UT Austin · Scholarships for non-residents
UT Austin Scholarships for Out-of-State Students
Every scholarship category open to non-resident UT Austin admits, in order of typical dollar size. Plus the Texas residency pathway, which is worth more than almost any scholarship at approximately $33,220/year saved.
Cites Texas Education Code §54.052Last reviewed 2026-06-23Not affiliated with UT or THECBPublished by Luke Allen, TREC #788149
The honest answer
Out-of-state students at UT Austin can earn institutional merit scholarships (typically $2,000-$15,000/year), the rare flagship Forty Acres Scholarship (full ride), college-specific awards from McCombs, Cockrell, Moody, and others, plus outside scholarships. The largest single tuition lever for most non-resident families is not a scholarship; it is the Texas residency pathway, which saves approximately $33,220/year (about $99,660 over three years). Merit scholarships and the residency pathway stack: a student can receive both.
The scholarship landscape at UT Austin for non-residents
UT Austin awards approximately $200 million/year in scholarships and grants across roughly 50,000 students. Of that, most institutional need-based aid (Texas Advance Commitment, Texas Empowerment) is restricted to Texas residents by program design. Out-of-state students rely primarily on three categories: (1) university-wide merit awards, (2) college-specific merit awards, and (3) outside scholarships from national, state, and corporate sources.
1. Forty Acres Scholars Program (flagship full-ride)
The Forty Acres Scholars Program is UT Austin's most prestigious undergraduate scholarship. Each cohort includes 15-20 students who receive full tuition, room and board, books, and an enrichment fund for study abroad, research, internships, and faculty interaction. Total package value approximately $200,000 over four years.
- Open to: incoming freshmen including out-of-state and international students
- Selectivity: approximately 15-20 awards per year out of roughly 3,000 applicants (well under 1% acceptance rate)
- Application: nominate by November 1 of senior year through ApplyTexas + Forty Acres application; finalists interview on campus in February
- Selection criteria: academic distinction (top 1% nationally), leadership impact, a distinctive personal story, and demonstrated ability to thrive in a small-cohort enrichment environment
- Practical reality: for the vast majority of qualified applicants, Forty Acres is a long shot. Plan as if you will not win it. If you do, treat it as life-changing
2. College-specific merit scholarships
Each undergraduate college at UT maintains its own scholarship pool funded by alumni endowments and corporate gifts. These are the most reliable scholarship category for high-academic non-residents.
McCombs School of Business
- McCombs Endowed Presidential Scholarship: $5,000-$15,000/year, approximately 100 awards per year
- Business Honors Program (BHP) scholarships: for BHP admits, varies by award
- BBA Diversity Scholarship: for under-represented students in business
- Named awards: Crocker, Adkerson, Friedman, and many others by major and background
- Total McCombs scholarship pool: approximately $4 million/year
Cockrell School of Engineering
- Engineering Scholarship Continuation Program: recurring awards based on academic performance
- Departmental scholarships: Petroleum Engineering Scholarship, Aerospace Engineering Scholarship, ECE Excellence Award, Civil Engineering Foundation
- National Merit + Engineering: stacking award for designated National Merit Finalists naming UT as first choice
- Total Cockrell scholarship pool: approximately $3 million/year
Moody College of Communication
- Moody Excellence Scholarships: merit awards for incoming Moody students
- Named departmental scholarships: in Journalism, Radio-TV-Film, Advertising, Communication Studies
- Communication Council Scholarship: for involved Moody students
College of Liberal Arts
- Liberal Arts Honors and Plan II Honors scholarships: for honors program admits
- Departmental awards: in History, English, Government, Economics, Psychology, etc.
- Modern languages and area studies scholarships: often tied to specific majors
Natural Sciences, Architecture, Fine Arts, Education, Nursing, Pharmacy
Every college maintains a scholarship pool. Specific awards range from $1,000-$15,000/year depending on the college. Check each college's scholarships page after admission and complete the UT Honors and Scholarship Application (HSA) in MyStatus to be considered automatically.
3. University-wide and named scholarships open to non-residents
- National Merit Scholarship: UT is a sponsor school. National Merit Finalists who name UT as their first-choice school typically receive $1,500-$3,000/year from National Merit Corporation plus a UT National Merit Stipend
- Distinguished Scholar: early-cycle named award for top-academic admits
- UT Foundation Scholarships: awarded through the UT Foundation, various amounts
- Texas Exes Out-of-State Scholarship: awarded by some Texas Exes chapters in out-of-state cities (Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, NYC, LA, Chicago, etc.) for students from those areas attending UT
- Athletic scholarships: awarded by UT Athletics; most are for recruited athletes
- ROTC scholarships: Army, Navy, Air Force ROTC scholarships cover full tuition and stipend for service commitment
4. Outside scholarships worth pursuing
- Coca-Cola Scholars: $20,000 for 150 students nationally; competitive but well-known to high-achieving seniors
- Gates Scholarship: full ride for under-represented students from low-income families
- Jack Kent Cooke Foundation: high-academic students with financial need
- Davidson Fellows: $50,000 awards for projects in STEM, literature, music, or philosophy
- Elks National Foundation: $4,000-$50,000 awards based on character and leadership
- State-of-origin foundations: nearly every state has a college access foundation that funds out-of-state attendance for high-achievers from that state. Check "[your state] college scholarship foundation"
- Corporate scholarships: Burger King Scholars, Walmart, Coca-Cola, Dell Scholars; aggregated on Fastweb and Scholarships.com
The math: scholarships vs the Texas residency pathway
The single largest tuition lever
For an out-of-state family above the federal Pell Grant income threshold, expected institutional merit scholarship is typically $0-$10,000/year. The Texas residency pathway is worth approximately $33,220/year starting in year 2 of enrollment. The residency pathway is materially larger than typical merit scholarships, and the two stack: a student can receive both a $7,500 McCombs Presidential Scholarship AND establish Texas residency for the $33,220/year savings.
The four-year picture for a typical high-academic out-of-state McCombs admit who receives a $7,500/year Presidential Scholarship and establishes Texas residency:
- Year 1: $44,908 out-of-state tuition minus $7,500 scholarship = $37,408 net tuition
- Years 2-4: $11,688 in-state tuition minus $7,500 scholarship = $4,188 net tuition/year
- Four-year tuition total with scholarship + residency: approximately $49,972
- Four-year tuition without residency or scholarship: approximately $179,632
- Combined savings: approximately $129,660 over four years
How to maximize your scholarship search as an out-of-state UT applicant
- Apply by December 1 priority deadline. Many UT institutional scholarships only consider applicants who submit by this deadline.
- Complete the UT Honors and Scholarship Application (HSA) in MyStatus after admission. This single application surfaces you for most university-wide and college-specific merit awards.
- Apply separately to Forty Acres by its November 1 deadline if your academic profile is in the top 1%.
- Apply to college-specific honors programs (Plan II, McCombs BHP, Cockrell Honors, Liberal Arts Honors). Admission to these programs typically unlocks additional scholarship eligibility.
- Pursue outside scholarships aggressively. Allocate 4-6 hours/week from October through February of senior year to outside applications. The realistic yield for a strong applicant: $5,000-$25,000/year in outside scholarship aid.
- Run the residency pathway analysis in parallel. Even with strong scholarship aid, the residency pathway likely saves more than the average outside scholarship package. The two stack, so pursue both.
Frequently asked questions
What scholarships are available at UT Austin for out-of-state students?
Out-of-state students at UT Austin are eligible for: (1) Forty Acres Scholars Program (the flagship full-ride, highly selective); (2) Texas Exes Scholarships (some open to non-residents); (3) college-specific merit scholarships at McCombs, Cockrell, Moody, and Liberal Arts; (4) National Merit Scholarship (UT participates as a sponsor school); (5) departmental and major-specific awards; (6) athletic scholarships through UT Athletics; (7) ROTC scholarships; (8) outside scholarships from national, state-of-origin, and corporate sources. Most need-based institutional aid at UT is restricted to Texas residents, so out-of-state students rely primarily on merit awards and outside scholarships.
What is the Forty Acres Scholars Program?
The Forty Acres Scholars Program is UT Austin's flagship merit scholarship, awarding approximately 15-20 four-year full-ride scholarships per year worth roughly $200,000 each (covering full cost of attendance plus enrichment funds for travel, internships, and research). Open to incoming freshmen including out-of-state students. Selection is extremely competitive (acceptance rate well under 1%) and based on academic distinction, leadership, and a distinctive personal story. Application opens November 1 with December 1 deadline.
What is the average scholarship amount for out-of-state students at UT Austin?
Out-of-state students at UT who receive institutional merit scholarships typically see awards in the $2,000-$15,000/year range. Forty Acres and other named full-ride awards are rare (single digits per year). The most common scholarship range for high-academic non-residents is $5,000-$10,000/year from college-specific merit pools (McCombs Endowed Presidential Scholarship, Cockrell Engineering Scholarships, etc.). For context, the out-of-state tuition premium is approximately $33,000/year, so the typical merit award covers about 15-30% of the premium.
How does the Texas residency pathway compare to scholarships in dollar value?
Texas residency reclassification saves approximately $33,220/year for the remaining time at UT (typically 3 years, saving approximately $99,660 total). This is materially larger than typical merit scholarship packages awarded to non-residents. The residency pathway also stacks with scholarships: a student who establishes residency AND receives a merit scholarship benefits from both. Many high-academic out-of-state families pursue both simultaneously.
Can out-of-state students get need-based aid at UT Austin?
Federal need-based aid (Pell Grant, federal subsidized loans) is available to out-of-state students who file FAFSA and meet income thresholds. Institutional need-based aid at UT (Texas Advance Commitment, Texas Empowerment) is restricted to Texas residents. The Texas residency pathway therefore unlocks institutional need-based aid in addition to lowering the tuition rate for middle-income families.
What is the Terry Scholarship?
The Terry Foundation Scholarship provides full tuition, fees, room and board, books, and a stipend to selected Texas high school students attending UT Austin or other Texas public universities. Terry Scholars also receive faculty mentorship and a tight-knit cohort experience. Terry is restricted to graduates of Texas high schools, so it is not directly available to out-of-state high school graduates. However, students who relocate to Texas before their senior year of high school can become eligible.
What scholarships does McCombs Business School offer for out-of-state students?
McCombs awards approximately $4 million/year in scholarships including the Endowed Presidential Scholarship ($5,000-$15,000/year), McCombs Business Honors Program scholarships (for BHP admits), the BBA Diversity Scholarship, and several named awards. Most McCombs scholarships are open to non-residents but heavily competitive. Application is automatic for admitted students who file financial aid forms by the priority deadline.
What scholarships does Cockrell School of Engineering offer?
Cockrell awards approximately $3 million/year in scholarships including the Engineering Scholarship Continuation Program, departmental scholarships (Petroleum Engineering Scholarship, Aerospace Engineering Scholarship, etc.), the Wentworth Scholarship, and national merit-driven engineering awards. Most are open to non-residents. Some are stacked with the National Merit Scholarship for designated National Merit Finalists who name UT as their first choice.
How do I apply for UT Austin scholarships as an out-of-state student?
Most UT Austin institutional scholarships use the ApplyTexas application plus the UT Honors and Scholarship Application (HSA), available in MyStatus after admission. Apply early; many awards have December 1 deadlines and rolling consideration. For college-specific awards, check the dean's office website at each college (McCombs Office of Scholarships, Cockrell Office of Student Services, etc.). For outside scholarships, use Fastweb, Scholarships.com, and your state-of-origin college access foundations.
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