Financial Support

STUDENT FINANCIAL SUPPORT

The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture is committed to making quality education affordable and achievable for all students. There are opportunities for students to receive funding from a number of sources, including:  

  • Financial aid offered through Texas One Stop
  • Recruitment funding for new students
  • Continuing student scholarships
  • Independent research travel scholarships
  • TA or GRA appointments
  • Program-specific scholarship opportunities, and
  • Other sources

More information and processes for each of these opportunities are outlined below.

FINANCIAL AID

TEXAS ONE STOP serves as the major resource for registration, degree planning, and managing costs. The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships is housed within Texas One Stop and administers grants, UT Austin scholarships, loans, and work study funding. It includes resources and information on outside or private scholarships, tuition waivers and exemptions, teaching assistantships and fellowships, and benefit programs. See the Financial Aid Policy for more information on how UT Austin determines financial need.

APPLYING FOR FINANCIAL AID

To be considered for federal financial aid, students must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year. The FAFSA application opens on October 1. The priority deadline is currently January 15, however, the final deadline is rolling each year. Please note that these dates are subject to change, and students are encouraged to check with Texas One Stop for the most up-to-date deadlines, and for more details on how to complete the FAFSA.  

RECRUITMENT FUNDING

UTSOA recruitment offers may include recruitment scholarships, fellowships, or academic employment.  

AUTOMATIC CONSIDERATION: All applicants are automatically considered for recruitment funding as part of the admissions process. There is no separate SOA recruitment funding application. 

FUNDING STATUS: It is not necessary to contact the School of Architecture to request consideration for recruitment funding or to check your status. We will contact selected recipients as soon as recruitment funding decisions are available with financial support details.

CONTINUING STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS

The School of Architecture distributes over $100,000 in scholarships each year from a variety of endowments and discretionary funds. The UTSOA Scholarship Committees award between 50 to 100 scholarships each year with amounts ranging from $1,000 to $5,000.

Continuing Scholarship Applications open each spring for students to apply for scholarships for the following fall, spring, and summer. Current students can find more details about the process in the SOA Undergraduate Office and Graduate Office Canvas portals. 

INDEPENDENT RESEARCH TRAVEL SCHOLARSHIPS

Scholarships that are specifically for independent student research travel are competitively awarded to SOA students each year. Students are required to submit proposals and comply with university travel policies. These scholarships prioritize international travel - past recipients have traveled to countries including Vietnam, Iceland, Japan, and Ghana. 

ACADEMIC EMPLOYMENT

All School of Architecture graduate students are eligible for Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) and Teaching Assistant (TA) positions after their first semester at the school. The number of positions that are available depends on the needs for that particular semester.

TEACHING ASSISTANTS

Teaching Assistants are key members of the School of Architecture’s teaching enterprise, working as partners with faculty on the conduct and delivery of courses. Services provided by teaching assistants include, but are not limited to, grading, monitoring, leading lab and/or discussion sessions, offering office hour assistance to students, and performing clerical tasks associated with course instruction. TA applications are distributed via the SOA student email lists in the fall to apply for spring, summer, and fall TA applications. Only graduate students are eligible to be TAs. It is the school's policy that students wait a semester before holding a TA position to allow time to acclimate to graduate school. Review eligibility criteria per the Graduate School's Conditions for Student Employment.

GRADUATE RESEARCH ASSISTANTS

The principal duty of a Graduate Research Assistant is to contribute to a program of departmental or interdepartmental research under direct faculty supervision. The work should directly relate to your professional training or study within the School of Architecture. GRA applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Interested applicants should inquire about available positions with their faculty mentors. Calls for GRA applications are also sent periodically via the School of Architecture student email lists.

More specific information about GRA and TA eligibility, employment requirements, hours, pay, benefits, and resident tuition can be found on the Graduate Canvas portal.

OTHER RESOURCES

HIREUTEXAS

The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid's HireUTexas Job Bank may also post GRA, TA, and other part-time graduate academic opportunities in the student section.

TEXAS ARCHITECTURAL FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS

The school is able to nominate a specified number of students for Texas Architectural Foundation (TAF) scholarships. Eligibility criteria vary and are established by the TAF Scholarships donors.

The School of Architecture will identify eligible students and ask them to fill out the appropriate application. Students must be enrolled during the entire academic year. Awards are based on merit and financial need.

UNIVERSITY RESOURCES

Graduate School Fellowships (Note: Students are nominated and/or selected by the School of Architecture)
Graduate School Guide to Extramural Fellowships
Texas Grants Resource Center 
Texas Exes Scholarships
UT Research Fellowships
UTSOA Career Services Office 

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT RESOURCES

Funding resources offered by the UT Austin International Office: Texas Global
International Student and Scholar Services' resources for financial assistance

EXTERNAL FUNDING

Students are strongly encouraged to also pursue external funding. Once enrolled, students will have access to resources and announcements of external awards.