Financial Aid

UT Tyler Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Determining Your Financial Need

The University of Texas at Tyler monitors Satisfactory Academic Progress at the end of each term starting Spring 2019. You must be meeting at least the minimum standards for SAP by the end of any given enrollment period at UT Tyler to maintain financial aid eligibility.

Various federal and state regulations governing student financial assistance require that an institution develop standards to measure academic progress toward a degree, certificate or certification completion. When you apply for financial aid, you will be monitored for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) whether or not financial aid was applied for or received during any academic period in which you were previously enrolled. You will not be eligible for financial assistance if you do not meet the SAP requirements. Minimum standards, including qualitative and pace of progression, must be met by the end of any given term at UT Tyler.

Qualitative Requirements of Satisfactory Academic Progress

The minimum cumulative UT Tyler grade point average for undergraduate students is 2.0 for all semesters. The minimum cumulative UT Tyler grade point average for graduate students is 3.0 for all semesters. The minimum cumulative UT Tyler grade point average for Pharmacy students is 2.0 for all semesters.

Please Note: When you apply and are accepted to graduate school, your SAP will be measured according to graduate student classification, whether or not a bachelor's degree has been earned. (i.e. 4+1 Programs).

Helpful Terms to Understand Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress

• Pace of Progression: the rate at which you are progressing toward the completion of a degree, certificate or certification.
• Meets SAP: a status assigned to you if you are in good standing and meeting all SAP requirements.
• Warning: a status assigned to you if you failed to meet SAP requirements (qualitative and/or pace of progression). You will still be allowed to receive financial aid during a warning status.
• Not Meets SAP: a status assigned to you if you are not meeting SAP requirements (qualitative, pace of progression and/or maximum hours). You will not be eligible for financial aid with this status.
• Appeal: the process for a student who failed to meet SAP requirements to petition the school for a reconsideration of financial aid eligibility (see appeal process for more information).
• Financial Aid Probation: a status assigned to you if you failed to maintain SAP but are approved for an appeal, permitting you to receive financial aid for a specified amount of time.
• Attempted Hours: Any course taken past the census date of a term.
• Successfully Completed Hours: Any course completed with a grade "A", "B", "C", "D", or "CR".
• Incomplete Classes: Courses with grade of "F", "I", "W", "Q", or "NC".

Pace of Progression Requirements of Satisfactory Academic Progress

You must successfully complete at least 66.6% of your cumulative attempted credit hours. Attempted hours include repeated, failed, incomplete, withdrawn from, and transfer credit hours.
Pace is measured by dividing the cumulative number of hours successfully completed by the cumulative number of hours attempted as shown below:

Pace =   Cumulative # of hours successfully completed divided by Cumulative # of hours attempted

Example 1: After two terms Tim has attempted a total of 24 hours, but has only completed (earned with a passing grade) 15 hours. Tim’s pace of progression is equal to 62.5% (15/24=62.5%), which is unacceptable because it is below 67%.

Example 2: After four terms Elsa has attempted a total of 60 hours, but has only completed (earned with a passing grade) 45 hours. This student’s pace of progression is equal to 75% (45/60 = 75%), which is acceptable because it is not below 67%.

Please Note: You are required to notify the Office of Financial Aid BEFORE dropping classes or withdrawing from the university. By doing so, you will be advised about current and/or future financial aid eligibility.

Maximum Hour Limit

In addition to meeting qualitative and pace of progression standards, you must not have registered for, earned or attempted more than a specific cumulative maximum of semester hours as an undergraduate student. This limit is effective whether or not financial aid has ever been applied for or received. The current maximum is 150% of the student’s required degree plan. The maximum includes all hours registered for, earned or attempted at any institution of higher education. This includes hours you have dropped, withdrawn from, failed, duplicated or never completed. College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and some military hours are subject to further evaluation. If you exceed the maximum number of hours allowed by your degree plan your financial aid will be canceled.

To calculate the number of hours for your financial aid eligibility, use this formula:

           ________________ X 150% = ________________________

Hours required for degree plan x 150% = Maximum hours allowed for financial aid

Example 1: Sarah is a continuing student with 145 earned/attempted hours with a degree plan that requires 124 hours to complete. Using the formula above, her eligibility would be calculated as follows: 124 hours for her degree plan X 150% = 186 hours of financial aid eligibility. Sarah is under her maximum hours allowed for financial aid and remains eligible for aid as long as all other requirements are met.

Example 2: Gavin is a new transfer student with 191 earned/attempted hours with a degree plan that requires 120 hours to complete. Using the formula above, his eligibility would be calculated as follows: 120 hours for his degree plan X 150% = 180 hours of financial aid eligibility. Gavin is over his maximum hours allowed for financial aid and is not eligible for financial aid. He does have the option to pursue an appeal to be considered for a Financial Aid Probation (see Appeal Process for more information).

For a graduate program (master’s, doctoral, or professional), the maximum timeframe cannot exceed 150% of the published length of the program measured by the number of terms at UT Tyler. Please note, this includes Fall, Spring and Summer terms of enrollment.

Appeal Process

If you fail to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress standards and consequently lose financial aid eligibility, you may submit a written appeal with supporting documentation for reinstatement of financial aid eligibility if you had mitigating circumstances. Mitigating circumstances include:

• Serious injury of the student and/or the student's immediate family
• Serious extended illness of the student and/or the student's immediate family
• Death of the student's relative

If you have had mitigating circumstances, please visit the Student Financial Aid and Scholarships office to pick up an appeal form. The appeal is also available in the Forms Library under the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal on the Financial Aid webpage. SAP appeals must be submitted by the midpoint of the semester in order to be reviewed.

Repeated Coursework

Per Federal Regulation, a student is not eligible for Title IV (federal) financial aid for any course they repeat more than once if they have previously passed the course.

Example: Student took BIOL 101 in Fall 2010 and earned a D. The student can retake the course once and receive financial aid for that course. If the student attempts to retake the course again, no federal financial aid funds can be used to help pay for the class.

NOTE: Please refer to the current UT Tyler Catalog for Undergraduate Academic Probation/Suspension and Graduate Academic Probation/Suspension. The academic policies and appeal process differ from the federal requirement for students to maintain financial aid eligibility.