Texas Grant

Before you spend hours on this

Will this scholarship actually lower your cost?

Not always. Many colleges reduce your financial-aid package when you win an outside scholarship — sometimes dollar-for-dollar — so the money can end up saving the school instead of you. It's called scholarship displacement. Two free tools tell you where you actually stand:

Run the stack-math calculator →Check your school's policy →

General guidance, not financial advice — your school's financial aid office is the only authority on how they treat outside awards. Always confirm with them before deciding.

Short essay~2 hours

Best fit for

Texas seniors from low/middle-income families attending Texas public 4-year colleges. Stacks with Pell + institutional aid. The award is automatic once you're enrolled and meet the criteria — you don't write essays.

What they actually look for

TEXAS Grant is need-based and pays roughly the AVERAGE in-state tuition + fees at Texas public 4-year colleges — about $5,000/yr at most schools, up to $7,000 at the more expensive ones. The January 15 priority deadline is critical because the grant runs out of money each year and later applicants get waitlisted.

What you'll need

Texas resident graduating from an eligible Texas high school
Demonstrated financial need (TEXAS Grant uses FAFSA / TASFA EFC threshold — typically under $5,500)
Completed the Recommended or Advanced/Distinguished HS program (most college-bound kids hit this automatically)
Submit FAFSA OR TASFA (Texas Application for State Financial Aid for non-citizens) by January 15
Plan to attend an eligible Texas public university (UT/A&M system schools, Texas Tech, UH, Texas State, etc.)

When to start

Submit FAFSA / TASFA in October when it opens, no later than January 15. Confirm with your target Texas college's financial aid office that you're on their TEXAS Grant list.

Watch out for

TEXAS Grant is funded annually and runs out — kids who apply for FAFSA in March often get told 'qualifies but waitlisted, check back next year.' The January 15 deadline isn't legally enforced but is practically the cutoff. Also: maintaining the grant requires a 2.5+ GPA in college + 24 credit hours per year — drop below that and you can lose it.