What does last-dollar mean?

Last-dollar programs consider any additional public funding or grants that students are eligible for, such as federal Pell Grants, to cover tuition and mandatory fees. The amount provided varies based on other public funding the student receives and only covers the costs left after other financial aid is applied. The UT Promise scholarship only covers tuition and mandatory fees. Mandatory fees include facilities fee, maintenance fee, library fee, student services fee, technology fee, transportation fee, etc. Visit your UT campus’ website for more information. Students will still be responsible for covering any costs beyond tuition and fees such as book expenses and food/housing; however, excess UT Promise funds can be applied to these additional educational expenses until they run out. Once excess funds have been applied, the student is responsible for the remaining educational costs (e.g., remaining cost of food/housing, transportation, course materials, etc.).

Below is an example of how UT Promise will cover the last-dollar amount for three different students. These examples are based on an average of UT campus’ tuition costs but do not reflect actual costs.