The University of Texas at Dallas Partner Page · Fall 2027

DCP can close the tuition gap at The University of Texas at Dallas, after your financial aid.

Dallas County Promise helps students who graduate from a participating Dallas County high school cover tuition and mandatory fees at The University of Texas at Dallas through the Comet Promise Last-Dollar Award, applied after all your other aid. This is a "last-dollar" award.

This guide covers Dallas County Promise requirements specifically for students attending The University of Texas at Dallas. Planning to attend a different partner school? See other partner schools →

How do I apply? Check eligibility

Welcome to The University of Texas at Dallas

Fall 2027

Quick Facts

Gap

Comet Promise covers remaining tuition & mandatory fees after your other aid is applied

Jan 15

Priority deadline: admission & FAFSA/TASFA for Fall 2027

≤ $100k

Total family income limit, plus Pell/Texas Grant eligibility

Award length:

8 semesters (Path 1) 4 semesters (Tracks 2 & 3) 150-hr cap

Contact UTD

What is the Dallas County Promise UT Dallas Program?

DCP covers what's left after your other aid

Students who graduate from a participating Dallas County high school and meet UT Dallas's admission requirements and Dallas Promise deadlines may enroll at UTD as a first-year student or as a transfer student with a Dallas College associate degree. If you qualify, tuition and mandatory fees are fully covered through a combination of scholarships, grants, and tuition exemptions. Any tuition still remaining after that is covered by the UTD Comet Promise Last-Dollar Award, applied last, after all your other aid, for 12+ credit hours each Fall and Spring. This page details how it works specifically at UT Dallas. Requirements, deadlines, and processes vary at other partner schools.

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This award covers tuition and mandatory fees only. You will still need to budget for housing, food, travel, transportation, academic and personal supplies, parking, and other living expenses.

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150-credit-hour cap: In either path, the award ends once you reach 150 total attempted credit hours (including dual credit and transfer credit) or earn your first bachelor's degree, whichever comes first.

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If you miss a deadline: Missing a Dallas Promise application deadline doesn't disqualify you from all aid. You may still receive other state, federal, and UTD financial aid based on what's available. You would, however, be responsible for tuition and fees not covered by that aid.

Two Ways to Participate

There are two paths into the Dallas County Promise program at UT Dallas. Find yours below.

Award duration: up to 8 consecutive semesters (4 years) at UTD
Only 4 consecutive semesters (2 years) if you also earned an Associate Degree in high school. Number of offers on this shorter track depends on available funding
Ends earlier at 150 attempted credit hours or your first bachelor's degree, whichever comes first

Award duration: up to 4 consecutive semesters (2 years) at UTD
Must complete the associate degree at Dallas College within 2 years of high school graduation, then enroll at UTD directly after

Eligibility

Am I eligible?

Eligibility differs depending on your path. Select your path below to see the requirements that apply to you.

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International students and non-Texas residents are not eligible for this award, on either path.

For students graduating and enrolling Fall 2027 through Spring 2028. You could qualify as a first-year student if you meet ALL of the following:

Requirement	What It Means for You
High School Attendance	Attended a participating Dallas County high school for the full current school year and graduated from it this year
Promise Deadlines	Met all Dallas Promise deadlines: Promise Path, admission application, financial aid application, scholarships, orientation, and enrollment
Financial Aid	Completed the FAFSA or TASFA with supporting documents by January 15, 2027, and are Pell Grant and/or Texas Grant eligible
Family Income	Total family income of $100,000 or less
Residency	Texas resident for tuition purposes
Start Term	Enroll in at least 12 credit hours in the Fall semester right after high school graduation
Continuous Enrollment	Enroll in both Fall AND Spring during your first year, and every year after. You cannot skip a semester during your up-to-4-year eligibility period, and the award covers Fall/Spring only, not Summer or mini-terms

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Entering with an associate degree already earned? Requirements above still apply, but your award period is 4 consecutive semesters (2 years) instead of 8, and the number of offers on this shorter track depends on available funding.

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Stop Out: If you stop out or drop your enrollment for a full Fall or Spring semester, you become ineligible for the program and the Last-Dollar tuition grant. No appeal process is described for this path.

For students graduating with an associate's degree in 2026-2027. You qualify as a Path 2 transfer student if you meet ALL of the following:

Requirement	What It Means for You
Dallas College Eligibility	Maintained Dallas Promise eligibility at Dallas College, and earned a transferable associate degree (AA, AS, or AAT) within 2 years of high school graduation
UTD Admission GPA	Meet UTD's admission requirement of a minimum 3.0 GPA
Financial Aid	Submit a FAFSA or TASFA with supporting documentation by January 15, 2027 (Fall 2027) or May 1, 2027 (Spring 2028), and be Pell Grant and/or Texas Grant eligible
Family Income	Total family income of $100,000 or less
Residency	Texas resident for tuition purposes
Transcript	Submit your final Dallas College transcript showing the associate degree conferred by May 2027, received at UTD by June 15, 2027
Enrollment Timing	Start classes the semester immediately after completing your associate degree
Continuous Enrollment	Enroll in both Fall AND Spring throughout your up-to-4-semester eligibility period. You cannot skip a semester, and the award covers Fall/Spring only, not Summer or mini-terms

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Important: Transfer students must enroll at UTD directly after completing their associate degree. Transfer applications are accepted for Fall & Spring enrollment only.

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Stop Out: If you stop out or drop your enrollment for a full Fall or Spring semester, you become ineligible for the program and the Last-Dollar Award.

How to Apply

Application steps by path

Application deadlines for 2027-2028:

Submit FAFSA or TASFA by January 15, 2027

Submit a complete FAFSA or TASFA with all required documents to UTD (Federal School Code 009741).

Be Admitted to UTD by January 15, 2027

Submit your UTD admission application for Fall 2027 with all required documents.

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Tip: Apply by December 1 if you want to be considered for UTD's competitive merit scholarships too.

Complete All Dallas Promise Steps

Promise Path, admission application, financial aid application, scholarships, orientation, and enrollment.

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Questions about admission and scholarships? Email Miguel R. Lara. Questions about financial aid? Email the Office of Financial Aid.

Applies to Fall 2027 through Spring 2028 transfers. Tell your Dallas College Success Coach you plan to transfer to UTD, then complete the following:

Submit FAFSA or TASFA

To UTD (Federal School Code 009741) by January 15, 2027.

Be Admitted to UTD

Fall 2027 applicants: submit your UTD admission application and all required documents by December 1, 2026. Spring 2028 applicants: submit by March 15, 2027.

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Tip: Apply early, well before the academic scholarship deadline, to be considered for UTD's transfer student scholarships.

Submit Financial Aid Verification Documents

By January 15, 2027 (Fall 2027) or May 1, 2027 (Spring 2028).

Submit Your Final Transcript

Make sure your conferred associate degree appears on a transcript received by UTD no later than June 15, 2027.

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Questions about admission and scholarships? Email Miguel R. Lara. Questions about financial aid? Email the Office of Financial Aid.

Jan 15Priority Deadline

January 15, 2027: admission & FAFSA/TASFA priority deadline

Whether you're a first-time student or a Dallas College transfer heading to UTD for Fall 2027, both your UTD admission application and your FAFSA or TASFA are due by this date. Spring 2028 transfers have separate deadlines. See Path 2 above.

Renewal Requirements

Keeping the award

Renewal requirements are the same for both paths at UTD. Once enrolled, you must meet all of the following each year to keep your award:

Submit a FAFSA or TASFA by the published priority deadlines, including all required supporting documents
Have a total family income of $100,000 or less
Be a Texas resident for tuition purposes
Earn at least 12 credit hours at UTD each Fall and Spring semester (only UTD credits count)
Maintain a minimum end-of-academic-year cumulative GPA of 2.50, checked at the end of each Spring semester
Meet and maintain UTD's Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards, as described in the UTD Undergraduate Catalog
Stay within your eligible enrollment period since graduating from a Dallas County participating high school. This means continuous enrollment in 12+ credit hours each Fall and Spring, not exceeding 150 total attempted credit hours (including dual credit and transfer credit), and before earning your first bachelor's degree, whichever comes first

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GPA warning grace period: If your cumulative UTD GPA falls below 2.00 in the Fall semester, you'll receive a warning and will still be eligible for the award the following Spring, but you must bring your cumulative GPA back up to 2.50.

Submit a FAFSA or TASFA by the published priority deadlines, including all required supporting documents
Have a total family income of $100,000 or less
Be a Texas resident for tuition purposes
Earn at least 12 credit hours at UTD each Fall and Spring semester (only UTD credits count)
Maintain a minimum end-of-academic-year cumulative GPA of 2.50, checked at the end of each Spring semester
Meet and maintain UTD's Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards, as described in the UTD Undergraduate Catalog
Stay within your up-to-4-semester eligibility period, not exceeding 150 total attempted credit hours (including dual credit and transfer credit), and before earning your first bachelor's degree, whichever comes first

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Program Rules

What you can, must, and may not do

These rules apply to all UTD Dallas Promise recipients, regardless of path.

✔ What You CAN Do

Receive other third-party and institutional scholarship funds. Contact UTD's Financial Aid and Scholarship Office first to make sure outside scholarships won't reduce your financial aid package

• What You MUST Do

Accept all gift aid you are eligible for, including Pell grants, state grants, and scholarships
Complete your financial aid application, including verification, by the published annual deadlines. It's your responsibility to stay aware of changes year to year through financial aid publications, communications, and websites
Follow UTD's enrollment and financial aid policies

✖ What You May NOT Do

Transfer the funds to another college or university outside UTD
Return to UTD and receive funds after or while attending another institution
Stop out or drop enrollment from a Fall or Spring semester at UTD during your Dallas Promise eligibility period

Quick Reference

Key numbers & terms

Plain-language definitions for the terms and numbers you'll see throughout this program.

Term / Number	Plain-Language Meaning
Last-dollar award (Comet Promise)	Pays whatever tuition is left over after all your other grants, scholarships, and exemptions are applied.
Family income ≤ $100,000	Your total household income must be $100,000 or less.
Pell / Texas Grant eligible	You qualify for the Federal Pell Grant and/or the state's Texas Grant program.
12+ credit hours	You must enroll full-time (12+ credits) each Fall and Spring semester.
150 attempted credit hour cap	The award stops once you've attempted 150 total credit hours (including dual credit and transfer credit), even if you haven't graduated yet.
GPA 2.50	You must maintain at least a 2.50 cumulative GPA at UTD (with a one-semester warning grace period after Fall).
3.0 GPA (transfer admission)	Transfer students need a minimum 3.0 GPA on their Dallas College associate degree to meet UTD's admission requirement for this program.
FAFSA / TASFA	Financial aid applications you must file every year by the deadline.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)	UTD's minimum academic standards, described in the Undergraduate Catalog, that you must maintain.
"Stop Out"	Skipping or dropping enrollment for a full Fall or Spring semester. At UTD, this makes you ineligible for the program, and there is no appeal process described.

Common Questions

Straight answers

Does Dallas County Promise cover all of my costs at UT Dallas?

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No. The Comet Promise Last-Dollar Award covers tuition and mandatory fees left over after all your other financial aid (scholarships, grants, and tuition exemptions) is applied. You'll still need to budget for housing, food, travel, transportation, academic and personal supplies, parking, and other living expenses.

What's the difference between the two paths?

Path 1 is for students who enroll at UTD directly after high school. The award lasts up to 8 consecutive semesters (4 years), or 4 consecutive semesters (2 years) if you also earned an associate degree in high school (the number of offers on that shorter track depends on available funding). Path 2 is for students who complete an associate degree at Dallas College within 2 years of high school graduation and then transfer to UTD. The award also lasts up to 4 consecutive semesters (2 years), and requires a minimum 3.0 GPA for UTD admission.

What is the 150-credit-hour cap?

In either path, your award ends once you've attempted 150 total credit hours (including dual credit and transfer credit) or you earn your first bachelor's degree, whichever comes first. This applies even if you haven't graduated yet and even if you're still within your semester limit.

What happens if I skip a Fall or Spring semester?

Stopping out or dropping enrollment for a full Fall or Spring semester makes you ineligible for the program and the Last-Dollar Award, on either path. There is no appeal process described. The award only covers Fall and Spring; it does not cover Summer or mini-terms.

What if my GPA dips below 2.50?

You must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50, checked at the end of each Spring semester. If your cumulative GPA falls below 2.00 after the Fall semester specifically, you'll get a warning and remain eligible for the following Spring, but you'll still need to bring your cumulative GPA back up to 2.50.

Can I get outside scholarships too?

Yes, you can receive other third-party and institutional scholarship funds. Contact UTD's Financial Aid and Scholarship Office first to make sure outside scholarships won't reduce your financial aid package. You must still accept all federal, state, and institutional grants and scholarships you're eligible for.

Can I transfer my award to another school, or give it to someone else?

No. You may not transfer the funds to another college or university outside UTD, return to UTD and receive funds after or while attending another institution, or stop out during your eligibility period and expect to resume.

Are international students eligible?

International students and non-Texas residents are not eligible for this award, on either path.

What happens if I miss a Dallas Promise deadline?

Missing a deadline doesn't disqualify you from all financial aid. You may still receive other state, federal, and UTD aid based on what's available. You would, however, be responsible for any tuition and fees not covered by that aid, and would not receive the Comet Promise Last-Dollar Award.

Do I need a minimum GPA to transfer in on Path 2?

Yes. Path 2 transfer students must meet UTD's admission requirement of a minimum 3.0 GPA on their Dallas College associate degree. This is separate from and higher than the 2.50 GPA needed to keep the award once enrolled.

Ready to start at UT Dallas?

Submit your UTD admission application and FAFSA/TASFA by January 15, 2027 for priority processing.

Email UTD Promise Contact Financial Aid