Federal law requires that institutions of higher education monitor the academic progress of students who receive federal financial aid. In order to remain eligible for federal, state and institutional financial aid (including scholarships), students must comply with The University of Texas Law School standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). All graduate students will be evaluated annually at the end of the spring semester.
Requirements
Minimum GPA
Students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 1.9 on all law courses taken to graduate from the School of Law. Law students must maintain the minimum GPA as indicated in the Minimum Performance Standards.
Minimum Pace
A student must successfully complete at least 67% of the credit hours attempted.
Maximum Timeframe
A student may not attempt more than 134% of the credit hours required by their degree program.
Failure to Meet SAP Requirements
SAP is reviewed on an annual basis after the spring semester. A law student does not meet SAP if they are placed on academic probation, their cumulative GPA falls below a 1.9, or they receive a grade of F in a law course or two grades of D for law courses in any one semester. A student who fails to meet SAP will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension and will be ineligible to receive financial aid (e.g., loans, grants, and scholarships) until they meet SAP and the Minimum Performance Standards.
An appeal process is available for students who have experienced any of the following circumstances:
- personal injury or illness;
- death of a relative; or
- other situations that affect the ability to meet SAP.
To appeal, students must download, complete, and submit the form with supporting documentation to the Law School’s Financial Aid Office at lawfinaid@law.utexas.edu. The deadline to submit an appeal is thirty (30) days before the beginning of the semester for which aid is being requested.
The Director of Financial Aid will first review the appeal and provide a response within two weeks. If denied, the student may request another evaluation of the appeal by the Dean of Admissions and Dean of Student Affairs with a decision provided within two weeks. If the committee denies the appeal, the student may petition to the Dean, whose decision is final.
Appeals may be approved outright or may be approved with an academic plan. In either case, should the appeal be approved, students will be allowed to receive financial aid for a probationary semester.
At the completion of the probationary semester, the student whose appeal was approved without an academic plan, will be reviewed for SAP. If the student is still not meeting SAP requirements, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension and will be ineligible for financial aid. The student may appeal Financial Aid Suspension.
The student who was placed on an academic plan will be reviewed for SAP at the end of the probationary semester. If the student is still not meeting SAP requirements as stated in the academic plan, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension and will be ineligible for financial aid. Students may appeal Financial Aid Suspension.
If the student’s appeal is denied by all three groups of administrators, the student will be ineligible for financial aid until the student meets the SAP requirements.