Fees, Expenses and Financial Policies

Financial Aid

Students may apply for a variety of scholarships and low-interest loans. To do so, a student must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (https://studentaid.gov/). The university will determine students’ eligibility for loans and scholarships based on the information provided on this application. Students must enroll in at least half-time credits towards their degree to be eligible. Additional information about Title IV eligibility is available from the Financial Aid Office.

After the financial aid application process has been completed, the Financial Aid Office will notify students via email that their financial aid can be viewed through BannerWeb. Summer applications should be completed by April 1, fall applications by August 1 and spring applications by December 1.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Graduate students must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to be eligible for any federal or state financial aid. The requirements follow:

• A cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required along with a cumulative pace towards graduation of at least 66% (.66). Pace will be evaluated by dividing all earned hours by all attempted hours. Transfer hours will be used in this calculation. Withdrawal from classes can affect a student’s pace and will be included as attempted credits.
• Graduate students must earn at least 4.5 credit hours each term towards their degree.
• Complete all work within the time limit set by their program.
• An Incomplete or a Temporary grade does not count as an earned credit and will affect eligibility until credit is earned. SAP cannot be reviewed until a grade has been posted for all classes completed. Once a grade has been posted to replace an incomplete grade, a student should contact the Office of Financial Aid to have his or her SAP reviewed. A student is not eligible for financial aid until SAP status has been determined.
• Cumulative GPA and pace are reviewed at the end of each term (fall, spring and summer).
• If the student is not making SAP, he or she will be notified of a Financial Aid Warning for one semester. During the warning semester, the student must complete the semester meeting all SAP requirements, including at least 4.5 credit hours earned towards his or her degree, cumulative pace of at least 66% and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. If these requirements are not met at the end of the semester, the student will lose his or her financial aid for the next semester, known as Financial Aid Suspension. A student can regain his or her financial aid when all SAP requirements are met at the end of a subsequent semester, (4.5 credits earned towards one's degree, a cumulative pace of at least 66% and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher).
• A student who does not meet Satisfactory Academic Progress at the end of the Financial Aid Warning period is placed on Financial Aid Suspension but can make a formal written appeal to the Director of Financial Aid for the reinstatement of financial aid for one semester. An appeal can be made in the event of the death of a student’s relative, injury or illness of the student, or other special circumstances. If an appeal is granted, a student will be put on Financial Aid Probation and will receive financial aid for one additional semester. A student on Financial Aid Probation must reach 66% pace and a 3.0 cumulative GPA by the end of the probationary semester or meet other academic standards set by the Director of Financial Aid (called an Academic Plan) in order to have his or her financial aid reinstated. A student on suspension can regain eligibility for aid upon meeting all requirements listed above.
• For information about withdrawing and Return of Title IV funds please refer to the information in the Fees and Expenses section or http://www.udallas.edu/finaid/gradsap.

Enrollment Status Definitions

Regular students are those who have been admitted for the purpose of obtaining a degree. Students enrolling in less than 4.5 hours in any term must contact their Financial Aid counselor to determine aid eligibility.

Students enrolled in Dissertation or Thesis Research, Doctoral, MFA, or Graduate Reading are considered to be enrolled full-time.

Housing

While on-campus housing is not available for graduate students, apartments and houses in all price ranges are plentiful off-campus.