Competitive Scholarship Non-Resident Tuition Waiver

The Competitive Scholarship waiver, authorized under Texas Education Code 54.213a, is an optional waiver that institutions can implement. An eligible non-resident student who holds a competitive scholarship of a specified minimum dollar amount for the academic year or summer for which the student is enrolled may be eligible to pay the fees and charges required of Texas residents without regard to the length of time the student has resided in Texas. The student must have competed with other students, including Texas residents, for the scholarship and the scholarship must be awarded by a Texas A&M University college or departmental scholarship committee or university representative. An outside donor may be consulted for input by the college or departmental unit, however, outside donor(s) may not make the final selection of the student recipient for a scholarship.

Undergraduate students must be awarded and maintain competitive scholarships of at least $4,000 per academic year in order to qualify for this waiver.  All graduate students and professional students, must be awarded and maintain competitive scholarships of at least $1000 per academic year in order to qualify for this waiver.

Receipt of a competitive scholarship waiver, may result in adjustments to your other financial aid offers. Students may receive this waiver at the discretion of the University and in compliance with the limit on the number of waivers allowed by the State of Texas. Non-resident distance education students who reside outside the state of Texas pay a teaching fee in lieu of tuition, and are not eligible for this or other non-resident tuition waivers.

In the case of a student exceeding their degree plan by more than 30 SCHs (Student Credit Hours), both resident and non-resident students are charged non-resident tuition and are not eligible for this or other non-resident tuition waivers.

Scholarships that qualify for Non-Resident Tuition Waivers follow this process:

1. University department certifies that the scholarship awarding process qualifies for a non-resident waiver.
2. University department awards competitive scholarship.
3. Scholarships & Financial Aid verifies student recipients answers the Selective Service question requirements (or exemption) each academic year.
4. Scholarships & Financial Aid posts non-resident waiver as a resource to financial aid package.
5. Scholarships & Financial Aid forwards student and scholarship information to Student Business Services.
6. Student Business Services credits the non-resident waiver to the student billing account.

Timing of the non-resident waiver credit depends upon when the scholarship is awarded (i.e. becomes a part of the financial aid package) and student billing. All non-resident waivers are to be certified and approved no later than the 12th class day of the fall/spring terms and the 4th class day of the summer terms.

There is no minimum GPA requirement to continue to receive the waiver in subsequent years (for multi-year scholarships). As long as the student maintains eligibility for the qualifying scholarship, the student will continue to receive the benefit of the waiver of non-resident tuition. If the student loses eligibility for the qualifying scholarship, the student will lose eligibility for the waiver as well and will be assessed non-resident tuition rates.

For more information or to examine the University SAP regarding this, please view the Non-resident Tuition Waiver for Competitive Scholarship Recipients. Find other non-resident waivers here.