Freshman Scholarships

The Academic Excellence Scholarship Office awards scholarships to incoming, first-time college freshmen. Award criteria and amounts vary with each incoming class. Students who complete the application process by the December 1 priority deadline are automatically reviewed for the Academic Excellence Scholarship. No additional information or scholarship submission is required.

• AES for Prospective Freshmen
• AES for Current Recipients

The Comet Scholars Program awards scholarships to freshmen and transfer students with a high school or community college record of academic excellence who show significant financial need. Recipients of this scholarship also receive academic support from program staff to assist them in successfully transitioning to UT Dallas. Visit the program’s website to learn more about eligibility requirements and how to apply for this scholarship.

The Eugene McDermott Scholars Program is more than a financial package; it is a program for students committed to actively learning, leading and serving throughout all four years of their undergraduate education. The program welcomes all majors and careers from all states and countries. Finalists are invited to interview each spring, with approximately 20 Scholars selected annually.

• Benefit Summary
• Application Information

The National Merit Scholars Program at UT Dallas is for National Merit Finalists who list UT Dallas as their first-choice school with the National Merit Scholarship Corporation by their stated deadline. Located in the Hobson Wildenthal Honors College, the program combines a specially designed set of intellectual and cultural opportunities with generous financial support and works closely with each of the seven UT Dallas schools to promote academic achievement and celebrate scholarly success.

• Award Package Summary
• Application Information

The Terry Scholars Program is a four-year cohort experience that provides academic, cultural, mentoring and service opportunities to students awarded prestigious scholarships from the Terry Foundation. Selection criteria include academic achievement, leadership, service and family income.

• Program Highlights
• Application Information

The UT Dallas Top 10% Scholarship is offered to first-time college freshmen admitted for the fall term immediately following high school graduation from an accredited Texas high school. Awards provide $2,500 per semester toward tuition and mandatory fees for a maximum of eight semesters of undergraduate study. Awards are limited, and students are automatically considered for the UTD Top 10% Scholarship based on the date of their completed application to the University. No separate application is required.

Students who are not awarded AES may be eligible for the UT Dallas Top 10% Scholarship award if they meet the following criteria:

• Be a first-time freshman applicant admitted to UT Dallas for the fall semester immediately following high school graduation.
• Be officially designated as a student in the top 10% of their Texas high school graduating class at the time of admission.
• Be a Texas resident at the time of admission.

The UT Dallas Top 10% Scholarship recipients will be supported by the AES Program and the Office of Financial Aid. To maintain the UT Dallas Top 10% Scholarship, recipients agree to meet the following academic requirements:

• Maintain status as a Texas resident.
• Earn a 3.0 GPA or better each semester and a cumulative 3.0 GPA or better at each academic year’s conclusion.
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress on a four-year graduation timeline. This presumes 15 hours per semester and 30 hours per year. Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and dual-credit coursework that applies to your degree may be used to maintain your 4-year pacing.
• Enroll as a full-time student (12 hours for undergraduate students, 9 hours for graduate students). This rule is only waived for last-semester seniors or documented medical circumstances.
• Adhere to the UT Dallas Student Code of Conduct. Violations of the UT Dallas Code of Conduct may be reviewed to determine continued scholarship eligibility. Students suspended, expelled or repeatedly not meeting the UT Dallas Code of Conduct will be terminated from the Top 10% scholarship without the option of participating in a scholarship probation program.

For further information about maintaining the UT Dallas Top 10% Scholarship, please contact the Academic Excellence Scholarship team at aes@utdallas.edu or 972-883-4300.