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| ADMISSIONS & FINANCIAL AID |
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| FINANCIAL AID & SCHOLARSHIPS |
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Eligibility Requirements for Financial Aid
Students seeking need-based financial aid must meet the following minimum requirements:
- Have a high school diploma or GED equivalent
- Be admitted as a degree-seeking student
- Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen (I-551; I-151; I-94; I-688; or certificate of naturalization)
- Maintain satisfactory academic progress
- Not be in default on a federal loan or owe a refund on a federal grant
- If male, be registered with Selective Service
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Dependency Status
Please use this questionnaire to determine your dependency status and whether your not you will need to provide parent information for the 2007-2008 FAFSA. |
The Verification Process – IMPORTANT!
The Department of Education selects a minimum of 33% of our financial aid applicants for a review process called verification. To know whether you have been selected, review the messages in your Student Aid Report (SAR). As a courtesy to our students, the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid will send a letter to students selected for verification, explaining what documentation needs to be submitted. Required Financial Aid Documents will also be requested on your myStThom account.
As stated on your award letter, if selected for verification, your Award Letter reflects estimated awards only, and may be subject to change. Any need-based financial aid cannot be applied to your student account until the verification process has been completed. Therefore, it is extremely important that you respond to all requests for information in a timely manner. Upon completion of the verification process, your aid eligibility may change.
Completion of the verification process may include but is not limited to the submission of the following documentation.
- 2008-2009 Verification Worksheet
- A copy of the Student’s 2007 signed Federal Income Tax Return and accompanying schedules
- A copy of the Parent’s 2007 signed Federal Income Tax Return and accompanying schedules
Remember to give complete and accurate application and verification information as we are required to verify all discrepant information before aid will be applied to your student account.
All submitted documents must contain original signatures, student's name, and student's UST student ID number or social security number.
If you receive any additional financial assistance not included on the award letter, your eligibility for certain types of aid may be impacted. Each and every time your financial aid package changes we will send you a revised award letter. You are encouraged to monitor your student account by logging onto your myStThom account. |
Satisfactory Academic Progress
To be eligible to receive federal student aid, you must maintain satisfactory academic progress towards a degree or certificate. Failure to meet these guidelines may deem you ineligible for federal aid. SAP guidelines are as follows:
- Undergraduate Students - Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.
- Graduate Students - Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
- All students must successfully complete 75 percent of all courses attempted.
- All undergraduate students must earn their undergraduate degree within 180 attempted hours
- All graduate students must earn their graduate degree within 54 attempted hours.
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Revision and Cancellation of Aid
The university reserves the right to review, revise or terminate your financial aid awards at any time due to changes in your financial and/or academic status, failure to comply with federal/state laws and regulations, including financial verification/audit procedures, or university policies, including those expressed in these provisions, the University Catalog, Student Handbook or Financial Aid Policies and Procedures Manual. In addition, your financial aid award is subject to revision should the annual allocation of funds to the University from the Federal government or the State of Texas be reduced below anticipated funding levels, or should limitations be placed on funds intended fro student financial purposes. |
Changes in Status to be Reported
A. Additional assistance received from any source since filing your financial aid application must be reported to the Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid. Failure to report such assistance is cause for immediate cancellation of your financial aid awards.
B. Change of name, address, and/or Social Security number must be reported and submitted to the Office of the Registrar.
C. Withdrawal from the university or reduction of course load. Federal regulations mandate that students withdrawing or dropping below half-time status must complete the 'Loan Exit Counseling Interview,' please call our office at (713) 525-2170 for more information. |
Repayment Policy
If you withdraw from the University of St. Thomas or cease to be enrolled on at least half-time basis (six (6) credit hours), you may be required to repay all or part of your financial aid awards. If withdrawal occurs before classes begin for the applicable semester, your financial aid award(s) will be cancelled. The following schedule is used to determine any applicable repayment to the various financial aid programs:
In the event that you withdraw from the university, federal regulations require a refund calculation for all students receiving Federal Title IV funds. The length of time during which a refund must be calculated is up to 60% of the repayment period (semester/term). If a student withdraws or cancels enrollment on or before the 60% point in time, all or portion of Title IV funds awarded to a student (Pell Grant, SEOG, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Subsidized, Federal Unsubsidized, Federal PLUS loans, State and Institutional Aid) must be returned according to provision of the Higher Educational Act Amendment of 1998. The calculation of the return of these funds may result in the student owing a balance to the university and/or U.S. Department of Education and/or your lender. |
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