Longhorn Fixed Tuition
House Bill 29, passed by the 83rd Texas Legislature, requires public institutions of higher education to offer a fixed tuition price plan to incoming freshman and transfer students. The University of Texas at Austin has met the requirements of the law (Texas Education Code, Section 54.017) by establishing Longhorn Fixed Tuition, which will be offered to eligible undergraduate students beginning Fall 2014.
Longhorn Fixed Tuition is an optional tuition program only available to undergraduate students enrolling at The University of Texas at Austin for the first time. For four consecutive academic years students will pay a fixed tuition rate each semester. Fixed tuition rates are based on the projected average of flat rate tuition over the next four years. As with traditional flat rate tuition, the fixed tuition amount will vary depending on the school the student is enrolled in as well as the number of hours the student is enrolled.
Students who enroll in Longhorn Fixed Tuition and graduate in four years will be eligible for a total of $3,500 in rebates (inclusive of existing rebate programs). Rebates will be paid upon graduation.
Eligibility Requirements
- Resident and Non-Resident undergraduate students are eligible for the rebate if they are enrolled in the Longhorn Fixed Tuition program
- Student must have attempted no more than three semester credit hours in excess of the minimum number of semester credit hours required to complete the degree under the catalog which they graduate
- Students who want to receive the rebate must graduate within four calendar years for a four-year degree program or within five calendar years if the degree requires more than four years to complete
- Students must complete at least 60 semester credit hours of coursework counted toward the degree in residence
- Student must not have already received a bachelor's degree
- A student is required to apply for a tuition rebate prior to graduation
To enroll in the Longhorn Fixed Tuition program, the student must go to the Enrollment page and sign the electronic agreement. If the student is under 18 years old or does not have an upgraded UT EID, the student may download the agreement, print, manually sign, and return it to Student Accounts Receivable.
For questions regarding the program, please call (512)475-7777, option 1.
Students have until the 12th class day (4th class day of a summer session) of their first semester in attendance to enroll in Longhorn Fixed Tuition.
Students who do not enroll in the Longhorn Fixed Tuition program will default to the traditional flat rate tuition.
Undergraduate Student Costs
Longhorn Fixed Tuition Rate for Full-Time Students
2015-16 Long Semester (One Semester Only)
Resident |
Nonresident |
|
Architecture |
5,333 |
18,740 |
Business |
5,799 |
20,066 |
Communication |
5,219 |
18,008 |
Education |
5,226 |
18,044 |
Engineering |
5,516 |
18,954 |
Fine Arts |
5,405 |
18,663 |
Geosciences |
5,442 |
19,018 |
Liberal Arts |
5,047 |
17,508 |
Natural Sciences |
5,236 |
18,067 |
Nursing |
5,595 |
19,685 |
Social Work |
5,286 |
18,390 |
UG Studies |
5,301 |
18,347 |
Details about Undergraduate Longhorn Fixed Rate Tuition Costs
To compare Longhorn Fixed Tuition and Traditional Tuition rates, please see the Tuition Calculator.
Historical Tuition Costs - Longhorn Fixed Tuition
Average Total Academic Cost for Resident Undergraduates Enrolled
for 15 Semester Credit Hours
| Fall 2014 Cohort | Fall 2015 Cohort | Estimate Fall 2016 Cohort |
|---|---|---|
$5,312 |
$5,285 |
$5,449 |
Tuition Charts Over the Years
Longhorn Fixed Tuition FAQs
- How is Longhorn Fixed Tuition different from traditional flat rate tuition?
- What are the benefits of Longhorn Fixed Tuition?
- Who is eligible to participate in Longhorn Fixed Tuition?
- How do I enroll in Longhorn Fixed Tuition?
- Can I stop participating in Longhorn Fixed Tuition?
- What is not covered by my Longhorn Fixed Tuition Rate?
- Is my scholarship or third-party billing agreement affected by my Longhorn Fixed Tuition agreement?
- Does Longhorn Fixed Tuition affect my ability to attend another college or university in the summer?
- What is the Longhorn Fixed Tuition rate?
- Can Longhorn Fixed Tuition be paid in installments?
- I’m in the Longhorn Fixed Tuition program, but I will not graduate within four years. What rate will I pay when I start my fifth year?
- What conditions terminate my Longhorn Fixed Tuition agreement?
- What happens to my Longhorn Fixed Tuition agreement if I withdraw a semester and enroll again later?
- Is satisfactory academic progress required to stay in the Longhorn Fixed Tuition program?
- I am enrolled in the Longhorn Fixed Tuition program, but was unable to attend the university for one or more semesters due to an extraordinary circumstance. Can my fixed tuition agreement be extended?
Q: How is Longhorn Fixed Tuition different from traditional flat rate tuition?
A: Longhorn Fixed Tuition is a guaranteed tuition price plan. For four consecutive academic years, a student pays a fixed rate for tuition, depending on the college and number of hours enrolled. To participate in the Longhorn Fixed Tuition program, the student must sign an agreement with the university before the 12th class day (4th class day in summer) of the student’s first semester in attendance at The University of Texas at Austin.
A student paying traditional flat rate tuition also pays a certain rate depending on the college and number of hours enrolled; however, traditional tuition rates may change on an annual basis.
The Longhorn Fixed Tuition program is intended to eliminate uncertainty about future tuition increases, allowing a student to more accurately prepare an educational budget. Longhorn Fixed Tuition rates are set with the goal that, over four years, a student in the Longhorn Fixed Tuition program will pay approximately the same total tuition as students paying traditional flat rate tuition. However, changes in traditional flat rate tuition are not predictable and there is no guarantee that one price plan will end up being financially advantageous over the other.
Q: What are the benefits of Longhorn Fixed Tuition?
A: The Longhorn Fixed Tuition program is intended to eliminate uncertainty about future tuition increases, allowing students to more accurately prepare an educational budget. For four consecutive academic years, students pay a fixed rate for their tuition, depending on the college and number of hours enrolled, so the amount is predictable and will not change, as long as students graduate in four years.
Q: Who is eligible to participate in Longhorn Fixed Tuition?
A: Undergraduate students in their first semester of attendance at The University of Texas at Austin are eligible to participate in Longhorn Fixed Tuition. Students may be incoming freshmen or transfer students, and may be residents or nonresidents.
Students enrolled in graduate or professional programs and students who are not in their first semester of attendance are not eligible for Longhorn Fixed Tuition.
Q: How do I enroll in Longhorn Fixed Tuition?
A: Undergraduate students in their first semester of attendance at The University of Texas at Austin are eligible to participate in Longhorn Fixed Tuition program. Students may be incoming freshmen or transfer students, and may be residents or nonresidents.
You have from the time you are admitted until the 12th class day (4th class day in summer) of your first semester in attendance at the university to enroll in the program. Go to the Longhorn Fixed Tuition website and sign the electronic agreement. Signing the electronic agreement requires you to be at least 18 years of age and have an upgraded UT EID.
Note: If you are an eligible student but cannot sign the agreement electronically, you may download, print, sign, and return the agreement to Student Accounts Receivable. Manually signed agreements must be received by the 12th class day (4th class day in summer).
Q: Can I stop participating in Longhorn Fixed Tuition?
A: You must enroll in or de-enroll from Longhorn Fixed Tuition by the 12th class day (4th class day in summer) of your first semester in attendance as an undergraduate student. After that date, if you are enrolled in Longhorn Fixed Tuition, your agreement is in effect until you:
- have a two long semester break* in attendance at the university;
- earn an undergraduate degree at the university; or
- enroll in a degree program that charges graduate or professional tuition rates.
*If you miss two consecutive long semesters at the university, your Longhorn Fixed Tuition agreement will be terminated and you will be billed under traditional flat rate tuition for any future semesters in attendance at the university.
Q: What is not covered by my Longhorn Fixed Tuition Rate?
A: University fees, housing expenses, optional fees, and fees related to participating in academic programs such as UT in DC, Study Abroad, other similar one-semester programs, or field trips are not covered by nor included in the Longhorn Fixed Tuition agreement.
Q: Is my scholarship or third-party billing agreement affected by my Longhorn Fixed Tuition agreement?
A: No. Scholarships and third-party billing agreements are not affected by Longhorn Fixed Tuition.
Q: Does Longhorn fixed tuition affect my ability to attend another college or university in the summer?
A: No. As long as you are not absent from The University of Texas at Austin for two consecutive semesters, your Longhorn Fixed Tuition agreement will remain in effect.
A Longhorn Fixed Tuition agreement remains in effect until you:
- have a two long semester break* in attendance at UT Austin;
- earn an undergraduate degree at UT Austin; or
- enroll in a degree program that charges graduate or professional tuition rates.
*If you miss two consecutive long semesters at the university, your Longhorn Fixed Tuition agreement will be terminated and you will be billed under traditional flat rate tuition for any future semesters in attendance at the university.
Q: What is the Longhorn Fixed Tuition rate?
A: Rates for Longhorn Fixed Tuition are available on the Longhorn Fixed Tuition website and may vary for each incoming class.
Q: Can Longhorn Fixed Tuition be paid in installments?
A: Payment of tuition under the Longhorn Fixed Tuition program is the same as it is under traditional flat rate tuition. For information on how to pay tuition, refer to the How to Pay page.
Q: I’m in the Longhorn Fixed Tuition program, but I will not graduate within four years. What rate will I pay when I start my fifth year?
A: If you are not enrolled in a 5-year undergraduate degree program and 4 academic years have passed since your first semester of attendance at The University of Texas at Austin, you will be begin paying the Longhorn Fixed Tuition rate of the subsequent cohort. For example, if your first semester at the university was Fall 2014, starting Fall 2018 you will pay the rate of students whose first semester was Fall 2015.
If you are enrolled in a 5-year undergraduate degree program, you have five academic years at the initial fixed tuition rate before you begin to pay the rate of the subsequent cohort.
Q: What conditions terminate my Longhorn Fixed Tuition agreement?
A: Your Longhorn Fixed Tuition agreement is terminated if you:
- have a two long semester break* in attendance at the university;
- earn an undergraduate degree at the university; or
- enroll in a degree program that charges graduate or professional tuition rates.
*If you miss two consecutive long semesters at the university, your Longhorn Fixed Tuition agreement will be terminated and you will be billed under traditional flat rate tuition for any future semesters in attendance at the university.
Q: What happens to my Longhorn Fixed Tuition agreement if I withdraw a semester and enroll again later?
A: If you miss only one semester and then resume attendance at The University of Texas at Austin, you will continue to be billed under Longhorn Fixed Tuition per the original agreement terms.
If you miss two consecutive long semesters at the university, your Longhorn Fixed Tuition agreement will be terminated and you will be billed under traditional flat rate tuition for any future semesters in attendance at the university.
Q: Is satisfactory academic progress required to stay in the Longhorn Fixed Tuition program?
A: No. Your participation in Longhorn Fixed Tuition is not dependent upon satisfactory academic progress.
Q: I am enrolled in the Longhorn Fixed Tuition program, but was unable to attend the university for one or more semesters due to an extraordinary circumstance. Can my fixed tuition agreement be extended?
A: Longhorn Fixed Tuition agreements can be amended by appeal if an extraordinary circumstance (e.g., severe illness, needing to care for a severely ill family member, military deployment, etc.) has occurred. To inquire about an appeal, contact the Office of the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer by mail or phone.
