Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

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

Law students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 1.9. 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.

Minimum Timeframe

A student may not attempt more than 134% of the credit hours required by his or her degree program.

Failure to Meet SAP Requirements

A law student who does not meet SAP requirements during the annual review, is placed on Financial Aid Suspension and is not eligible to receive financial aid without successful appeal. Should the student not wish to appeal, the student must meet SAP requirements before aid eligibility can be re-established. An appeal process is available for the student who experienced any of the following:

  • personal injury or illness
  • death of a relative
  • other circumstances that affect the ability to meet SAP

A law student who wishes to appeal must download the appeal form through the Office of Financial Aid – CASH portal and submit the form with supplemental documentation to the Law School’s Financial Aid Office. The Director of Financial Aid will first consider the SAP appeal and provide a response within two weeks. If denied by the Director, the law student may request another evaluation of the appeal with the Dean of Admissions/Dean of Student Affairs/Chair of Faculty Admissions Committee. This committee will provide a decision to the law student within two weeks. If denied again by the committee, the law student can submit the SAP appeal to the Dean for consideration where the decision is final. Financial aid will only be awarded if an appeal is approved. The deadline for students to submit an appeal is thirty (30) days before the beginning of the semester you wish to receive aid.

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.