The Pell Grant is a federal grant awarded to all eligible students working on their first undergraduate degree who have filed a FAFSA and demonstrate certain levels of financial need. The amount of Pell a student receives varies with their financial need. The maximum annual Pell award for 2008-2009 is $4,731.

The Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) and the Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART) Grant are federal programs available to Pell-eligible students who meet certain academic requirements.

The Towards EXcellence, Access and Success (TEXAS) Grant is a State of Texas sponsored program created to help students with financial need pay for college. Students who complete the Recommended High School Program or Distinguished Achievement Program in an accredited Texas high school and who meet certain eligibility requirements are automatically considered.

The University Tuition (UT) Grant is an institutional grant program funded by tuition income. It is used to award students with financial need who are Texas resident undergraduates and Texas resident and non-resident graduate students. Note: Students whose tuition is paid by a third party are not eligible for the UT Grant. See the University's Tuition Dollars & Sense web site for additional background information.

To be eligible for this institutional grant, new and continuing students must apply for financial aid using the FAFSA by the March 31st priority deadline. Eligible students may receive this award for up to four years. The UT Grant is one of many grant resources and is subject to reevalution and adjustment when students report additional non-OSFS scholarships or grants.

The Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Program is a federally funded, State-administered program to recognize exceptionally able high school seniors who show promise of continued excellence in post-secondary education. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board notifies the scholarship recipients. Byrd scholars must be enrolled full-time, have a 2.0 cumulative GPA, and sign a Certification of Eligibility for Federal Assistance in Certain Programs before receiving the award each semester.

The Byrd scholarship funds are not available at the beginning of the semester and the scholarship is not reflected on the financial aid notification. The school is responsible for reporting the number of hours for which the student is enrolled after the 12th class day, which is the official enrollment date. Usually funds are made available to students 3-6 weeks after this date (late October in the Fall semester and early March in the Spring semester.)

For more information, visit TexasScholarships.org and the College for Texans web site.

The awards listed below are federal, state or institutional grants that are awarded by our office based on your FAFSA information. No other steps need to be taken to apply for these grants other than filing a FAFSA, ideally by the priority deadline.

• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
• Texas Public Education Grant (TPEG)
• Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership Grant (LEAP)
• Partial Tuition Credit