Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Federal regulations require a student to be making satisfactory progress toward the completion of a degree or certification in order to be eligible to receive Title IV funds. The Financial Aid Office at Texas A&M University Kingsville applies this rule to ALL students applying for any aid.

  Academic Progress Standards

The various federal and state regulations governing student financial assistance programs require that an institution develop standards to measure students' reasonable progress toward a degree objective.  Students, who do not make reasonable progress, even if they are determined to be needy, will not be eligible for financial assistance.  The following qualitative and quantitative standards must be met to remain eligible for and retain financial aid at the university.

  Qualitative Measures of Academic Progress

The qualitative measure of academic progress is a grading scale of 0.00 to 4.00, based on students' enrollment classification.

Undergraduate students who have previously attended the university must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 to be eligible for financial assistance.  A 2.5 cumulative grade point average is required of Texas Grant recipients at the conclusion of their second year of enrollment. 

Graduate students who have previously attended the university must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 to be eligible for financial assistance. 

Doctorate students who have previously attended the university must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 to be eligible for financial assistance.  

Incoming freshmen, graduate students, or transfer students will be eligible for financial aid upon admission to the university.

  Quantitative Measures of Academic Progress

In addition to maintaining a minimum grade point average, students must demonstrate acceptable progress toward a degree or certificate objective in order to remain eligible for financial assistance.  Students cannot receive financial aid beyond a specified total of attempted credit hours, and they must pass a certain percentage of the credit hours for which they enroll.  These requirements are summarized as total credit hours and ratio of passed hours to attempted hours stated below.

Hours passed do not include grades of I (incomplete), U (unsatisfactory), Q (withdrawal) or QI (withdrawal identifier for Senate Bill 1231).  Courses that have been repeated will be counted for each enrollment as hours attempted, and will be counted as hours passed if a grade other than I, U, Q or QI is received.

Undergraduate

  (Students working on their first baccalaureate degree)

   Cumulative grade point average:  2.0

   Ratio of Passed Hours to Attempted Hours: 67%

   Total Hours Including Transferred Credit: 195 credit hours

    

Graduate

    Cumulative grade point average: 3.0

    Ratio of Passed Hours to Attempted Hours: 67%

    Total Hours Including Transferred Credit: 54 credit hours

    

Doctorate

  Cumulative grade point average:  3.0

  Ratio of Passed Hours to Attempted Hours: 67%

  Total Hours Including Transferred Credit: 100 credit hours

  

Appeals Process 

Students who are denied financial assistance may appeal the decision.

Appeal Procedure.

If mitigating/extenuating circumstances exist, a student may initiate an appeal through the Office of Student Financial Aid Services.  Copies of all supporting documentation should be attached to this form.  To ensure proper identification of the student’s documents, please include the K Number on all pages.

Failure to provide the required documentation will result in the denial of the student’s appeal or a request for additional information.  All information will become a part of the student’s confidential financial aid record and cannot be returned.

The student will receive notification from the Financial Aid Office in two to four weeks regarding the status of the appeal.  Appeals submitted at the beginning of a semester may require additional time for review and a response.

Approval of Appeal: If the appeal is approved, the student will be awarded on a probationary basis for one semester.  Failure to demonstrate academic progress for the probationary term will result in the cancellation of all future financial aid.  No future appeals will be accepted.

Denial of Appeal: If the appeal is denied, the student may appeal for future aid only after the student has completed a minimum of six hours at their own expense and the student has met the minimum standards of satisfactory academic progress for that semester.

Reinstatement of Eligibility

Students who have been denied financial assistance on the basis of academic progress may appeal for reinstatement of eligibility when they attain satisfactory academic progress.  If assistance is granted, the award will not be retroactive, but will be given for the remainder of the academic year.  For example, at the conclusion of the fall semester, students may receive an award for the spring semester.

  Monitoring of Academic Progress

Academic progress is reviewed at the end of each academic term.  Failure to maintain satisfactory academic progress will result in the denial or cancellation of all future aid.

The Office of Student Financial Aid Services may administratively grant one probationary semester of assistance for students whose academic progress has changed to not in good standing at the conclusion of their enrollment term at the Texas A&M University-Kingsville.

  Unofficial Withdrawal from the University

For any student, receiving federal Title IV funds who unofficially withdraws or does not earn a passing grade, federal regulations require a refund.  Such refunds must be calculated based on the 50% point within the semester or term.  A student may demonstrate an official enrollment date later than the 50% date and in such cases the later date will be used in the calculation.

The calculation may result in the student owing funds to the University and/or the U.S. Department of Education. Also, any future financial aid funds will be cancelled.