within the emails read: “New $2,000 Scholarship for UTB Brownsville Students” or “$10,000 UT Brownsville Student Scholarship.” The emails are not being generated by the Financial Aid Office. Please use caution when accessing the various websites. Official UTB financial aid scholarship notifications are sent through the following email accounts: FANEWS@utb.edu or financialaid@utb.edu. Students should never pay a processing fee when applying for financial aid or scholarships.
Check your E-mail often:
Official and important UTB and TSC Financial Aid Office communications will be sent via e-mail, which students are expected to read in a timely manner. E-mails will be sent to the primary e-mail address provided by the student to the UTB and TSC Admissions Office. Use of the e-mail assigned by UTB and TSC is recommended, but students may, at their own risk, provide an e-mail issued by an outside vendor (i.e. Roadrunner, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc.). Undeliverable messages returned because of either a full inbox or use of a "spam" filter will be considered delivered without further action required by the UTB and TSC Financial Aid Office.
Fair Lending Practices - Code of Conduct
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