Eligibility for Financial Aid

When you receive financial aid at UTD, you assume certain rights and responsibilities.

To be eligible for federal financial aid you must:

Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
Be registered with Selective Service (if required)

You may register online or check your registration status on the Selective Service System Web site.

Have financial need as determined by the FAFSA
Be attending UTD pursuing a degree program at UTD *
Maintain satisfactory academic progress towards your degree program
Not be in default on a federal loan or owe on a federal grant.

To check your federal loan or grant history, visit the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) for Students Web site and select the Financial Aid Review option (you will need your FAFSA PIN to view your history).

Be enrolled in at least 6 hours as an undergraduate student and 5 hours as a graduate student.

If you do not meet federal eligibility requirements, but have been classified as a Texas resident and are therefore eligible to pay the Texas in-state tuition rate, you may still be eligible for state or institutional aid.
* Non-degree seeking students are not eligible for financial aid, except under the following circumstance:

Admitted to the Graduate College as a non-degree seeking student enrolled in prerequisite coursework needed to be admitted to the degree program

Must be admitted to the degree program no later than 12 consecutive months from the date admitted to UTD.

Standards of Academic Progress

PURPOSE AND SCOPE
These Standards of Academic Progress became effective in the Fall of 1996 and are adopted according to federal mandates for the purpose of determining student eligibility for financial aid. These Standards shall apply to all financial aid, unless the terms of a particular grant provide otherwise. These provisions apply to students who, at any point in their educational career, apply for financial aid.

GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA) REQUIREMENT
The minimum term and cumulative GPA requirement for undergraduate students is 2.0. The minimum term and cumulative GPA requirement for graduate students is 3.0. All new and continuing students must maintain both a term and cumulative GPA that meets UTD’s requirements on all credit hours earned at UTD, including those prior to the term for which aid is requested.

HOURS REQUIREMENT
To be eligible for financial aid undergraduate students must be enrolled in at least 6 credit hours; graduate students must be enrolled in at least 5 credit hours. The following chart states the minimum hour requirements that all students must meet, as well as the maximum number of credit hours allowed for students pursuing a degree.

	SEMESTER REQUIREMENTS			MAXIMUM NUMBER OF HOURS FOR FUNDING
Undergraduate		Graduate		Class Level	Hours Earned at UTD
Hours Attempted	Hours to Complete	Hours Attempted	Hours to Complete
12 or more	9	6 or more	6	Undergraduate	130
6 to 11	6	5	5	Graduate	48
5 or less	ALL	Less than 5	ALL	Doctoral	130

Grades of “W” or “X” will not be treated as completed coursework.
A grade of “F” is considered a completed grade and will be taken into consideration when calculating the cumulative GPA.

Students must meet both the GPA and hours requirements to remain in good standing. It is expected that students be continually aware of their progress. Academic progress will be reviewed at the end of each term. All terms will be reviewed, including those for which financial aid was not requested.

FAILURE TO MEET THE STANDARDS OF ACADEMIC PROGRESS
In these provisions, probation or suspension refers only to Financial Aid standards of academic progress.

PROBATION
The first time a student fails to meet the standards of academic progress he or she will be placed on probation for the next term of enrollment. While financial aid will be provided during probation, the student must make satisfactory progress to remain eligible for aid.

SUSPENSION
A student on probation who fails to meet the standards of academic progress will be placed on suspension for the next term of enrollment and will not be eligible for financial aid.

REINSTATEMENT
To be considered for financial aid reinstatement for a subsequent term after a suspension, a student must enroll at least half-time (undergraduates-6 hours; graduates-5 hours) for one semester at UTD, pay the expenses related to that enrollment and pass the term with a minimum GPA of 2.0 for undergraduate students and 3.0 for graduate students. A student who successfully meets the requirements for reinstatement will be placed back on probation and will be eligible to apply for financial aid. Two consecutive terms of meeting the standards of academic progress will place the student back in good standing.

APPEAL PROCESS
A student may appeal a financial aid suspension by submitting a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form to the Financial Aid Office. Appeal forms are available on the Financial Aid Web site, financial-aid.utdallas.edu and in the Financial Aid Office. The Financial Aid Appeals Committee will review the petition and will contact the student when a decision has been made. The decision of the Financial Aid Committee is final.

FINANCIAL AID WILL NOT BE PROVIDED FOR:

Courses taken by audit
Credit hours earned by placement exams
Non-credit coursework
Transient and transfer students attending only for one term
Non-degree students who will not seek a degree from UTD