Satisfactory Academic Progress for Graduate UPPS No. 07.07.02

and Postgraduate Students on Financial Aid Issue No. 3
Effective Date: 07/12/2004
Review: November 1 E4Y

01. POLICY STATEMENTS

01.01 This UPPS defines satisfactory academic progress for graduate and post graduate students in determining eligibility under the various federal and state financial aid programs.

01.02 The development and dissemination of this information to students is required by regulations of the Department of Education found in 34 C.F.R. § 668.43.

02. SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS GUIDELINES

02.01 Federal and state regulations require each student to be making "Satisfactory Academic Progress" 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 requires a maximum number of semester hours for a student to complete his or her academic degree program, and a minimum number of semester credit hours to be earned at the end of each academic year based on the total registered hours.

a. For the doctoral, graduate, and certification seeking students, the quantitative measure includes all hours at any institution of higher education including 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 not be calculated into the total hours. The University has established the maximum number of semester hours for a graduate student seeking a masters degree as 80 hours. For a graduate student without a master’s degree seeking a doctoral degree the established number of semester hours is set at 160 credit hours. For a graduate student with a master’s degree seeking a doctoral degree, the established number of semester hours is set at 140 credit hours. For a student seeking certification, the established number of semester hours is set at 36 credit hours.

b. The quantitative measure for graduate and certification seeking students also requires that a minimum number of semester credit hours be earned at the end of each academic year. The minimum is based on the total registered hours during the Fall and Spring semesters or “Grace Period”. The end of the academic year is defined as the end of the spring semester. Students who have not enrolled at Texas State for the academic year will not be checked for minimum number of semester credit hours.

Total Registered Hours Minimum New Hours

Fall and Spring or Total Required to

Registered Hours During Complete

Grace Period

24+ 18

20-23 15

16-19 12

12-15 09

06-11 06

03-05 03

02 02

01 01

02.03 All grades that represent earned grades such as A, B, C, D, and F will be counted toward satisfying the semester credit hour requirement. Grades of I, W, and PR, which represent non-credit semester hours will not be counted toward satisfying the semester credit hour requirement with one exception. A maximum of one PR grade for each thesis enrollment will be counted toward satisfying the semester credit hour requirement. A maximum of 27 PR hours for dissertation enrollment will be counted toward satisfying the semester credit hour requirement. Repeated courses will not be counted toward meeting the semester hour requirement. Changes in grades will be captured during the annual evaluation at the end of the academic year or when the student is evaluated after a grace period.

02.04 Students who fail to earn the required number of semester credit hours for any academic year will be given a "Grace Period". Students given a grace period will be expected to use the summer, fall or spring semesters to return to making Satisfactory Academic Progress at Texas State. Students who fail to earn, complete, and pass the required number of semester credit hours during the grace period will become ineligible for federal and state financial aid programs.

In addition, the same graduate or certification seeking student must earn, complete, and pass a minimum of 12 semester hours at Texas State after one grace period has ended before he or she will be eligible for another grace period.

02.05 If a student has failed to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress after the utilization of a grace period, that student may regain eligibility by completing 1 semester without financial aid in which he or she meets the required policy guidelines outlined in the hours completion chart in Section 02.02 b. Upon completion of that semester, if the student is meeting all Satisfactory Academic Progress policy guidelines, he or she will automatically be eligible for federal and state programs as long he or she continues to meet all policy guidelines.

02.06 The qualitative measure requires that the student must meet the following cumulative Texas State grade point average (GPA):

Masters After one academic year 3.0

Doctoral After one academic year 3.0

Certification Seeking After one academic year 3.0

02.07 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 1 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 1 year period (an exception may be when a student is called to active military duty), it will become an "F" and will be counted in calculation of GPA. Grades of "W", "PR", "CR" are also non-punitive grades and will not be counted in calculation of GPA. Changes in grades will be captured during the annual evaluation at the end of the academic year.

02.08 Any student who fails to achieve the minimum grade point average may be given a grace period as mentioned in Section 02.04. Students who fail to achieve the required GPA during the grace period will become ineligible for the federal and state financial aid programs. In addition, after a student has received a grace period, the same student must earn, complete, and pass a minimum of 12 semester credit hours at Texas State after the grace period has ended before he or she will be eligible for another grace period.

02.09 If a student has failed to meet the minimum grade point average after the utilization of a grace period, that student will regain eligibility by completing 1 semester without financial aid in which the student meets the required Texas State GPA outlined in Section 02.06. Upon completion of the semester, if the student is meeting all Satisfactory Academic Progress policy guidelines, he or she will automatically be eligible for federal and state programs as long has he or she continues to meet all policy guidelines.

02.10 Summer enrollment will be considered an optional period for students. A student who fails to earn the required number of hours or achieve the minimum grade point average by the end of the academic year, may use the ensuing Texas State summer session(s) as his or her grace period, as defined in Section 02.04.

03. APPEALS PROCEDURES

03.01 Any student who wishes to appeal the loss of his or her financial aid due to not making Satisfactory Academic Progress as outlined above must do so through the appeals process. Under normal circumstances, an appeal to waive the conditions stated above can be made in the following order:

a. to the Financial Aid Counselor

b. to the Assistant/Associate Director

c. to the Director

d. to the Financial Aid and Scholarship Advisory Committee

In order for an appeal to be considered, a student must submit a written notice of appeal to the next level within 5 working days after the student has received an oral or written notice of the decision at the previous level.

04. PUBLICITY

04.01 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 Student Financial Aid.

04.02 Computer generated letters will be mailed at the end of the spring semester (or after the completion of a grace semester) to inform the student that he or she is no longer eligible to receive financial aid. The letter will be mailed after grades are posted on the student’s academic transcript.

04.03 The Director of Student Financial Aid or designee may waive any of the above requirements when extenuating circumstances are properly presented.

05. REVIEWERS OF THIS UPPS

05.01 Reviewers of this UPPS include the following:

Position Date

Ms. Mariko Gomez November 1 E4Y

Director, Student Financial Aid

Dr. Michael Willoughby November 1 E4Y

Dean, Graduate College

06. 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.

Ms. Mariko Gomez, Director, Financial Aid; senior reviewer of this UPPS

Dr. James D. Studer, Vice President for Student Affairs

Dr. Denise M. Trauth, President