Students who are legal residents of Texas may qualify for need-based federal financial aid programs. These include Federal Pell Grants, subsidized and unsubsidized student loans, and work study. Grants provide free tuition to students from low-income families. Students who follow all federal guidelines for receiving grants will not have to repay these funds. Loans provide tuition funds that, under usual circumstances, must be paid back. However, students may participate in a federal loan forgiveness program by working for the government or as teachers in low income schools after graduation. For these students, loans may provide a source of free tuition. Federal work study offers low-income Texas students tuition funds in exchange for work at on-campus jobs.
The Towards Excellence, Access and Success (TEXAS) program provides free tuition to Texas resident students demonstrating financial need. Students may use TEXAS grants for tuition at any in-state public institution of higher education. To be eligible for this grant, students must have an expected family contribution of $4,000 or less, have no felony convictions and register for the selective service if required to do so. Students must also be graduates of a Texas public or private high school and plan to enroll in college within 18 months of high school graduation. Students seeking admission to a four-year institution after completing an associate's degree at a public institution in Texas may also qualify for this grant.
The Texas Public Educational Grant (TPEG) is available for Texas residents and also non-resident students from low-income families. The TPEG program offers tuition funds that the student will not have to repay. Funds for this program come from individual public colleges and universities in Texas, so each institution decides how many TPEG awards to offer in a given academic year. Awards through the TPEG program may not exceed a university's maximum cost of attendance. Students may qualify for TPEG grants as undergraduate or graduate students depending upon the institution's eligibility standards.
The Top 10% Scholarship Program offers academically gifted Texas resident students from low-income families the opportunity to attend any public institution in Texas at a free or reduced tuition rate. Students may receive up to $2,000 in tuition scholarships each academic year. To qualify, students must graduate in the top 10% of their high school classes. While in college, they must maintain at least 3.25 grade point average and meet other rigorous academic standards. This award is not available for students attending private institutions.