The Texas B-On-Time Loan Program
Helping Students Finance a College Education, on Time, with Good Grades
The Texas B-On-Time (BOT) Loan Program provides zero-interest loans to Texas undergraduate students. Since the program is designed to encourage Texas students to be on time for graduation while meeting high academic standards, the loan can be converted to a grant (that is, forgiven) for student borrowers who meet certain requirements.
To earn loan forgiveness, a BOT loan borrower must graduate with at least a 3.0 grade point average (on a 4.0 point scale) and must:
- Finish within a specified length of time after he or she enters school (two calendar years for programs at public or private 2-year institutions, four calendar years for most bachelor's degree programs, and five calendar years for programs that require a longer period of study), or
- Finish with no more than six credit hours beyond what is required to complete his or her degree or certificate.
Simply put, this program is a good deal. If a borrower qualifies for loan forgiveness, great — he or she won't have to pay back the BOT loan, and graduating within the specified time period may mean the chance to start working and earning a paycheck earlier. If a borrower doesn't qualify for loan forgiveness, he or she has still financed part of a college education with a zero-interest loan, and you literally can't get a better interest rate than that.
To help prospective and current borrowers understand how the BOT Loan Program works, TG provides a variety of resources, including:
- A BOT loan information page for prospective borrowers on AIE
- An informational brochure explaining the terms of the loan and the application process
- A brochure for BOT loan borrowers who have graduated or left school, explaining the forgiveness and repayment processes
- A calculator for current BOT loan borrowers, to help them determine the GPA they need to earn on their remaining courses in order to qualify for renewal eligibility and/or for forgiveness
For more information on the BOT loan, see the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's BOT loan page.