TEXAS (Toward Excellence, Access and Success) Grant

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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 March 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.

Who Can Qualify for the TEXAS Grant?

Entering Undergraduate

• Is a student who is enrolled in the first 30 semester credit hours or their equivalent, excluding hours taken or later and enrolls in a higher level during concurrent enrollment in high school and courses for which the student received through examination.
• Graduates from a public or private high school (i.e. not be a GED or home-schooled student) in Texas no earlier than the 1998-1999 academic year with a high school degree plan of Recommended or higher.
• Enrolled in college and received his/her first TEXAS Grant award within 16 months of high school graduation.

Associate Degree Holder

• Received his/her associate degree in May 2001 or later.
• Enrolls in a higher level undergraduate program within 12 months or receiving the Associate Degree.

What are the Requirements to receive TEXAS Grant?

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

• Be a Texas Resident (parents of dependent students must be Texas residents as well.);
• Enroll and remain enrolled by each tuition due date and each census date on a ¾ time (at least 9 semester hours) basis;
• 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 making initial awards, an award cannot be made to students whose Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) is greater than $4,000.

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, 2007. Students who apply after October 1, 2007 or have an incomplete file after October 1, 2007 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 Entering 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.

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.

ASSOCIATES

• Students who receive their first awards on the basis of having completed an associate's degree in spring 2000 or later must meet the 2.5/75% requirements by the end of their first year in the grant program in order to receive an award in the following year.

See chart below: