Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

The Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, mandates institutions of higher education to establish policies to monitor the academic progress of students who apply for and/or receive federal financial aid.  UMHB makes its minimum standards applicable to all federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs for the purpose of maintaining a consistent policy for all financial aid applicants.  Though this policy establishes the minimum standards for all financial aid programs at UMHB, an individual aid program may have unique qualitative and/or quantitative standards specific to the program as mandated  by law or the program’s governing entity (e.g., TEG, TEXAS Grant, Texas B-On-Time Loans, Academic Scholarships, etc.).

 

Federal regulations require students receiving financial aid to make satisfactory academic progress (SAP) toward a well-defined educational objective in order to receive aid and remain eligible for continued assistance from both state and federal programs.
SAP policy for students receiving financial aid takes into account the following:

  • Qualitative measure of progress -- grade point average (GPA).
  • Quantitative measure of progress -- maximum timeframe in which a student is expected to complete his program.
  • Progress must be evident in both areas.

 

1.  Cumulative Grade Point Average

            Students must meet the following minimum cumulative GPA requirement to retain financial aid eligibility:

                        Undergraduate Students

                                    1st Year of Attendance…..………..   1.5 Cumulative GPA

                                    2nd Year of Attendance…………….  1.7 Cumulative GPA

                                    3rd Year of Attendance…………….  1.9 Cumulative GPA

                                    4th Year of Attendance……………   2.0 Cumulative GPA

                        Graduate Students…………………………..            3.0 Cumulative GPA

 2.  Successful Credit Hour Completion

            Students must successfully complete/earn the following minimum number of hours of all attempted course work to remain on track to complete the degree within the maximum time frame allowed and retain financial aid eligibility:

 

                        Undergraduate Students

                                    Full-time……………………………. 24 Hours

                                    Three quarter-time………………….  18 Hours

                                    Half-time…………………………… 12 Hours 

                        Graduate Students

                                    Full-time……………………………. 18 Hours

                                    Half-time…………………………… 12 Hours

 3.  Maximum Time Frame for Degree/Certificate Completion

           The maximum total hours attempted will be limited to 150% of the degree programs published length. 

 Review Policy

SAP is calculated annually after the spring semester following the student’s first term of enrollment to determine each applicant’s eligibility for aid consideration for the upcoming academic year. 

 Appeal Policy

Students who do not meet the requirements and believe they have an extenuating circumstance that led to their unsatisfactory progress may submit an application for appeal to the Financial Aid Office to be reviewed.  The application for appeal is available in the Financial Aid Office or via the Web.

 Reinstatement Policy

To reinstate eligibility, students may attend the next semester without financial aid or lay out one long semester.  If at the end of the semester the student meets the minimum SAP standards, the student may be eligible for aid.  Students may apply for an alternative loan during the reinstatement period to help meet their educational expenses.

 

Due to guidance from the U.S. Department of Education, institutions are required to complete a refund calculation for financial aid recipients who fail to earn a passing grade in any class for the semester.  These students are considered by the Federal Government to have “unofficially withdrawn” from the University. The refund calculation determines how much of the aid a student received for the semester was actually “earned” and how much must be “repaid” by the student to the appropriate aid program.  The amount is based on the student’s last documented date of attendance. If you receive financial aid for any given semester, and you fail to make a passing grade in any class for the semester, this calculation will be performed to determine the amount you owe back to the program(s).