Questions about the financial aid process at UH? Check here for answers. If your question isn't addressed here, feel free to contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid.

Why do I have to make Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to receive financial aid?
Federal law requires that schools administering federal aid set a minimum academic performance standard in order to continue to receive financial aid. A school must monitor a student’s qualitative (GPA) and quantitative (course completion) performance. The federal standards require a 2.0 cumulative GPA, 67 percent cumulative completion ratio, and total hours not to exceed 150 percent of the program.

If I am not making academic progress and am denied my aid, may I still receive my Federal Direct Loans?
No, SAP is calculated for all federal programs administered by the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid at the University of Houston, including Federal Direct Loans.

What will cause my appeal to be rejected or denied?
If your appeal is not completed, properly signed, and if no corroborating documents are included, your appeal is considered incomplete. Students who miss the deadline or fail to turn in additional requested documents in a timely fashion will be denied. We encourage students to submit a thoughtful and well-worded typed statement, as this reflects on your commitment towards improving academic performance.

What do quantitative and qualitative measurements mean?
Qualitative measurements refer to your cumulative GPA.

Quantitative measurements monitor:

1. Percentage of courses completed: the number of courses you successfully completed versus the total number of courses you attempted.
2. Total attempted hours: the total number of courses you enrolled in to receive your degree.

Will my transfer credit count toward the quantitative measure of my academic performance?
Yes, the law requires that we consider all course work accepted by the University in our calculations of the ratio of courses completed and cumulative hours. However, transfer credits will not help improve your cumulative GPA at UH.

Is there a deadline to submit a SAP appeal?
Yes, to be eligible to appeal a loss of financial aid eligibility, students must submit both a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and a complete financial aid SAP appeal. Students will receive an email sent to their destination email address providing the SAP appeal deadline. This deadline will also be posted on the SAP appeal form.  Students who are not meeting SAP and do not meet the printed deadline will not have their financial aid SAP appeals considered for the current term. These students may appeal for the next term.

If I am not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress, will I be dropped by the fee payment deadline due to non-payment?
Students whose appeals are not received by the appeal submission deadline date are subject to being dropped from their classes due to non-payment, if they have not selected a payment or deferment plan.

How long after my appeal is approved will my financial aid funds be released?
If your appeal is approved prior to the first day of classes and you have fulfilled all disbursement requirements, loans will begin to apply within the first week of classes. If your appeal is approved after the first day of classes and you have fulfilled all disbursement requirements, your funds will be applied within five business days from the approval of the appeal. Remember that Federal Direct Loans require at least 6 credit hours of enrollment and completion of the Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Note at StudentAid.gov.

Grants will disburse the day after the Official Reporting Day, typically the thirteenth day of the semester. Remember that certain grants require minimum enrollment (i.e., 9 credit semester hours for TEXAS Grant).

When will my appeal be reviewed?
We strongly encourage that you submit your completed SAP appeal as soon as possible to give the committee ample time to review it. Appeals will be reviewed within four (4) weeks of submission. If you submitted an incomplete SAP appeal and then turn in additional documents, it may take an additional four (4) weeks to process the documents submitted later. It is best to turn in a complete appeal with all corroborating documents by the deadline.

Where do I submit my Appeal Form?
Appeals can be uploaded via your myUH self-service account To Do List, faxed to our office at 713-743-9098 or submitted in person to the SFA counter in the Welcome Center. When uploading your documents, please save all pages as one PDF for uploading. Visit uh.edu/sfaupload for instructions on how to use the To Do List upload feature. We encourage you to visit with an advisor to have your initial appeal reviewed for completion.

How many times can I submit an appeal?
You are only allowed to appeal once during your academic career until you are able to meet SAP again. Students who appeal, but fail to meet cumulative academic standards after the probation semester will lose their ability to appeal again, unless mitigating circumstance exist, and must pay out of pocket. Please contact the office to learn more about the mitigating appeal. You may be selected to turn in a SAP plan if we have deemed that it may take you more than one semester to cumulatively improve your academic performance. Once you meet cumulative standards, you regain your financial aid eligibility. If after regaining eligibility, you fail to meet SAP requirements again, you may submit another SAP appeal.

What if I meet SAP requirements during the year?
A student who meets SAP requirements during the year should contact Scholarships and Financial Aid for a review of their eligibility.