This standard applies to ALL terms regardless of whether or not the student received financial aid. Note: This policy should be read in conjunction with the college's policy on Academic Good Standing and Academic Probation/Suspension in the Schreiner University Catalog. A student's academic eligibility and financial aid eligibility are closely related.

Progress will be measured at the end of each Spring semester for degree seeking students and at the end of each semester or module for students in certificate programs. Progress will also be checked at the end of any semester the student is on probation.

I. Progress Standards
Progress Per Semester:
Students must, at a minimum, satisfactorily complete 75% of all courses attempted in each semester and maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) as shown in the Minimum GPA Requirement table below. Satisfactory grades consist of A, B, C and D. Unsatisfactory grades are F, W, I, PR or any other grade that does not result in credits completed.

Cumulative Progress:
Undergraduate Students:
In addition to the above, students must meet the retention standards of Schreiner University as outlined in the Schreiner University Student Handbook. Students are expected to complete their degrees within 8 semesters when attending college full-time. However, no student will receive financial aid beyond the 10th semester.

For example, at the end of 2 semesters, a full-time student should have completed 24 credit hours, a ¾ time student should have completed 18 credit hours and a ½ time student should have completed 12 hours.






Withdrawals (W grades) which are recorded on the student's permanent academic transcript will be included as credit hours attempted and will have an adverse effect on the student's eligibility to meet the requirements of the credit progression schedule for financial aid.

Incomplete and Progress grades - Courses that are assigned an incomplete or progress grade are included in the cumulative credits attempted. These cannot be used as credits earned in the progress standard until a successful grade is assigned.

Repeated Courses - Repeated courses enable the student to achieve a higher cumulative GPA. However, repeating courses adversely effects the student's ability to meet the requirements of the credit progression schedule. Note: financial aid will pay for one repetition of a class.

Transfer Students: Only credits officially accepted in transfer and specifically applied toward a student's certificate or degree will be counted toward the maximum credits allowed. If the student is required to take hours above the maximum number allowable as a result of transfer from another institution, the student may submit a written appeal to the Office of Financial Aid requesting an extension.

Second Degree Students: Only officially accepted credits which are specifically applied toward the student's current certificate or degree program will be included in the maximum number allowed.

Graduate Students: Graduate students will be expected to meet the same minimum GPA and cumulative hours requirements as undergraduate students. However, graduate students will only be eligible to receive aid for one semester beyond the number of semesters it should be required to complete the program. For example, students in the Masters of Education program who have a 36 credit hours requirement are expected to complete a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester and will not be eligible for aid beyond a 4th semester.

Part-time Students: These standards will be adjusted according to the hours enrolled. For example, half-time students will be eligible for a maximum of 20 semesters while three-quarter time students will be eligible for a maximum of 15 semesters. Cumulative GPA requirements are the same as for full-time students.

Students Admitted on Probation: Students admitted on probation will be eligible for financial aid for a maximum of two semesters. At the end of those two semesters, the student must have completed enough credit hours and obtained a high enough GPA to be removed from probation status for financial aid to be continued.

I. Financial Aid Probation
Students will be placed on financial aid probation if they fail to meet either standard as outlined. Students will be placed on probation for two semesters during which they must come into compliance with the standard. (See Financial Aid Disqualification for exceptions to this rule.) Students not meeting the Standard at the end of the second semester of probation will be disqualified from receiving financial aid.

II. Financial Aid Disqualification
Students on financial aid probation who fail to meet the standards as outlined above will be ineligible for financial aid beginning with the next semester of attendance.

Students will be automatically ineligible for financial aid, regardless of whether they have previously been placed on financial aid probation, beginning with the next semester of attendance when one of the following occurs:
a) student receives grades of "F" in all courses attempted in any semester. In evaluating satisfactory progress, a grade of "I" will be considered an "F".
b) student is academically dismissed.

Students who pre-register for a subsequent semester before grades are evaluated and who use financial aid to defer tuition and fees may owe a financial aid repayment if they do not maintain satisfactory academic progress and have been disqualified from financial aid once grades are posted and reviewed.

A student who is disqualified from financial aid more than one time for failure to meet these standards must meet with a financial aid counselor to discuss plans for re-establishing financial aid eligibility. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, a student in this category should expect to enroll for a least 12 semester credits without financial aid and successfully pass all courses with a minimum of a 2.00 GPA to be reconsidered for financial aid.

Disqualification from financial aid does not prevent a student from enrolling without financial aid if he or she is otherwise eligible to continue their enrollment. However, the student should be aware that the college's policies for academic eligibility and financial aid eligibility closely mirror one another, since both are measures of satisfactory academic progress intended to encourage behavior which leads to academic success.

III. Appeals to Regain Eligibility
Students who fail to meet these standards and have lost eligibility for financial aid may appeal this decision. Appeals must be in writing and must be accompanied by appropriate supporting documents. Appeals should be submitted to the Office of Financial Aid within 30 days of the student receiving notice of disqualification. Reasons that may be acceptable for the appeal are: (1) serious illness or accident on the part of the student; (2) death, accident or serious illness in the immediate family; (3) change in academic program; (4) other extenuating circumstances. The reasonableness of the student's ability for improvement to meet the appropriate standards for the certificate or degree program in which the student is enrolled will be taken into consideration.

Appeals will be reviewed by the Director of Financial Aid and will be approved, denied or approved for a probationary period not to exceed one academic year. The Director may choose to use a faculty committee to aid in this process.

IV. Appealing Loss of TEG or Texas Grant ( Texas State Aid)
Students who have lost eligibility for TEG or Texas Grant due to lack of hours completed during the previous academic year and/or cumulative grade point average totals falling below a 2.5, may submit a written appeal (with documentation) to the Director of Financial Aid and the Financial Aid Committee no later than 30 days before the start of the next long semester.

Examples of hardships that could be approved include:

1.) Severe illness of the student
2.) Documented family illness/crises that was the student’s responsibility to manage
3.) For students awarded TEG after September 1, 2005, an appeal may be granted if student can demonstrate that the increased criteria for renewal was an academic hardship.

No hardship appeal will be granted in excess of one academic year.

V. Regaining Eligibility
Students who failed to meet these Standards and who choose to enroll without the benefit of financial aid may request a review of their academic record after any term in which they are enrolled without the receipt of financial aid. If the standards are met, eligibility is regained for subsequent terms of enrollment.

Students should consult with a financial aid counselor to determine what must be done to regain eligibility.

^ top