TEXAS (Toward Excellence, Access and Success) Grant

                                                           IMPORTANT NOTICE:
  If you have been awarded TEXAS Grant for the Fall semester, funds will be available  after  September 25, 2009.

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Purpose of the TEXAS Grant Program

The purpose of the program is to provide grant money to enable well-prepared eligible students to attend public and private nonprofit institutions of higher education in Texas.

Applying for TEXAS Grant

Due to limited funding for this state grant, students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. UTPA’s recommended priority deadline for financial aid is April 1 of every year.

How to apply?

Students applying for TEXAS Grant awards apply directly through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at the University which is responsible for determining student eligibility and deciding who, among the eligible population, will be offered awards.

• Are Texas Residents
• Have not been convicted of a felony or crime involving controlled substance
• Show financial need 
• Have an EFC less than or equal to 4000
• Register for the Selective Service or are exempt form this requirement

Please note that the funding in this program is limited. Though you may meet eligibility requirements, your financial aid package may not include this grant if funds are not available. In making initial awards, priority is to be given to otherwise eligible students who have the greatest need.

Can I get this award every semester?

To receive a renewal award, a student must meet the following requirements:

• Receive a TEXAS Grant in a prior year and complete the year making satisfactory academic progress as required by the TEXAS Grant program;
• Be a Texas resident;
• Enroll and remain enrolled by each tuition due date on at least a ¾ time basis (nine hours)
• Show financial need; and
• Not be convicted of a felony or crime involving a controlled substance, unless two years have passed since restitution to society has been paid.

In order to be considered for a renewal award, students will need to apply and complete a financial aid application by October 1, 2009. Students who apply after October 1, 2009 or have an incomplete file after October 1, 2009 deadline, will not be awarded if funding is no longer available.

• Texas Grant Requirements - Includes detailed Information regarding program requirements

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Texas Grant Workshops:

Entering Freshman, Renewals, and Associate Students:

Contact us for any concerns at texasgrant@utpa.edu

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TEXAS Grant Satisfactory Academic Progress

Academic progress must be confirmed at the end of each year before a student may be given an award in the following year. If the student does not do well in the fall term, he/she should be allowed to receive the grant in the spring, in hope that the student will raise his/her performance to program standards before the second term is over.

INITIALS

• All Initial Freshmen must meet UTPA’s Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy by the end of their first academic year in order to be considered for the TEXAS Grant award for the following academic year. For additional information, please see UTPA SAP Policy.

RENEWALS

• To receive a TEXAS Grant for a third or later year of college, award recipients must complete their prior year of college with an overall grade point average of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, and must have completed at least 75% of the classes they attempted in the prior year. Failure to meet the 75% completion rate by the end of summer session II will result in the loss of the TEXAS Grant award for one entire academic year.

INITIAL'S WITH ASSOCIATES

• All Initial's must meet UTPA’s Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy by the end of their first academic year in order to be considered for the TEXAS Grant award for the following academic year. For additional information, please see UTPA SAP Policy.

See chart below: