Financial Aid Options Mean Unlimited Career Potential 

The University of Texas Permian Basin makes multiple financial aid options available because we want to help you achieve your dreams, be they professional, personal, or both. That’s why we offer affordable tuition and access to a variety of funding options that will enable you to pursue a respected degree online through the acclaimed UT System. 

Review your options below and discover how to start applying for financial aid. Questions? Our financial aid office is here for you anytime. 

The list below provides the types of financial aid that are most commonly used by students.

Grants
Federal, state, or institutional funds which are awarded based on financial need of the student. Grants do not have to be paid back.

Application forms: FAFSA with priority deadline of July 15th in fall or November 15th in spring.

Loans
Borrowed funds that need to be repaid. The loan offer amounts made on the student’s portal can be canceled if financial need is met or adjusted to meet financial need. The full amount of the loan does not need to be accepted.

Application Forms: FAFSA with priority deadline of July 15th in fall or November 15th in spring.

Other Requirements: Master Promissory Note (MPN) and Entrance Counseling to be completed on  studentaid.gov.

Scholarships
Funds that do not have to be paid back. The criteria for scholarships may vary, with not all being need-based or academically based.

Application forms: FAFSA, General Application and Financial Aid Application

Work Study 
Work positions that are available to students who demonstrate a financial need.

Application forms: FAFSA and Student Employment Application

Questions?
If you have any questions about financial aid, please email a financial aid representative.

Follow the steps below to apply for the FAFSA. Please contact a UT Permian Basin financial aid representative if you have any questions.  

  1. Apply for Admission 
    Apply for admission to UT Permian Basin. You must be accepted to your program and registered for classes to receive federal funds.  
  1. Complete a FAFSA 
    Complete the FAFSA for the year and semester you plan on attending UT Permian Basin. If you plan on filling out a Special Circumstance Form, Dependent Care Form, or Dependency Status Change Form, you should speak with a representative at the Office of Financial Aid before you submit the FAFSA.  
     
    The FAFSA can be completed by going to this website and using UT Permian Basin’s school code: 009930. After submitting your FAFSA, please allow 3-5 weeks for processing electronic submissions and 4-6 weeks for mail submissions. 
     
    After your FAFSA has been processed, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR). The Office of Financial Aid will also receive the results of your SAR.  
  1. Additional Paperwork 
    Notify the Office of Financial Aid when you have read your SAR. A financial aid representative will confirm whether additional information will be needed to complete your file. Please check “To Do List” in your UTPB portal for additional documents that may be required.  
     
    Additional documents may include
    – Verification worksheet 
    – Signed copy of student’s tax return 
    – Signed copy of parent’s tax return 
    – Social Security information 
    – INS/citizenship status information 
    – Selective service registry information 
    – Enrollment history 
     
  1. Award Letter 
    You will receive an award letter when your financial aid file is complete. The letter will show the type and amount of aid awarded for the fall and spring semesters. Summer aid is generally not awarded until April. Awards are based on full-time attendance in the terms listed on your award letter and may be adjusted based on your enrollment status for each term.  
     
    Awarded grants and scholarships will be complete. Additional paperwork must be completed to receive a Stafford Loan. Work-study assistance can also be awarded after a student first finds a position on campus to receive work-study funds.  
     
  1. Future Financial Aid 
    You should complete a new FAFSA for each year you plan on attending. The form is available on November 1st each year to be completed for the next academic year. Other forms pertinent to your situation, such as scholarships, must be resubmitted annually as well.  
  • Entrance/Exit Interviews - Federal Stafford Loan information, online entrance and exit interviews. 
  • FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Our school code is 009930. 
  • Direct Loans – Link to the Department of Education Direct Loan information page. 
  • College for Texans - Search for scholarships. You can also apply for Hazlewood under the “Military and their Families” link. 
  • NSLDS – Access the National Student Loan Data System to check your current loan balances for all loans you have received from every school you have attended. 
  • TEACH Grant – Link to the Department of Education TEACH Grant information page. 

Overview 

Although state and national policy has established many objectives for student financial aid programs, one clear purpose is to fund only students who meet certain academic standards. Institutions are therefore required by law to formulate standards to gauge the progress of students receiving federal and state financial aid by applying both qualitative and quantitative measurements to academic work. A maximum time limit for the completion of a degree and a minimum grade point average (GPA) are used by the University to measure satisfactory academic progress. The qualitative standard of satisfactory academic progress is measured by the cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of courses taken at UT Permian Basin. 

Federal regulations require the UTPB Financial Aid Office to establish standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) that measure a student’s progress toward degree completion using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Satisfactory Academic Progress applies to all coursework attempted and earned including courses transferred or those for which the student did not receive financial aid. As you review these standards, please be advised that in order to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress a student must complete 67% of all classes that an academic record is created for and must also maintain a 2.00 GPA if undergraduate or post-BA and 3.00 GPA if a graduate student. 

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is evaluated at the end of each semester (fall, spring, & summer). 

Qualitative Measure 

Undergraduate and post-BA students must maintain a minimum CGPA of 2.00 each semester they are enrolled. Graduate students must have a CGPA of 3.0 each semester they are enrolled. Students falling below this minimum CGPA are subject to financial aid probation or dismissal as described in the catalog. 

Quantitative Measure 

The University has established a quantitative measurement of academic progress toward completion of a student’s degree or certification program. Federal Title IV regulations state that student eligibility cannot extend past 150% of the stated length of a student’s program of study for both undergraduate and graduate programs. Example: A first baccalaureate program at UT Permian Basin requires a minimum of 120 semester credit hours for graduation. Therefore, a student who is working on a first bachelor’s degree must complete the program within 180 attempted semester credit hours (120 hrs. x 1.50). Programs of different lengths would be similarly calculated. A student’s entire enrollment history is considered when evaluating academic progress within the established time frame, whether or not aid has been received previously. 

In addition to the overall time frame, a financial aid recipient must also be making progress toward completing the program by completing sixty-seven percent of the funded hours attempted each year. Funded hours are those semester credit hours which are counted in determining a student’s enrollment status for payment of financial aid. Courses in which a “W”, “D”, “F”, “U” or “Z” has been recorded may be repeated once and be included as funded hours for financial aid (i.e., in the 12+ hours for full-time enrollment). Repeated courses in which a grade of “C” or higher, “S” or “I” has been recorded will not be included as funded hours for financial aid. Audited courses cannot be funded with financial aid or counted in the progress requirements. 

Federal Title IV regulations specify that developmental courses may be included as funded hours for financial aid. These courses are numbered 0399 in the catalog (e.g., ENGL 0399, Fundamentals of Composition). The regulations also stipulate that a student may receive funding for not more than one year or thirty (30) hours of developmental courses. Therefore, each course numbered 0399 may be repeated once and still receive financial aid funding provided all other progress requirements have been met. 

A quantitative measurement of academic progress will be made three times a year for all financial aid recipients. At the end of the fall, spring, and summer semesters a student must have successfully completed a minimum of sixty-seven percent (67%) of all course enrollments attempted at UT Permian Basin combined with hours transferred as part of your degree courses completed during the time of admission. Any student who falls below the minimum completion rate of 67% will be considered to not be making academic progress until the ratio of completed to attempted hours is again above 67%. Courses with a recorded grade of “F”, “U”, “W”, “Z” or “PR” are not considered successfully completed. Students are permitted to use summer enrollments to make up credit hour deficiencies. Enrollments attempted and successfully completed at UT Permian Basin will be considered in academic progress as well as courses repeated or transferred from other institutions. 

Change of Academic Major/Pursuit of a Double Major or Minor 

Students who have a change of academic major or pursue multiple majors or minors will not have additional financial aid eligibility beyond the Maximum Time Frame established under the new policy. 

Failure to Make Academic Progress 

Student Academic Progress will be checked after each semester. Students who are found to not be making progress either for qualitative or quantitative reasons will be put on Financial Aid Warning. Students with a warning status will not have their aid suspended and will be allowed to receive aid for one additional semester. At the end of the spring semester, academic progress will be checked again. All students who are on Financial Aid Warning and have not met the minimum requirements for academic progress will be put on financial aid suspension. These students will not be eligible to receive aid until they have successfully met the academic progress standards or successfully appealed their SAP. 

Appeals 

Students who have lost eligibility to receive financial aid as a result of Financial Aid Suspension must attain the minimum standards of satisfactory academic progress before becoming eligible to receive aid. The University recognizes that students sometimes encounter circumstances beyond their control that can adversely affect their academic progress. Any student subject to probation or suspension of financial aid eligibility may appeal to the Financial Assistance Committee for a review of the decision. The appeal must be submitted in writing and include in the request an explanation and, if necessary, documentation of the reason(s) why the minimum academic standards required by this policy were not achieved. The appeal must also include a statement regarding how the problem has been corrected and how the student plans to ensure that progress will be met in the future. 

If the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Committee believes that it is possible for the student to meet the standards for academic progress, the committee can grant the appeal. However if the student does not meet the standards for academic progress in that semester, their aid will again be suspended. 

The Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Committee can also approve an appeal based on a requirement that the student be placed on an academic plan. The academic plan will clearly outline what steps a student must take in order to make academic progress. As long as the student is following the plan, they will be considered to be making academic progress. If a student’s appeal is granted and they are not required to be placed on an academic plan but the student does not make progress, they will have their aid suspended. Students may only submit one satisfactory academic progress appeal petition per award year; however, if a unique circumstance is present students may complete a Secondary appeal, but only with prior approval from the SAP officer, and will be placed on an academic plan if the appeal is granted. The student will be notified in writing of the committee’s decision. All SAP Appeal Decisions are final. 

Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Deadlines 

SAP appeal documents should be submitted no later than the first census date of the courses scheduled within a semester. Census date is defined as the last day to drop from a course without creating an academic record. Late appeals will be accepted on a case-by-case basis. 

Please note: A student in accelerated or short-term courses will have a reduced window of opportunity to return an SAP appeal. A student who does not meet these deadlines should be prepared to pay for the courses out of pocket. Students who are denied SAP appeals are responsible for paying all university charges incurred. 

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policies and Procedures Guide 

SAP Appeal Application

Satisfactory Academic Progress Recovery Plan 

Loan Disbursement Dates 

For financial aid purposes, the disbursement dates listed below are the dates when UT Permian Basin’s Office of Financial Aid applies the amount of the loans to a student’s account. It does not represent the date that a student will receive a refund from the university. Refunds are processed through the Office of Accounting and will occur within 14 days of the date that financial aid applies any amount that will produce a credit for a student. 

Financial aid awards will disburse 10 days before the first class day for the semester. If your financial aid funds do not cover the full expense for your tuition and fees balance, you will have to make a payment. If there is money left after your tuition and fees are paid in full, you will receive a refund.

Loans and Dropping Courses 

Loan disbursements will not be processed until you reach the census date for the sixth credit hour that you are enrolled for. For example, if you are enrolled in 3 credit hours for the first 8-week semester and 3 credit hours for the second 8-week semester, you will not receive your first disbursement until the census date has passed for the later term. 

If you have accepted your loan that will cover your charges and completed a Master Promissory Note and Entrance Counseling, the financial aid office can place a “Do Not Drop” indicator in order to prevent you from being dropped from your courses if the loan covers your balance.  

If you drop your second 8-week course before the loan is disbursed, you will no longer be eligible for a loan disbursement, and you will be responsible for paying your tuition for the first 8-week course out of pocket. If you accept financial aid and it is not enough to cover your total balance, you will be responsible for paying the remaining balance in order to avoid an “Accounting Delinquent Hold.” Financial aid awards are not based on student balances. 

 The three-step loan process includes: 

  • Accepting the loan amount you would like to borrow through your my.utpb.edu student portal. 
  • Completing a Master Promissory Note at studentloans.gov. 
  • Completing Entrance Counseling at studentloans.gov. 
     

** You have the right to cancel all or a portion of your loans. Students or parents wishing to cancel loans or disbursements must complete the Financial Aid Cancellation Form available at utpb.edu/admissions-aid/financial-aid/financial-aid-forms within 14 days after receiving notification of disbursement.** 

Processing Awards 

The UTPB financial aid office will begin processing credits from awarded and accepted funds towards a student’s account 12 days after classes begin each term. After this date, the system will begin applying the remaining credits on the account. If the remaining credits exceed the amount owed to the school, the student will receive a refund check. 

Please keep an eye on your review financial aid screen and the review pay bill screen to monitor the application of financial aid. If there are remaining portions of aid that you have questions about, please contact our office at (432) 552-2620. 

Refunds & Payment Options 

All refund and payment information is handled by the UTPB Accounting Office. Please follow the links below to be directed to their webpage. 

About 30% of all applicants are selected for a process called Verification. If you are selected, you will be notified in your SAR. The steps below outline how to submit your information for verification. 

Inceptia 

Verification Gateway 

Federal Verification Process 

UT Permian Basin has established a partnership with Inceptia to expedite the federal verification process. Verification Gateway (VG) from Inceptia is an online portal to guide students and parents through verification. 

If your FAFSA application is selected for verification by the U.S Department of Education, you will receive an email from VGCS@inceptia.org, or postcard from Inceptia, containing UT Permian Basin’s unique website link to start the verification process. 

We encourage you to begin the verification process within 7 days of receiving notification from Verification Gateway to ensure you receive your financial aid in time for payments. Failure to complete the verification process could result in the delay or denial of your financial aid. 

Follow these steps to complete your verification: 

  • Access our school’s unique website link in the email from VGCS@inceptia.org or listed below. 
  • Create your account and choose preferences for text messages and e-signatures. 
  • Complete your Task List. 
  • Confirm your signature and review your information. 
  • Sign your account. 

*If you are a dependent student, your parent also needs to create their own account and complete each of these steps. 

Questions about the verification process? 

Contact Inceptia, Monday through Friday 8 am – 7 pm Central at (888) 374-8427 or VGCS@inceptia.org. 

About Inceptia 

Inceptia, a division of National Student Loan Program (NSLP), is a nonprofit organization committed to offering effective and uncomplicated solutions in financial aid management, default prevention, and financial education. Our mission is to support schools as they launch brilliant futures for students, armed with the knowledge to become financially responsible citizens. Learn more at Inceptia.org

2022-2023 Academic Year Verification Forms