Academic Excellence Scholarship Program

AES Program Policies

AES Award Deferral

Incoming freshmen: Incoming freshmen that accept an AES award may seek to defer their scholarship for a maximum of two semesters if they do not attend an institution of higher education prior to enrolling at UT Dallas. Students must receive approval from the AES Program prior to the first day of classes.

Current AES Students: Current AES students may seek to defer their scholarship for a maximum of two semesters. Students must receive approval from the AES Program prior to the first day of classes.

To request AES award deferral, students must submit the Request for Deferral Online Form (NetID and password required to access). Please fill out all form fields as complete as possible. Help for each form field is available by mousing over the [?] icon. If you have any questions about completing the form, or would like a paper copy of the form, please contact the AES program office at 972-883-6708.

Click here to fill out and submit the Request for Deferral Online Form

Exemption to AES Award Hours Requirement

Prior to registering for the next semester, students who intend to enroll in less than 15 UT Dallas credit hours may petition to be exempt from being placed on probation.

To request an exemption to the AES program hours requirement, students need to submit the Request for Exemption to Hours Form (NetID and password required to access). Please fill out all form fields as complete as possible. Help for each form field is available by mousing over the [?] icon. If you have any questions about completing the form, or would like a paper copy of the form, please contact the AES program office at 972-883-6708.

PLEASE NOTE: A reduction in credit hours may impact other financial aid students may be receiving. For example, some loans, other institutional and third party scholarships, and grants may require the completion of a minimum number of credit hours. Students receiving other forms of financial assistance should contact the Office of Financial Aid to submitting the AES Exemption to Hours Form.

Click here to fill out and submit the Request for Exemption to Hours Form

AES Housing Consideration

AES recipients are not given priority consideration during the housing application process and are not guaranteed placement in on-campus housing.

Study Abroad - Maintaining Scholarship Eligibility

Archer Program - AES tuition and fee awards can be applied to Archer Program participation. However, Archer participants will not receive their AES housing stipends.

Eligible Study Abroad Programs - AES tuition and fee awards can only be applied to Exchange Mobility study abroad programs. In order to receive AES funds toward an Exchange Mobility program, AES recipients must be in good standing with the University and the AES Program. Students must complete all necessary protocol through the Office of International Education (OIE). Students must be in good academic standing with the AES Program in order to receive AES funds toward an Exchange Mobility program.

Non-Exchange Mobility Study Abroad - AES recipients (who are not NMS requesting their study abroad stipends) who have satisfied all required OIE protocol for any non-Exchange Mobility study abroad program must submit an AES Request for Deferral (and receive deferral approval) in order to retain their AES.

AES National Merit Scholarship Recipients - AES National Merit Scholarship recipients must be in good academic standing with the University and the AES Program in order to receive their one-time AES study abroad stipend. AES National Merit students may request to have their AES stipend applied to any study abroad activity endorsed by the OIE once they satisfy all necessary OIE protocol. Students must receive approval to utilize their AES National Merit study abroad stipend from the AES Program the semester before the term in which they intend to study abroad in order for the stipend to be disbursed and other funds deferred properly.

Suggestions for Students - You should begin the necessary paperwork (application process and other required activities) with the OIE six months before the semester you wish to study abroad.

UT-PACT BS/MD Program

Students who are awarded an Academic Excellence Scholarship (AES) and admitted to the UT-PACT Program (through the UT System initiative known as the Transformation in Medical Education, or TIME) at UT Dallas will receive their AES award for eight semesters of coursework at UT Dallas. AES funds will not be applied to courses taken at UT Southwestern.

Probation - AES Student Success Program

Students who do not meet the AES academic requirements at the conclusion of either the fall or spring semester are placed on probation and asked to participate in our AES Student Success Program. The AES Student Success Program is a requirement for every student who does not meet the AES academic requirements at the conclusion of a semester. Failure to participate in the AES Student Success Program will lead to automatic termination of the scholarship.

AES Award Termination

Prior to termination, each student will be given the opportunity to participate in the AES Summer Academic Progress Initiative (SAPI). Academic Excellence Scholarships can be terminated for the following reasons.

  • Academic Excellence Scholarships will be automatically terminated at the conclusion of the academic year (or summer semester) for failure to meet the AES academic requirements listed below.
    • Complete at least 15 unique UT Dallas credit hours per semester resulting in completion of 30 unique UT Dallas credit hours within each academic year
    • Earn a UT Dallas GPA of 3.0 or better each semester and possess a cumulative UT Dallas GPA of at least 3.0 at the conclusion of each academic year
  • Academic Excellence Scholarships will be automatically terminated for failure to schedule a meeting with the AES Student Success Program advisor before census day (the 14th day of classes).
  • Academic Excellence Scholarships will also be terminated if students do not attend their initial meeting with the AES Student Success Program advisor and fail to reschedule within 10 working days after the original meeting date.

Academic Excellence Scholarships will also be terminated if a student does not complete the mandated individual success plan. The AES Student Success Program advisor will monitor each student’s adherence to the activities outlined in his or her success plan.

Appeal for Exception to AES Policy

In order to appeal an AES Program decision, students must complete and submit the Appeal for Exception to AES Policy Form. If your AES has been terminated and you believe there are extenuating circumstances that warrant additional consideration of your termination, you may appeal the termination decision by completing and submitting the Appeal for Exception to AES Policy Form prior to census day (the 14th day of class) of the current semester.

Click here to fill out and submit the Appeal for Exception to AES Policy Form


These policies may not apply to AES recipients who were admitted in prior academic years. Please contact the AES Program office at 972-883-6708 for clarification.