Costs and Aid
A college education is one of the most important investments you'll ever make, and a UHCL degree is one of the best values in Texas. But we know that even when you’ve put in the work academically, achieving your college goals can still feel like a long way off financially. The Office of Student Financial Aid can help.
It's Your Money. Come and Get It.
Nothing makes us happier than finding ways to make a match between you and UHCL. Incoming transfer students can get an automatic transfer scholarship without even applying, if your grades are good enough. We have a long list of other resources you can tap for help finding outside scholarship sources, putting together a budget and keeping track of the aid process.
The 2025-2026 FAFSA is Open!
Have you submitted your FAFSA? If you would like to be considered for federal student aid, please submit your FAFSA as soon as possible.
- The 2024-25 FAFSA is used for Fall 24, Spring 25, and Summer 25.
- The 2025-26 FAFSA (now available) is used for Fall 25, Spring 26 and Summer 26.
The Department of Education will send your FAFSA to UHCL, and the Office of Student Financial Aid will notify you when your application is received.
UHCL School Code: 011711
What is Financial Aid?
You'll be expected to contribute as much as possible to cover your tuition, fees, room and board. That might mean dipping into savings, earning money from a job or tapping other assets. But it's not as daunting as you may think: Most UHCL students don't pay the full cost of college on their own. Last year, for example, two out of three UHCL students received some kind of aid package.
Different types of aid include:
- Scholarships and grants (money you don't have to pay back)
- Loans (money you do have to pay back)
- Work-Study (employment offered through the college to help defray expenses
Everybody's bottom line is different, but you can use our Net Price Calculator to get a good idea of how much a UHCL education is likely to cost and then estimate the aid you may be awarded.
Cost of Attendance
A cost of attendance (COA) is calculated for each student who applies for financial aid. The COA includes expenses that are determined by the institution (tuition/fees) and expenses that are flexible based on student choices (housing/meals, books, transportation costs, and miscellaneous expenses).
Apply for Aid
All students seeking aid – whether from federal, state or UHCL – need to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). To have the best chance at getting the most need-based aid possible, we recommend submitting the FAFSA by January 15 for the upcoming school year.
School Code: 011711
Texas Residents who are not US citizens can sometimes apply for State aid with the TASFA application.
Questions?
Explore our resources and reach out to the financial aid team if you have any questions. We are here to help!
Tuition Payments
You are responsible for your tuition payments, from keeping track of billing due dates to securing the necessary funds for your tuition. Again, we're here to help you! All of your bills will be available online when you log into E-Services, and all bills come from Student Business Services so you don’t have to investigate different charges and fees around campus.