Student Financial Aid
The Student Financial Aid Office at Sam Houston State University is available to assist students in achieving educational goals even when their personal or family finances are limited. While the student and/or his or her immediate family are primarily responsible for financing an education, the University recognizes its role in making a maximum effort to acquire additional funds for qualified students through a variety of aid programs. Specific financial aid programs the University administers are listed below.
Grants
- Federal Pell Grant
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
- Texas Public Educational Grant (TPEG)
- Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG)
- National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (SMART)
- Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP)
- Special Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership Grant (SLEAP)
- Toward EXcellence, Access and Success Grant (TEXAS grant)
- Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant (TEACH)
- Bearkat Grant
Employment
- Federal College Work-Study Program
- Texas College Work-Study Program
Loans
- College Access Loan
- Federal Perkins Loan
- Federal Stafford Student Loan
- Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS)
- Texas B-On-Time Loan Program
Information on programs, eligibility requirements, student budgets, deadlines and the method of aid processing is available online at www.shsu.edu/fao. Links to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and all forms necessary to complete the application process are available at www.shsu.edu/fao.
Semester Loans
- Emergency Tuition and Fees Loan
- Short-term Loan for Books
- Short-term Loan for Dining
- Short-term Loan for Housing
Applications for Semester Loans may be completed on-line through the Sam Menu. Instructions for accessing the Sam Menu are available at www.shsu.edu/faculty/menu.html. Semester Loan instructions are available by going to the Financial Aid web page, www.shsu.edu/fao, and highlighting “Emergency Loans”.
Scholarships
Sam Houston State University offers scholarships for students who excel in academic achievement and leadership. Using a competitive process, awards are based on either merit or financial need. Some awards are competitively selected on the basis of both merit and financial need.
- Academic Scholarships
- Departmental Scholarships
- Designated Scholarships
- Elliott T. Bowers Honors Scholarship
- Legislative Scholarships
- Transfer Scholarships
To apply for academic scholarships, the scholarship application ScholarX is available at (https://samweb.shsu.edu/schx01wp/). The application period begins early October for each upcoming academic year. Students must be admitted to Sam Houston State University and have an active computer services account.
Students may contact their departments for additional scholarship oppurtunities.
To review a more comprehensive list, please visit the Financial Aid website, found at www.shsu.edu/fao, and highlight “Scholarships”.
Resignations/Withdrawals
Students who receive Title IV financial aid and withdraw or drop all courses during the semester must be aware of the impact on their financial aid. Federal Title IV aid includes Pell Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, and Subsidized/Unsubsidized Stafford Loans. It is recommended that students visit with their Financial Aid Counselor prior to withdrawing or dropping courses.
Title IV aid recipients must be continuously enrolled for at least 60% of the semester for which aid is disbursed to retain all of the financial assistance issued for that semester. After the 60% point, students are considered to have earned 100% of the Title IV funds disbursed. Any student who resigns prior to completing 60% of a semester must repay any unearned portion of their federal financial aid.
The amount of the repayment depends on the number of days attended during the semester, the type and amount of financial aid received and the total amount of institutional charges.
Earned federal financial aid is prorated according to the percentage of the semester completed. The earned aid is determined by the amount of total aid received minus the amount of unearned aid.
Unearned aid is allocated and/or returned in the following order:
- Unsubsidized FFEL Stafford Loan
- Subsidized FFEL Stafford Loan
- Perkins Loan
- FFEL PLUS Loan (Graduate Student)
- FFEL PLUS Loan (Parent)
- Pell Grant
- Academic Competitiveness Grant
- National SMART Grant
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
- TEACH Grant
- Other Title IV Monies
- The Student
Different requirements apply to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
Minimum requirements for undergraduate students are:
- A minimum SHSU grade point average (GPA) of 2.0.
- Enrollment at SHSU. Students are not eligible for financial aid while resolving deficiencies.
Minimum requirements for post-graduate students seeking a second bachelor’s degree, enrolled in a certification program, or taking preparatory course work are:
- A minimum SHSU grade point average (GPA) of 2.0.
- Completion of second bachelor’s degree or certification program in two academic years. Completion of preparatory course work within twelve consecutive months.
Minimum requirements for graduate and professional students are:
- A minimum SHSU grade point average (GPA) of 3.0.
- Deficiencies in GPA and/or hours may be made up during the summer enrollment at SHSU. Students are not eligible for financial aid while resolving deficiencies.
The complete SAP Policy is available online at https://www.shsu.edu/fao.
Veteran’s Benefits Assistance
For information relating to Veteran’s Benefits Assistance, visit with the VA representative in the Veteran’s Resource Center, located in the Estill Building, Room 104. Assistance is available for those seeking to use the following:
- Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB)
- Chapter 30 - Veteran status
- Chapter 31 - Vocational Rehabilitation
- Chapter 33 – Post 9/11 GI Bill
- Chapter 35 - Dependent
- Chapter 1606 – Reservist
- Chapter 1607 Activated Reservist
- Hazelwood Act
American Opportunity Tax Credit and Lifetime Learning Tax Credit
Tax payers may be eligible to claim the American Opportunity Tax Credit against their federal income taxes. Depending on the family and student financial situation, the credit that may be claimed varies. It may be as much as $2,500 (100% of first $2,000 and 25% of second $2,000 of qualified tuition and related expenses such as tuition, fees and course materials).
In addition, the Lifetime Learning Credit may be available for up to $2,000 per family for qualified tuition and related expenses. Congress has established that the Lifetime Learning Tax Credit begins for payments made after July 1, 1998.
These tax credits may reduce the amount of federal income tax one is required to pay.