Financial Aid Statement of
Satisfactory Academic Loan
Information for Progress

If a student fails to maintain satisfactory academic progress, he/she may be placed on financial aid suspension by the Financial Aid Office. The student will be informed by letter of the reason(s) for the status and the conditions that must be met for removal from financial aid suspension.

Federal regulations require the University to establish and apply reasonable standards of satisfactory progress for the purpose of the receipt of financial assistance under the programs authorized by Title IV of the Higher Education Act. These programs include:

• Federal Pell Grants
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants
• Federal Work-Study
• Federal Perkins Loan
• Federal Stafford Loan
• Federal PLUS (Parents) Loans
• Academic Competitveness Grant (ACG)
• SMART Grant

Each institution must design criteria which outlines the definition of student progress towards a degree and the consequences to the student if progress is not achieved. McMurry University students who wish to be considered for financial aid must maintain satisfactory academic progress in their selected course of study as set forth in the policy.

Institutional Policy

The Financial Aid Office, (FAO), evaluates student academic progress at the end of each award year. Students are evaluated on the basis of grade point average (G.P.A.), credit hour completion, and maximum time frame limitation. Satisfactory Academic Progress is counted on all coursework attempted at McMurry University, not just the semesters a student receives financial aid.

Academic Standard

Students must meet the academic standard for continuing enrollment as published in the University catalog under Academic Probation and Suspension, including continuation based on appeal. If you do not meet McMurry’s academic standards policy, you will be subject to probation or suspension of financial aid.

Satisfactory Academic Progress
(SAP) Timeframe Table

Students at McMurry must complete a minimum number of cumulative credit hours as listed on the SAP Timeframe Table below. Guidelines for measuring SAP also limit the total attempted credit hours and number of full-time semesters enrolled at McMurry. Students may attempt no more than 150% of credit hours required to receive their first undergraduate degree, i.e. 120 hours x 1.5 - 180 maximum allowable hours attempted. Students may not receive financial aid for more than the equivalent of 12 fulltime semesters.

Termination of Financial Aid Eligibility

If a student does not meet any of the SAP minimum requirements, the student will be placed on financial aid probation. Students on financial aid probation must, by the end of the following spring semester, meet all requirements of the SAP policy. If the student fails to do so, Title IV financial aid eligibility will be suspended.

Financial Aid Probation

Students on Academic suspension are automatically on FA suspension pending and can take summer course work to remedy their status for the fall semester.

A student is placed on financial aid probation based on the chart below. Students placed on probation are eligible for aid for one long semester. Please note: this excludes certain state, federal and institutional programs that require a minimum GPA.

Financial Aid Suspension

A student on financial aid probation whose cumulative grade point average falls below that indicated below, will be placed on financial aid suspension. The third consecutive semester of grades below probation but above suspension will result in suspension.

REINSTATEMENT OF TITLE IV FINANCIAL AID ELEGIBILITY

Once a student is suspended, Title IV Financial Aid eligibility may be reinstated in one of two ways.

1. Meeting minimum credit hour requirements as outlined in the SAP timeframe table and academic standards as outlined in the University catalog.
2. The approval of an appeal submitted by the student to the Director of Financial Aid and reviewed by the Student Appeals Committee. Appeals should include explanation and documentation of any unusual circumstances contributing to the student’s non-compliance to the SAP policy. Certain mitigrating circumstances may result in falling to meet academic requirements such as medical/health issues, loss or serious illness of an immediate family member, or other personal matter..

APPEAL PROCESS

Any student suspended for Title IV financial aid who can prove special circumstances pertaining to his/her case may appeal the decision suspending aid to the Student Appeals Committee.

CONSEQUENCES OF SUSPENSION

Students who are suspended, lose eligibility for financial aid for the entire academic year and will be considered for reinstatement of financial aid only when they have met all requirements of the SAP policy.

For All Students

To receive financial aid, a student must be enrolled in a program leading to a degree or certificate. Transient student enrollment does not qualify for financial aid consideration.