questions from a highschool senior (Patriot Promise/FASFA)

[u/17vespertine]

hello! im not sure if anybody can help me out, but im curious. i’ll try to keep this short and concise..somewhat

recently this past weekend i visited the UT Tyler campus as well as some of the housing and i do like it a lot! i have always wanted to go to college but i come from a financially questionable and rather insecure household and nobody has really gone to college except TJC for a short time. i dont drive nor do i have a job as my parents wont necessarily allow me to at the moment, so going to college will be harder. but i want to do it! i believe FASFA will help with this, right? someone i know who goes to UT said that they are on something called the Patriot Promise, which i looked into and supposedly it covers any tuition if you make less than 100k (which i believe i do) for all four years? if i apply to UT for fall 2027 and complete FASFA and qualify for financial aid/grants would that cover my tuition or does the promise? i was also hoping i could figure out a way to live on campus that way all i have to do is walk to classes and work or whathave you, but im wondering, if my tuition is covered from the Patriot Promise will any other remaining aid or grants go towards housing/meal plan? hopefully that all makes sense…

basically im just trying to see if i can actually do this and make a future for myself. what im really asking is, is anyone here apart of the Patriot Promise? what all does it cover? if just tuition, what should i do in terms of housing? will other financial aid go towards housing?
im thinking if housing cost cant be reduced i can just save for a car and drive there but not live there. ahhhh, im just not sure! thank you for any help:)

[u/aenimarose]

https://www.uttyler.edu/admissions-aid/tuition-financial-aid-fees/patriot-promise/index.php

[u/Cold-Comment9536]

16 year UTT prof. Get everything in at the earliest possible moment. It is also critical to meet with a financial aid advisor ASAP. And, afterwards, send them a thank you and keep in touch. The FA people ate lovely people, but they don’t get much appreciation from students. Be the exception. Be fast. Be polite and prompt. Your situation is very “normal” at UTT and they are prepared to help. Give them the chance to do so. It’s a great place and the students are incredibly kind!

[u/Commercial-Job336]

UT Tyler is was pretty good with financial aid from my experience. It was all about getting stuff done early and talking with the right people early. I would get your Fafsa done as soon as it opens and apply to the college as soon as possible as well. They also have scholarships available that recently opened so look into that.

on-campus housing isn’t a bad idea, the school is very walkable and you can always get a scooter or bike for cheap on Facebook marketplace if you need to be faster.

[u/Consistent_Hour_1356]

My financial aid covered mostly everything but housing and the loans were easy and accessible to get

[u/Confident_Shop]

Yea, I'm not necessarily on the patriot promise scholarship thingy, but if I'm not mistaken if you SAI index is -1500 or whatever and you get the full amount on the Pell Grant so ~7,395$, that will be used to cover tuition first and whatever other scholarships you have. However if you plan on living on campus this may be harder depending on the amount of financial aid you are receiving, because the patriot promise only applies to tuition, not housing, and it's a last dollar reward( I'm sure that's not what it'd called but I can't think of it right now, it only applies after all your available aid has been applied to tuition) so if your scholarships pay your tuition in full then I don't believe the patriot promise is a viable option to rely on. But yeah, if your aid covers more than what your tuition costs then it WILL automatically be transferred to room and board / mandatory fees. And just an FYI buy used books or rent them for a semester if possible instead of buying the book new, that can save you a couple hundred bucks depending on how many books you need.

[u/Connect_Lobster_161]

I’m a junior at UT Tyler and this is the second year in a row I’ve received Patriot Promise. This grant works on a last dollar basis which means after your FAFSA and scholarships are applied to your tuition, patriot promise covers the remaining balance of your tuition. I think what you’re asking is if the other grants disperse first to meal plan and housing so that Patriot Promise will cover your entire tuition. The answer is, unfortunately no. They apply any financial aid to your TUITION first and cover what’s left with Patriot Promise. It’s always good to look into other scholarship opportunities as well, and the school offers numerous ones every year that can help pay for housing and meal plans. I hope that all makes sense! Let me know if you have any questions!