We know the information in your financial aid offer can be a lot to take in! This page will help give you a centralized location to understand your options and be in the best position to start your academic career on Rocky Top!
FAFSA
Already filed your FAFSA? Learn more about your FAFSA status at tiny.utk.edu/fafsa.
Need to file your FAFSA? You still have time! File today at tiny.utk.edu/fafsa-app.
Your Financial Aid Package
If you filed a FAFSA and didn’t need to make corrections, you should receive a financial aid package soon! Packages will start to go out on April 18. Check your UT email address and keep an eye on your mailbox!
Note: you may receive an email informing you that your FAFSA needs corrections. As soon as you resubmit your corrected FAFSA, Federal Student Aid (FSA) will review your FAFSA and UT will receive your updated information. We will prepare your financial aid package as soon as we receive your updated and corrected FAFSA from FSA. Make your corrections in your Federal Student Aid portal.
Next Steps
You’ve received your financial aid offer and are probably thinking: “now what?” Follow this step-by-step guide to make sure you’ve submitted everything needed to start your academic career on Rocky Top.
To accept your financial aid offer,
If you haven’t already, confirm your enrollment! Pay your $250 enrollment deposit by May 15. The deposit is nonrefundable and nontransferable, but will be credited toward your first semester costs. Learn more at confirm.utk.edu.
For first-year* students only. Deadline is July 1. (We must receive this by July 1, so please send in advance!) Graduation date must be printed on your official transcript. Financial aid and scholarships may decrease, change, or not be available if these are not received or if there are inaccuracies.
Official test scores are needed by July 1 to confirm your financial aid eligibility. Scholarships may increase, decrease, change, or not be available if these are not received or if there are inaccuracies. Remember to take standardized tests (ACT/SAT) early enough for UT to receive your scores by July 1. It may take your scores up to eight weeks to be received and processed by the university, so plan accordingly. It is recommended to take your final standardized test no later than May 1 to ensure receipt by July 1.
Make UT Knoxville your first choice for the HOPE Scholarship in your TSAC portal in order to receive the most accurate estimate of state financial aid (HOPE, GAMS, etc.). For more information, visit the TSAC Student Portal.
Authorized users (parents, spouses, family, etc.) can talk to One Stop about financial aid offers, billing statements, payments, verification, and other outstanding requirements needed for payment due date. UT cannot share your financial records with third parties unless you give authorization. Learn more at onestop.utk.edu/authorized-users.
You can set up direct deposit for excess financial aid in your MyUTK account. For more information, visit onestop.utk.edu/refunds.
Understand Your Financial Aid Offer LetterFinancing Your UT Education Booklet
Scholarship Information
UT offers many scholarships for in-state and out-of-state students. If your financial aid offer includes scholarships, you can learn more about the individual scholarship(s) and the requirements to maintain them below.
Payment and Funding Options
There are other options available that can help alleviate your educational costs outside of the traditional scholarship and/or grant route of financial aid. Take a look at the list below for some potential funding opportunities.
The Work-Study program awards UT students an average of $3,000 per year. The exact amount you receive is determined by your remaining need and how many hours you work. Work–Study students work less than 30 hours per week, based on your award amount and class schedule. You will earn $11/hour for on-campus positions and $16/hour for off-campus community services positions. If you are interested in participating in Federal Work-Study and it wasn’t included on your financial aid offer, please contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. Visit tiny.utk.edu/fws for more information.
Federal Work-Study is a need-based program that allows eligible students to earn money towards part of their educational expenses by working part-time in either an on-campus or a community service-based off-campus position.
There are tremendous amounts of grants and/or scholarships offered outside of the university or the federal/state governments. Check out the Federal Student Aid’s website to see your options for researching and applying for external grants and/or scholarships.
The DPP requires students to pay an initial 50% of the remaining account balance after financial aid has been applied (upon payment plan enrollment) plus a $30 service charge, by the term’s due date. A second and third payment installment follow in the next two months after the initial 50% payment. To view a sample plan, visit onestop.utk.edu/deferred.
We encourage you to budget based on the financial aid listed in your letter, but the following are additional options you can research. For further information, please visit studentaid.gov. Direct Subsidized Loans and Direct Unsubsidized Loans are administered by the US Department of Education. Both loan programs offer competitive interest rates, which are determined by federal law. Interest begins to accrue as soon as the loan disburses to your UT student account. The Department of Education pays the interest on a Direct Subsidized Loan while you are in school and for the first six months after graduation or if you drop below half-time enrollment. For a Direct Unsubsidized Loan, you are responsible for paying all of the interest. You can choose to begin payment on your loans and their interest early with no penalty, or allow it to accrue and be added to the principal amount of your loan. First-time borrowers (for federal loans) must complete a Master Promissory Note (MPN) and Entrance Loan Counseling with the Department of Education at studentloans.gov. Parent PLUS Loans Private Loans Finder Visit the One Stop Loans page for more information.
PLUS Loans are unsubsidized loans for the parents of dependent students. These loans help pay for educational expenses up to the cost of attendance minus all other financial assistance. Visit onestop.utk.edu/loans for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions
We know you probably have questions related to your financial aid offer. Take a look at the list of questions below to see if we can answer them here. If you still have additional questions, please reach out to a helpful One Stop Counselor at onestop@utk.edu.
For institutional scholarships, contact One Stop at onestop@utk.edu. For departmental scholarships, contact the academic departments if these have not been added to your account by mid-July. External scholarships will not appear on your financial aid offer and will only appear in your MyUTK once the scholarship is received and processed by the university. External scholarship documentation should be sent to the university as soon as possible to allow time for processing before the payment due date.
If you are eligible for and have accepted your offer for Federal Work–Study in your MyUTK account, you will be contacted by the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships to begin the onboarding process. These funds are paid to students as a biweekly paycheck throughout the semester for hours worked. These funds do not pay directly toward your bill.
Both loans are administered by the US Department of Education and offer competitive interest rates, which are determined by federal law. The Department of Education pays the interest on Direct Subsidized Loans while you are in school and for the first six months after graduation or if you drop below half-time enrollment. You are responsible for paying all of the interest for Direct Unsubsidized Loans. You can choose to begin payment on your loans and their interest early with no penalty or allow it to accrue and be added to the principal amount of your loan.
We encourage you to budget based on the financial aid listed in your offer letter. Check out the Payment and Funding Options tab on this page, which explains external funding options like Parent PLUS Loans and private loans.
The federal government requires you to complete entrance counseling to ensure that you understand the obligations of taking out a loan. You must also complete the Master Promissory Note—a legal document in which you promise to repay your federal student loan(s) and any accrued interest and fees to your lender or loan holder. If your parent applies for a Parent PLUS loan, your parent must complete a PLUS Master Promissory Note. In order to apply a loan to your UT bill, you must visit studentaid.gov to complete the Master Promissory Note and Loan Entrance Counseling.
No! You can accept all or only a portion of your loans in MyUTK. We encourage you to be a responsible borrower and plan your budget around payment and repayment. You may accept only the fall or spring portions of your loan.
You can set up direct deposit for excess financial aid in your MyUTK account. For more information, visit onestop.utk.edu/refunds.
The fastest and safest way to send documents is by directly uploading them online. Log in to your MyUTK account and locate the “My Financial Information” section then select “TN HOPE, SAP, and Requirements.” You will find specific directions for how to upload each document here. You can also submit documents to One Stop Student Services in person, or by mail to: The University of Tennessee When sending your documentation, please remember:
Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships
Mail Stop 0230
Knoxville, TN 37996-0230
If you have been selected for verification, your participation is mandatory. Your signature on the FAFSA signifies your agreement to provide proof of your application information. You will not be eligible for federal, state, or some institutional funds until the verification process is complete.
UT follows Course Program of Study (CPOS) regulations. CPOS is a federal requirement by the U.S. Department of Education mandating students will be eligible for their full federal or state financial aid as long as they take a minimum of 12 credit hours of eligible courses within the student’s declared major or minor program each semester. CPOS does not apply to institutional aid. For more information on CPOS, please visit onestop.utk.edu/cpos.
Helpful Resources
The resources below will help you make decisions related to financial aid and overall financial health, both while you are in college and once you’ve left our beautiful campus.
July 1: Mid-July: Fall tuition and fees available to view in MyUTK Stay up-to-date with each term’s billing and payment dates and deadlines here.
onestop.utk.edu | onestop@utk.edu | 865-974-1111 The helpful staff at One Stop can answer questions regarding Undergraduate Admissions, Financial Aid and Scholarships, University Registrar, and Bursar. One Stop staff are cross-trained and are truly a one-stop shop for your questions! Please email One Stop at onestop@utk.edu using your UT email account if any of the following conditions apply to you (the student): You have official documentation for additional funding;
financialwellness.utk.edu | financialwellness@utk.edu The Center for Financial Wellness provides resources that educate and train students on how to overcome financial barriers by developing financial literacy, money management skills, and productive lifelong practices.
To protect your privacy, the university is restricted in what we can discuss with other people (i.e. not you) related to your personal information. However, you can designate certain people to be an Authorized User, which allows them to talk with the university about topics related to financial aid, billing statements, payments, verification, and other outstanding requirements needed. You can designate someone as an Authorized User in your MyUTK account by selecting the “FERPA Financial Release Form” under the “Academic Support” menu.
Academic Common Market If you have questions regarding Academic Common Market at the University of Tennessee, please contact onestop@utk.edu. Veterans Benefits Explore your options, apply for benefits, etc. through the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Discounts and Waivers to Attend UT If you work for a private employer, you may be eligible for discounted tuition or reimbursement. Please contact your employer’s Human Resources office for more information.
UT is a member of the Academic Common Market, which enables out-of-state students to pursue college degrees at discounted, in-state tuition rates. More than 1,900 undergraduate and graduate degree programs are available through agreements among the states and schools. Due to the significant ACM tuition and fee benefits, ACM students will not be eligible for institutional scholarships.
Veterans may be eligible for educational benefits through numerous GI Bill programs. Learn more by visiting UT’s Veterans Success Center.
You may be able to take advantage of discounts and waivers available through UT and the state of Tennessee. Employee fee waivers are contingent on your pay status on the first day of classes each term.
There are many factors that go into determining a student’s eligibility for a specific financial aid offer. One of these factors can be a student’s location of residency. If you have any questions over residency regulations, please refer to the Registrar’s Student Residency Classification page.
The financing plan provides a standardized format so you can easily compare your UT financial aid offer with offers from other colleges. You can view your UT financial plan in your MyUTK account in the Self-Service tab of the My Financial Information section.
Many families use loans in addition to other funding sources to help finance educational expenses, but we recognize there is a lot to consider when using loans. These tools will help shed light on repaying your loans. Loan Simulator: studentaid.gov/loan-simulator
Federal, state, and university regulations require financial aid recipients to show progress toward the completion of their degree. This policy, referred to as Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), must include a qualitative measure, such as a cumulative GPA, and a quantitative measure, such as a maximum time frame to complete a degree. onestop.utk.edu/financial-aid/keep/ Scholarships have different retention requirements. Make sure you carefully review each individual scholarship’s retention requirements.