The University cares deeply about how the economic situation is affecting our students. We know some will need additional financial assistance to cover their educational and living expenses. If your ability to pay for spring semester has been undermined by such circumstances, the Office of Student Financial Services (OSFS) has several options for you to consider.

• Emergency Loans.
  You may borrow a short term emergency loan from the University if your ability to cover school-related costs has been affected on a short-term basis. To apply for a $300 emergency cash loan, visit: http://www.utexas.edu/business/accounting/sar/il.html If your immediate needs exceed the standard $300, or if it is likely to take you more than one month to repay your cash loan, please visit the OSFS so we can determine if you are eligible for a larger loan or a repayment period of up to three months.
• Apply for Spring Semester Financial Aid.
  It is not too late to apply for financial aid for the spring semester or, for most students, the fall semester. If you have not already done so, you may still complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). OSFS uses data from the FAFSA to evaluate your eligibility for federal, state, and institutional aid -- including grants and loans. Once the government processes your FAFSA, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR). We then encourage you to contact OSFS to determine whether it can help meet your unanticipated needs, although in some instances this may only be in the form of a loan.
• You may complete the FAFSA online at: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ FAFSAs typically take three weeks to process. In the meantime, go to https://utdirect.utexas.edu/utdirect/bio/address_change.WBX to be sure your contact information is accurate so we can notify you about the outcome of your FAFSA.
• Get Evaluated for Additional Financial Aid.
  If you have already completed a FAFSA, but you or your family’s financial standing has been dramatically weakened due to job loss, business decline, or some other major decline in income, you may be eligible for additional financial aid funds. An OSFS counselor can review your individual circumstances to determine if federal and state regulations allow adjustments. Begin this process by completing a Special Circumstances Appeal Form at http://finaid.utexas.edu/pdfs/PJ2008.pdf and returning it, along with supporting documentation, to OSFS.
• Please be patient. Processing aid already awarded for spring semester always dominates the first few weeks of January, so it may take three to four weeks for us to evaluate your appeal. Also, the funds that remain in many programs are limited in the spring semester as the University has already awarded all the money allotted to it. Nonetheless, OSFS may still be in a position to help you obtain loans and/or work-study jobs.
• Apply for a Part-Time Job.
  Our Hire a Longhorn Job Bank available to students 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at http://hirealonghorn.org/ to help currently enrolled students search for on-campus and off-campus part-time jobs. You can use it beginning January 1 to start searching for spring semester work-study jobs, too.
• Apply for 2009-10 Financial Aid.
  In January you will find additional information on this web site about using the FAFSA to apply for grants, loans and work-study for summer 2009, fall 2009 and spring 2010. Be sure to check back then.
• For now, you can go to http://finaid.utexas.edu/spotlights/CSA090.html to find out more about our Continuing & Transfer Student Scholarship Application, which OSFS uses to award scholarships for academic year 2009-10.

If you have any questions, please Ask DON!