Financial Aid

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