<p>Hi!
I applied to UT Austin in late October from an east coast public high school. The school doesn't rank so my only stats were a 3.8 weighted GPA and a 1990 on the SAT along with a couple AP classes. Does UT give scholarships/aid/grants to OOS students often? What is the best way to lower the cost of going to UT? Thanks!</p>
<p>Since UT is a state (public) school, most of the financial aid in scholarships and grants go to in-state students. A few selective scholarships, usually offered by honors programs like plan 2 and BHP, are usually merit based and you may have a chance at those if you applied to those programs. Furthermore, there are a few number of OOS waivers, which allow out of state students to pay in-state tuition! That’s a big price difference, but be aware that these are extremely competitive to earn since there aren’t many of them. </p>
<p>Your best bet is to apply to third party scholarships to bring down the cost.</p>
<p>My son is a freshman at UT from Indiana in mechanical engineering (the Cockrell School of Engineering). Although it’s far from home, it’s a great school and he is happy there, so far. Anyway, regarding your question about aid to OOS students, he did receive a $5,000 a year scholarship from UT (merit based). He is in the Honors Engineering program, but I don’t think all students in the Honors Program automatically get scholarships. They are also tough to keep (maybe impossible) - he has to keep a minimum GPA of 3.5, which the UT representatives told us is honestly very, very difficult. Anyway, he had 2300 on his SAT, was a National Merit Finalist and was ranked in the top 6% or so from a giant Indianapolis high school. Weighted GPA was 4.5, unweighted 3.5. Lots of extracurriculars with music, sports etc. I really do think UT is worth the extra money we are paying. Purdue is a great school near us, but I think UT is a really great fit for him. Hope you get in and get some aid! Hook 'em! One tip - when you are applying for Honors, scholarships, etc., really pay attention to your essays - I definitely think they read them and that they make a difference.</p>