Most financial aid is renewable annually, as long as specific criteria for each award is met.

Enrollment
Financial aid programs require that every recipient register for and maintain enrollment in their classes in order to receive aid during the academic year. Your financial aid award package is prepared under the assumption that you will enroll in the set number of hours as determined by your graduate program. Consequently, you have the responsibility of notifying the Office of Financial Aid if you drop below the set number of hours of your graduate program. Your enrollment at the end of the add/drop period of each term will determine your enrollment status for that term. You must finalize your registration by the end of the add/drop period to avoid any adjustments to your financial aid award package. If your enrollment drops below the set number of hours of your graduate program per semester, your financial aid award package will be revised based upon your enrolled credit hours.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Need-based aid: Government regulations require all need-based financial aid recipients to be in good academic standing and to make satisfactory progress toward a degree. As a graduate student, this means you must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0. Additionally, if you are in a 36 hour program you are eligible for financial aid for a maximum of 54 hours. Students in a program exceeding 36 hours are eligible for financial aid for a time period of 150% of the published length of the program.

If you fail to meet the standards of academic progress listed above, you will be offered financial aid on a probationary basis for one year. If you fail to meet these standards after your probationary year, you will be denied further financial aid.

If you are notified that you are not meeting one or more of the academic progress standards, you cannot receive financial aid until your eligibility is restored. You may consider submitting an appeal or funding your educational costs on your own until you regain eligibility. As a last resort, students may go on a leave of absence or transfer from the university.

Academic progress is reviewed at the end of each academic year.
All three standards (enrollment, GPA, and completion of coursework attempted) must be met by students receiving need-based aid to remain in good standing.

SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS (SAP) STANDARDS

All three standards must be met by students receiving financial aid to remain in good standing.

I. QUALITY STANDARD – maintenance of a minimum Trinity cumulative grade point average (GPA).

• 1.80 GPA for freshmen (students who have earned less than 26 credit hours at Trinity).
• 2.00 GPA for all other undergraduates.
• 3.00 GPA for graduate students.

II. QUANTITY STANDARD – Students must complete at least 75% of all courses attempted at Trinity.

III. NORMAL COMPLETION TIME STANDARD – Students are required to complete their program within a certain number of hours (transfer hours are included).

• Undergraduate students are eligible for financial aid for a maximum of 165 attempted hours.
• Graduate students in a 36-hour program are eligible for financial aid for a maximum of 54 hours. Students in a program exceeding 36 hours are eligible for financial aid for 150% of the published length of the program.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Levels
Financial Aid Probation: Students who do not meet all of the SAP standards are placed on financial aid probation. Students on financial aid probation may continue to receive financial aid. Probation will remain in effect for the year.

Financial Aid Suspension: After the probationary period, students failing to meet the SAP standards are placed on financial aid suspension. Students on financial aid suspension are ineligible to receive financial aid, but may still attend Trinity unless they are dismissed. Students allowed to attend the University while on financial aid suspension are responsible for securing their own financial resources.

Permanently Ineligible: Reinstated students who fail to meet the required standards during the financial aid appeal process will be permanently ineligible for financial aid.


Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeals Process
When the minimum SAP standards have not been met, students may be reconsidered for financial aid by submitting an appeal for reinstatement. A letter must be submitted to the Office of Financial Aid no later than three weeks prior to the beginning of the semester. The appeal will be reviewed by the Appeals Committee for evaluation and a final decision. An appeal should clearly address the issues that led to failure to meet the Standards of Academic Progress and provide a plan for regaining regular eligibility.


Explanation of Terms

Eligible hours: Semester hours in which grades A, B, C, D, PP, or PR have been earned.

Ineligible hours: Attempted semester hours in which grades of F, I, W, or FF have been earned as well as courses that have been repeated, regardless of grade.

Total hours: Eligible hours plus Ineligible hours.

Progress rate: Determined by dividing the eligible hours by the total hours (for example):

ELIGIBLE HOURS	INELIGIBLE HOURS
3 credit hours (grade C)	4 credit hours (grade FF)
3 credit hours (grade A)	3 credit hours (grade W)
6 Total Eligible hours	7 Total Ineligible hours

Total hours attempted: 6 + 7 = 13

Progress Rate: 6/13 X 100 = 46%

WITHDRAWAL
Financial aid recipients who withdraw from Trinity University may be required to return federal, state, and institutional program funds. Withdrawing from all courses may result in modified Trinity tuition, room, and board charges and also a reduction in financial aid awards.

As per federal regulations, a return of federal student aid funds will be required if a student withdraws before completing 60% of the term (based on the number of days in the term). Should a return of funds be necessary, the unearned portion of the financial aid award must be returned to the appropriate funding source. A percentage of funds awarded for indirect costs (those not related to tuition, room, board & fees) may also need to be returned. As a result, students may be required to return a partial or full refund that has been issued. Financial aid will be reduced for students with state or institutional awards who withdraw within the first three weeks of the term, as outlined by Trinity's Tuition Refund Policy found at http://www.trinity.edu/departments/buso/tuition_refund.htm#TU1.
Withdrawing can have a significant impact on future financial aid eligibility and result in a reduction of funds.

If you are considering withdrawing from Trinity University, please contact the Office of Financial Aid and request an appointment with your Financial Aid Counselor.