Financial Aid

The University of Texas at Austin not only offers an outstanding education, but offers it at a reasonable cost. The university is considered one of the best in the world and it’s also considered one of the best values. Learn more about the cost of attending The University of Texas at Austin (housing, tuition and fees, etc.).

All students admitted to the Butler School of Music are automatically considered for Butler School-administered, merit-based scholarship awards and in the case of admitted graduate students, fellowships and teaching assistantships. Nonresidents of Texas are eligible to be awarded out-of-state tuition waivers. There are no separate or additional applications for these awards. More than 60% of incoming students receive merit-based scholarship awards from the Butler School of Music. Academic scholarships and financial aid awards are available through the university's Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid.

 


2023-2024 Tuition

Undergraduate Tuition

per semester, for 12+ credit hours

Traditional Tuition

  • Texas Residents: $5,815
  • Non-Residents of Texas: $21,631

Longhorn Fixed Tuition

  • Texas Residents: $6,831
  • Non-Residents of Texas: $24,764

Graduate Tuition

per semester, for 9 credit hours

  • Texas Residents: $5,183
  • Non-Residents of Texas: $9,606

Additional Financial Information

Cost of Attendance  
Compare UT Tuition  
Office of Financial Aid

 

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Scholarships & Financial Assistance

Information about university-wide scholarships (scholarships that are not specifically for music students) and other types of financial assistance is available from the following websites:

Scholarships for continuing undergraduate students

  • To be considered for campus-wide scholarships, submit the Continuing and Transfer Scholarship Application by March 15.
  • The university plans to award 450 University Endowed Presidential Scholarships (UEPS), each in the amount of $2,500 for the 2024-25 academic year. Most UEPS awardees must be a junior or senior by Fall 2024, have a GPA of at least 3.75, and must have completed at least 45 hours in residence at UT Austin. Recipients should enroll full-time in the 2024-25 academic year. To be considered, please log in to LASSO and submit the OSFA - University-wide Endowed Presidential Scholarship Application by March 25, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. CDT.
  • Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA) each year to be considered for need-based financial aid, which may include grants, scholarships, work-study opportunities and loans. Submit your aid application by March 15 to maximize the aid available to you.

Financial Information - Artist Diploma

Artist Diploma students needing financial assistance are eligible for federal financial aid and may be eligible for private or alternative education loans. Alternative loans are available from various lending institutions (e.g. banks, credit unions, etc.). The university is prohibited by federal law from recommending any particular alternative loans to certificate program students, but we encourage you to shop competitively before choosing a particular alternative loan to help meet educational expenses. The interest rates on these loans vary, as do other terms and conditions. Also, most private lenders require loan certification from the school in order to verify enrollment and Cost of Attendance amounts.

The median amount of debt for students completing the program is shown below:

  • Private education loans*
  • Institutional financing plan*

*Note: There were fewer than 10 students in the diploma program. Median amounts are withheld to preserve the confidentiality of graduates.

For more details about University of Texas at Austin tuition, please visit the UT Tuition webpage.

 

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Undergraduate Merit-Based Music Scholarships

All admitted undergraduate students are automatically considered for Butler School of Music-administered merit-based scholarship awards; no additional application is required. Decisions are based on students' audition results and on the recommendation of each faculty division. Scholarships are awarded by the Student Awards Committee in early March and recipients are notified shortly thereafter by the Butler School of Music Scholarship Coordinator.

 

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Graduate Merit-Based Music Scholarships and Teaching Assistantships

All admitted graduate students are automatically considered for Butler School of Music-administered merit-based scholarship awards; no additional application is required. Decisions are based on students' credentials and on the recommendation of each faculty division. Scholarships are awarded by the Student Awards Committee in early March, and recipients are notified shortly thereafter by the Butler School of Music Scholarship Coordinator.

Teaching Assistantships

All admitted graduate students* are automatically considered for teaching assistantships; no additional application is required. Assistantship decisions are made by the relevant faculty based on divisional need and availability after all auditions have been completed. Recipients will be notified in mid-March.

*Artist Diploma (A.D.) is a not a degree-seeking program. Students must be enrolled in a degree-seeking program to be eligible to hold a TA, AI, GRA, or AA appointment.

Categories

Teaching Assistantships are available in Brass, Woodwind, Percussion, Collaborative Arts, Chamber Music, Conducting/Ensembles, Jazz, Keyboard, Music & Human Learning, Musicology, Ethnomusicology, Strings, Theory, Composition and Vocal Arts. Each division has separate criteria for awarding assistantships. Applicants interested in an assistantship who are unable to attend an on-campus audition should contact the appropriate division head.

Stipends

Teaching Assistant (TA) or Assistant Instructor (AI) salaries range from $5,088 per year for a 12.5% (5 hours per week) TA appointment to $22,496 per year for a 50% (20 hours per week) AI appointment. The most typical appointment is a 50% (20 hour) TA with a stipend of $20,352 per year ($2,261 per month for the 9-month academic year). Non-resident students who hold a full-time assistantship (20 hours per week) are eligible to pay the same in-state tuition as Texas residents.

Tuition Reduction Benefit

TAs and AIs who are appointed 10 hours (25% time) or more per week during the 2023-24 academic year will receive tuition reduction benefits (TRB), to be paid each semester as follows:

Fall and Spring Semesters

  • Appointed 20 hours per week (50% time) or more: $3,784 per semester
  • Appointed 10-19 hours per week (25% to 47.5% time): $1,892 per semester
  • Appointed less than 10 hours per week: $0

Summer Semester (maximum of $1,415 paid per individual per summer - regardless of the length of the term or the number of terms)

  • Appointed 20 hours or more: $1,415
  • Appointed less than 20 hours: $0

Tuition Reduction Benefit Supplement

For the 2023-24 academic year, the university will also apply a TRB supplement for TA and AI appointments to tuition:

  • Appointed 50% or more: $1,399 per semester
  • Appointed 25% to 47.5%: $700 per semester

Duties

TAs and AIs are assigned to individual, class or laboratory instruction under the supervision of a faculty member and are expected to teach from three to twelve hours per week, depending on the type of instruction, and to keep regular office hours. TAs and AIs are expected to carry a minimum course load of nine semester hours in addition to their teaching duties and maintain a grade point average of 3.00 with no incompletes.

Butler School of Music Guide to TA and AI Appointments (applies also to GRA, AA, and A(G) appointments)

TA APPOINTMENTS

Incoming Students must:

  • Be admitted with no conditions imposed by Graduate School (including receipt of GRE and TOEFL scores if applicable).
  • Have a GPA of 3.0 or better.
  • Register for at least nine semester hours that count toward degree.
  • International students must have English language certification* and attend international TA/AI orientation.  
    *This certification is given by the Center for Teaching Effectiveness and is in addition to the English evaluation done by the International Office. We can make no exceptions to this requirement; it is a State regulation and the Graduate School enforces it strictly.

Continuing Students must meet the above requirements and:

  • Make satisfactory progress toward an advanced degree.
  • Have no more than two grades of X (temporary incomplete) or one grade of X and one grade of I (permanent incomplete).
  • Have held no more than 14 long-session semesters of employment as a TA/AI alone or in combination.
  • TAs for Music Theory courses must complete 398T (Pedagogy in Music Theory section) either before or concurrently with their TA appointment.

AI APPOINTMENTS

Incoming Students must:

  • Be admitted with no conditions imposed by Graduate School (including receipt of GRE and TOEFL scores if applicable).
  • Have a GPA of 3.0 or better.
  • Register for at least nine semester hours that count toward degree.
  • Have a Masters degree or equivalent (30 graduate hours including 18 hours in subject being taught) and professional accomplishment.
  • Credit for 398T plus one semester as a Teaching Assistant OR one year as "the instructor of record" at an accredited college or school (with verification letter from former employer).
  • International students must have English language certification* and attend international TA/AI orientation.  
    *This certification is given by the Center for Teaching Effectiveness and is in addition to the English evaluation done by the International Office. We can make no exceptions to this requirement; it is a State regulation and the Graduate School enforces it strictly.

Continuing Students must meet the above requirements and:

  • Make satisfactory progress toward an advanced degree.
  • Have no more than two grades of X (temporary incomplete) or one grade of X and one grade of I (permanent incomplete).
  • Have held no more than 14 long-session semesters of employment as a TA/AI alone or in combination.

All Students with Assistantship Appointments

Financial support beyond the first semester in the form of employment as a teaching assistant (TA), graduate research assistant (GRA), assistant instructor (AI) or other student academic employee is contingent upon maintaining both satisfactory job performance as defined by the employing unit and satisfactory academic progress.

Title IX

As an employee of the university, if you witness or receive information about sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence or stalking that involves a current student or employee, you must promptly report the incident to the University’s Title IX Coordinator or a Deputy Title IX Coordinator.  Additionally, the university is a public employer and is subject to the Texas Public Information Act. As such, records created by and about you may be subject to an open records request and disclosure. Your name, work location and other employment related information, including salary, may be visible on publicly accessible websites or in other publicly available records.

 

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SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION

How Scholarships Work With Financial Aid

Butler School of Music scholarships/fellowships are considered financial aid, just as grants, work-study, loans; however, they are "departmental" awards that are made based on your music application and on your audition if you are a performance major. Federal and state financial aid programs require that students not receive financial aid in excess of one's cost of education, which includes living expenses. Need based aid, such as grants and subsidized loans, must remain within a student's financial need as determined by the FAFSA. Scholarships are factored into financial need assessments. A student's need-based financial aid may be revised due to the departmental scholarship awards he/she is receiving from the Butler School of Music. This includes tuition exemptions and waivers.

Tax Liability

Scholarship payments cannot be processed unless students have self-reported their social security number or other taxpayer ID on UTDirect. Students should consult a reliable source concerning tax liability related to scholarships. International students may be exempt from U.S. taxes on their scholarship payments if their country has a tax treaty with the U.S.; please contact the International Office when you arrive on campus to fill out the necessary paperwork.

Your Current Contact Information

Updating your address, phone number or email address on the university website does not update your Butler School of Music records. Please notify the Graduate or Undergraduate Office in the Butler School of Music any time your contact information changes.

 

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STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP AWARD GUIDELINES

Minimum Scholastic Requirements

  • Cumulative grade point average (GPA) for students who are currently on scholarship will be reviewed at the end of each semester. To retain a music scholarship and to remain eligible for scholarship renewal, undergraduate students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 and graduate students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50.
    • If a student's GPA falls below the required minimum, the Student Awards Committee may choose to allow the student to retain the scholarship for one additional semester (a "grace semester") to bring his/her cumulative GPA up to the requirement. Notification will be sent to the student if a "grace semester" is approved. If a student is given a "grace semester" and his/her cumulative GPA is still below the required GPA after that semester, the scholarship will be canceled.
    • If a music scholarship is canceled due to a low cumulative GPA, the student may submit a written appeal letter to the Student Awards Committee. Appeals will be considered only if there were extenuating circumstances that contributed to the student's low GPA (such as documented medical issues, family emergency, etc.). The appeal letter must be submitted to Anne Hall, Scholarship Coordinator, within ten days after a scholarship is canceled. The Student Awards Committee will review the letter and decide whether or not to grant additional time for the student to bring his/her GPA up to the required minimum.
  • To be eligible to receive Butler School of Music scholarship assistance, undergraduate scholarship winners must enroll in a minimum of 12 semester hours of course work per semester; graduate students must enroll in a minimum of nine semester hours of course work per semester.
  • Scholarship award winners in a performance area must register and participate in designated ensembles or participate in accompanying. Discuss ensemble options with your primary instrument teacher. A list of approved ensembles is available in the Student Office, MRH 3.836.
  • Bachelor of Arts in Music majors must be registered for individual instrument lessons and an approved ensemble each semester in residence in order to retain scholarship eligibility.

Scholarship Renewals

  • Renewals of continuing scholarships are based on students' making satisfactory progress and maintaining minimum grade criteria and meeting all other minimum scholastic requirements listed above. Satisfactory progress is defined as:
    • Undergraduates: successfully completing 12 hours per semester that count toward completion of the degree declared when the scholarship was awarded.
    • Graduate students: successfully completing nine hours per semester that count toward completion of the degree declared when the scholarship was awarded.
  • Students are eligible for scholarship assistance during the time periods listed below:
    • Bachelor's Degree - four years (with a fifth year upon approval of the Student Awards Committee)
    • Master's Degree - two years
    • Doctoral Degree - three years (Exceptions: Graduate piano students who pursue both Masters and Doctoral degrees at the university will be eligible for financial assistance from the Butler School of Music for a maximum of four years of graduate study. Graduate students in Music Theory are eligible for scholarships at any time during their degree.)

 

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