Satisfactory
Academic Progress for UPPS
No. 07.07.02
Graduate Students
on Financial Aid Issue
No. 4
Effective Date: 04/21/2008
Review: November 1 E4Y
01. POLICY STATEMENT
01.01 This
UPPS defines satisfactory academic progress for graduate (master’s and doctoral)
students in determining eligibility under the relevant federal and state
financial aid programs. This policy applies to all graduate students who apply
for financial aid regardless of whether a student has previously received
financial aid.
02. SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC
PROGRESS GUIDELINES
02.01 Federal
and state regulations require each student to be making "Satisfactory
Academic Progress" (SAP) to be eligible for federal and state financial
aid programs. Satisfactory academic progress is defined in both quantitative
and qualitative measures. Quantitative measures require that the student
complete all course requirements for his or her degree
program by completion of a maximum number of semester hours, and that the
student is making sufficient progress throughout
the course of study. The qualitative measure requires a student to maintain a
satisfactory grade point average that is consistent with the requirement to
obtain a degree or certification at the University.
02.02 The
quantitative measure for undergraduates requires a maximum number of semester
hours for a student to complete his or her academic degree program. This
maximum timeframe does not apply to graduate students. The quantitative measure
also requires that graduate students earn a minimum number of semester credit
hours by the end of each academic year (end of spring semester).
a. MAXIMUM
TIMEFRAME: While the maximum timeframe does not apply to graduate students,
Texas State is required to develop, disseminate and consistently apply a policy
defining the maximum timeframe graduate students have to complete the program.
For graduate students, the maximum number of credit hours (total attempted
hours) is limited to 150% of the published degree program requirements and
includes all hours (including repeats) at any institution of higher education
and hours accepted in transfer even if financial aid was not received.
Non-credit courses taken at the University or any institution of higher
education, including hours accepted in transfer, will be calculated into the
total attempted hours. There is no provision for academic amnesty in evaluating
satisfactory academic progress. The maximum number of total attempted hours
will be 150% of the maximum number of semester hours for any master’s or doctoral
program.
Example:
1) A
master’s program requires no more than 69 hours, which will allow 104 attempted
hours (69 * 150% = 103.5 hours). This calculation will apply to all master’s
programs.
2) A
doctoral program requires no more than 75 hours, which will allow 113 attempted
hours (75 * 150% = 112.5 hours). This calculation will apply to all doctoral
programs.
b. All
grades that represent earned grades such as “A”, “B”, “C”, “D”, “F”, “CR”, and
“PR” (typically indicating progress toward a student’s thesis or dissertation)
will be counted toward the total attempted hours. Each repeated course will
also be counted toward this total. Grades of “I” and “W”, which represent
non-credit semester hours, will also be counted toward the total attempted
hours.
c. EARNED
HOURS: The quantitative measure for graduate also requires that graduate
students earn a minimum number of semester credit hours the end of each
academic year. The end of the academic year is defined as the end of the spring
semester. During the academic year (previous summer/fall/spring) a student who
applies for financial aid must, prior to their receiving financial aid,
successfully complete a specified minimum of attempted coursework (completion
rate) during each period of evaluation (summer/fall/spring). If the number of
completed hours drops below 70% of attempted hours during the evaluation period
(summer/fall/spring)—even those periods during which the student did not
receive financial aid, the student will be placed on financial aid probation.
Only courses attempted and completed at Texas State are used in determining the
completion rate.
Examples:
1) If
a student attempts 20 credit hours in an academic year, he or she must complete
a minimum of 14 credit hours (20 * 70% = 14) in order to meet SAP for the year.
All partial credit hours are rounded down to the nearest hour.
2) If
a student attempts 18 credit hours in an academic year, he or she must have
completed a minimum of 12 credit hours (18 * 70% = 12.6) in order to meet SAP
for the year. All partial credit hours are rounded down to the nearest hour.
d. Grades
of “W”, “I”, “D”, and “F” will be considered as attempted hours but not as
completed hours for purposes of calculating the student’s completion rate.
Changes in grades will be assessed during the annual evaluation at the end of
the academic year (end of spring semester).
02.03 The
qualitative measure requires that the student must at a minimum meet the following cumulative Texas State grade point average (GPA):
Masters at the end of the spring 3.0
Doctoral at the end of the spring 3.0
Effective Fall of 1991, when a course is repeated once, the last grade earned ("W"s excluded) is the only grade used in computing the GPA. If a course is repeated more than once, the second grade and all subsequent grades are used in computing the GPA. An "I" grade will be a non-punitive grade for one year from the end of the semester in which the "I" grade is received and will not be counted in the calculation of GPA. If an "I" grade is not removed within the one year period (an exception may be made when a student is called to active military duty), it will become an "F" and will be counted in the calculation of the GPA. Grades of "W", "PR", and "CR" are also non-punitive grades and will not be counted in the calculation of GPA. Changes in grades will be captured during the annual evaluation at the end of the academic year (end of spring semester).
03. REVIEW POLICY
03.01 At
the end of each academic year (end of spring semester) Financial Aid and Scholarships
will review the progress of each financial aid applicant for SAP. Students will
be reviewed to ensure that they are meeting the following criteria:
a. Cumulative
GPA of at least:
·
3.00
for master’s students
·
3.00
for doctoral students
b. Successful
completion of at least 70% of all attempted Texas State coursework during each
evaluation period (previous summer/fall/ spring)—even those periods during
which the student did not receive financial aid.
c. Total
attempted hours does not exceed 150% of the maximum number of semester hours
for any program (104 hours for master’s and 113 hours for doctoral students).
d. New
aid applicants will be reviewed upon Financial Aid and Scholarships receipt of
the student’s financial aid application.
03.02 FINANCIAL
AID PROBATION: Students not meeting the satisfactory academic progress
guidelines, who are not already on financial
aid probation, will be placed on financial
aid probation. Students on financial
aid probation are eligible to continue receiving financial aid and will be
evaluated at the end of the next academic year of attendance (end of spring
semester). It should be understood that financial
aid probation is the only warning a student will receive before aid is
suspended. A student will only receive one financial aid probationary period during their graduate career.
03.03 FINANCIAL
AID SUSPENSION and REINSTATEMENT: Students not meeting the satisfactory
academic progress guidelines after a financial aid probationary period will
have their aid eligibility suspended. The only remedy for financial aid suspension is for the student to pay for their own
education until they are meeting SAP requirements at the end of the next
evaluation period (end of spring semester). The only exception is when an
appeal exemption is granted for unusual or mitigating circumstances. If a
student meets the SAP requirements prior to the evaluation period, the student
may submit a request for reinstatement of aid.
04. APPEALS PROCEDURES
04.01 In the
event that a student has been placed on financial aid suspension because they
do not meet the quantitative or qualitative standards for SAP, they may file an
appeal. Appeals will only be approved in the case of mitigating circumstances.
There is no guarantee of approval. Mitigating circumstances may include, but
are not limited to, a death in the family, illness of the student, or any undue
hardship that prohibits the successful completion of coursework. Circumstances
will be evaluated by the reviewer of the appeal. Any student who wishes to
appeal the loss of their financial aid due to not meeting satisfactory academic
progress (as outlined above) must do so through the following appeals process.
Under normal circumstances, an appeal to waive the conditions stated above must
be made in the following order:
a. to
the Financial Aid Counselor (appeal 1)
b. to
the Assistant/Associate Director (appeal 2)
c. to
the Director (appeal 3)
d. to
the Financial Aid Advisory, Appeals and Scholarship Committee (appeal 4 and
final appeal level)
04.02 An appeal must include the following:
a. Student’s name, Texas State ID number, and email address
b. A written description of the mitigating circumstances
c. Documentation to support any claims
d. If appealing because the student has exceeded the maximum timeframe or because of a change in major, a degree plan must be submitted showing the number of hours remaining until graduation.
e. A description of the steps taken by the student to remedy the situation.
f. The student’s signature
NOTE: Appeals submitted without documentation will not be considered.
Once a student is first notified (in oral or written form) of their being ineligible for financial aid (financial aid suspension), the student has ten working days to submit an appeal. If a student is denied an appeal at any level (with the exception of a level 4 appeal) and wishes to appeal to the next level, the student must submit a written notice of appeal to the next level within ten working days after receiving an oral or written notice of the decision at the previous level.
05. NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES
05.01 The
definition of satisfactory academic progress will be published annually in the Graduate
Catalog and the official university electronic publications and will be
communicated to all financial assistance applicants by any other means deemed
necessary by the Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships.
05.02 Computer
generated emails (or letters when a student’s email address is not available)
will be sent at the end of the spring semester to inform the student that he or
she is no longer eligible to receive financial aid. Students will be notified after grades are
posted on the student’s academic transcript. New aid applicants will be
notified upon Financial Aid and Scholarships receiving and reviewing the
student’s financial aid application.
05.03 The Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships or designee may waive any of the above requirements when extenuating circumstances are properly presented and documented.
06. REVIEWERS OF THIS UPPS
06.01 Reviewers of this UPPS include the following:
Position
Date
Director, Financial Aid and
Scholarships November 1 E4Y
Associate Vice President for
Enrollment November 1 E4Y
Management and Marketing
Dean, Graduate College November
1 E4Y
07. CERTIFICATION STATEMENT
This
UPPS has been approved by the following individuals in their official
capacities and represents Texas State policy
and procedure from date of this document until superseded.
Director,
Financial Aid and Scholarships; senior reviewer of this UPPS
Associate
Vice President for Enrollment Management and Marketing
Provost
and Vice President for Academic Affairs
President