Grants

Grants are the most desirable form of financial assistance. Grants are gift aid, or free aid, that does not have to be repaid. Grants can be funded by the federal government, the state or by the institution. Institutionally funded grant programs are awarded in the form of scholarships.

Pell Grant

Pell Grants typically are awarded to students with high financial need. The U.S. Department of Education guarantees that each participating school receives enough money to pay the Federal Pell Grants of its eligible students.

Awards
The dollar value of the Pell Grant varies from year to year based on Congressional funding for the program. For the 2008-2009 academic year, the minimum Pell award is $523 and the maximum full-time award is $4, 731. The dollar award is prorated based on a student's enrollment status.

Eligibility
To determine eligibility, the U.S. Department of Education uses a standard formula to evaluate the information you report on your FAFSA. The formula produces an EFC (Expected Family Contribution) located on page 1 in the upper right portion of the student's SAR (Student Aid Report). UHCL automatically receives this number via the FAFSA downloaded from the Department of Education. After verification documents are submitted to the Student Financial Aid Office, most take approximately 2-3 weeks to complete.

Pell Grants are awarded only to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor’s or professional degree. A professional degree is usually obtained after a bachelor’s degree in a field such as medicine, law, or dentistry. Additional student eligibility requirements are as follows:

• No defaults on a federal student loans or owe a refund on a federal grant
• U.S. Citizen or an eligible non-citizen
• Registered for Selective Service, if required
• Meets Satisfactory Academic Progress for financial aid purposes
• Completes the Verification Process as required by federal regulations, if selected.

Verification
Verification regulations change from year to year, but always require the Financial Aid administrator to compare the information reported on the FAFSA to actual documents. Selection for Verification is a random process done by the Department of Education during processing. A student selected for verification is contacted and asked to submit additional documentation to the Office of Student Financial Aid.

FSEOG - Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant

FSEOG is for undergraduates with exceptional financial need—that is, students with the lowest EFCs— and gives priority to students who receive Federal Pell Grants. In order to receive FSEOG, you must meet all the eligibility requirements for the Pell Grant. At UHCL, priority is given to those Pell eligible students who have completed their application for financial assistance by the priority deadline date. There’s no guarantee every eligible student receives an FSEOG award because the award is based on the on the availability of funds at each school and are awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis.

SMART Grant - The National Science & Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant

• Be a U.S. citizen.
• Be a Federal Pell Grant recipient.
• Be enrolled full-time in a degree program in a four-year degree-granting institution
• Be in third or fourth year of undergraduate study
• Major in physical, life or computer science, engineering, mathematics, technology, or a critical foreign language. See detailed listing of eligible majors (.doc file).
• Have at least a cumulative 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale in the coursework required for major

Awards
A National SMART Grant will provide up to $4,000 for each of the third and fourth years of undergraduate study. The amount of the student's National SMART Grant, in combination with the student's Federal Pell Grant, other resources, and estimated financial assistance may not exceed the student's financial need (cost of attendance minus the Expected Family Contribution [EFC] equals financial need). A student may not receive more than one National SMART Grant award in each academic year for which the student is eligible.

All annual award amounts for an academic year may be ratably reduced if sufficient funds are not available to all eligible students nationally in an award year.

Applying
When a student submits the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the student is automatically considered for the National SMART Grant by the post secondary school listed on the FAFSA. If a student meets all the eligibility requirements, the financial aid office will award the grant.

More Information
ifap.ed.gov/FSACounselors/clcf/SmartGrants.html

State and/or Institutional Financial Aid Eligibility Through Texas Residency

Applies to students ineligible to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Senate Bill 528 (formerly House Bill 1403)
Since September 1, 2001, Texas Legislation (House Bill 1403) has allowed schools in the state of Texas the opportunity to award certain state and/or institutional financial aid to assist students pursuing an undergraduate degree if they met the state’s criteria for Texas Residency. New legislation enacted effective Fall 2006 (Senate Bill 1528) expands the option for residency to other students, too (not just international students). UHCL students should complete the Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA) application to apply for state and/or institutional financial aid.

Please note:

1. UHCL Admissions Office determines if students meet the state’s requirements for Texas Residency. If you believe your residency should be reclassified, please contact the Admissions Office.
2. You must be classified as a Texas resident in order to qualify for state and/or institutional student financial aid.
3. If you meet the state’s requirement for Texas Residency, please download the TASFA application (.pdf), and forward the completed application to our office for review and consideration.

TEACH Grant

Information for the TEACH Grant is taken directly from http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/TEACH.jsp.

Conditions
In exchange for receiving a TEACH Grant, you must agree to serve as a
full-time teacher in a high-need field in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves low-income students (see below for more information on high-need fields and schools serving low-income students). As a recipient of a TEACH Grant, you must teach for at least four academic years within eight calendar years of completing the program of study for which you received a TEACH Grant. IMPORTANT: If you fail to complete this service obligation, all amounts of the TEACH Grants that you received will be converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan. You must then repay this loan to the U.S. Department of Education. You will be charged interest from the date the grant(s) was disbursed.

Student Eligibility Requirements
To receive a TEACH Grant you must –

• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), although you do not have to demonstrate financial need.
• Be a U.S. Citizen or eligible non-citizen.
• Be enrolled as an undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, or graduate student in a post secondary educational institution that has chosen to participate in the TEACH Grant Program.
• Be enrolled in coursework that is necessary to begin a career in teaching or plan to complete such coursework. Such coursework may include subject area courses (e.g., math courses for a student who intends to be a math teacher).
• Meet certain academic achievement requirements (generally, scoring above the 75th percentile on a college admissions test or maintaining a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25).
• Sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve.

TPEG - Texas Public Educational Grant

The Texas Public Educational Grant Program is designed to provide grant assistance to students with financial need. At UHCL, these funds are made available to undergraduate, graduate, non-resident and international students. Priority is given to those applicants who complete the application process by the priority deadline date.

Texas Grant - Toward Excellence, Access and Success

TEXAS Grant Program pays college costs for students with financial need and who complete the Recommended High School Program or Distinguished Achievement Program in an accredited Texas high school. The purpose of the program is to provide money to enable well-prepared, eligible students to attend public and private nonprofit institutions of higher education in Texas.

Eligibility
In order to compete for an award, a student must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Is a Texas resident
• Has financial need and an expected family contribution (EFC) of no more than $8,500
• Has applied for any available financial aid or assistance
• Has not been previously granted a baccalaureate degree
• Enrolls at least ¾ time in an undergraduate degree or certificate program (9 hours)
• Has not been convicted of a felony or a crime involving a controlled substance
• Meets one of the following two requirements:
  • Graduated from an accredited high school in Texas no earlier than the 1998-1999 school year, completed the recommended or distinguished achievement high school curriculum or its equivalent, and enrolls in an eligible Texas college or university within 16 months of high school graduation.
  • Received a first associate degree in May 2001 or later and enrolls in a higher-level undergraduate program within 12 months of receiving the associate's degree.

Awards
Priority is given to Texas Grant recipients already enrolled in the program and who are in college and are making progress towards their degrees.

Because funding to new students is limited, students who meet the eligibility requirements may not receive awards in 2008-2009.

Students who qualify on the basis of their high school curriculum and who continue to meet program academic standards in college can receive awards for up to 150 credit hours or for six years or until they receive their bachelor's degree, whichever occurs first. Satisfactory academic progress requirements must be met.

Students who qualify on the basis of an Associate Degree and who continue to meet program academic standards in college can receive awards for up to 90 semester credit hours or for four years, or until they complete a baccalaureate degree, whichever occurs first. The academic standards are completion of at least 75 percent of the hours taken in the prior year, plus a cumulative grade point average in college of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.

The award amount for this program depends on the tuition and fees paid by the student and is equal to the student’s tuition and required fees at public institutions. For 2008-2009 the award amount is approximately $2,640 per semester.

Educational Aide Exemption

The Educational Aide Exemption Program is designed to encourage employees of public school districts in Texas to seek out and acquire certification as teachers by providing free tuition and reduced fees to program participants. This program covers tuition and mandatory fees (other than class and laboratory fees) for the student enrolled in teacher certification classes.

Eligibility
An individual must satisfy the following eligibility requirements:

• Is a Texas resident
• Meets financial need requirement
• Submits financial aid application through the college to be attended, including filing a FAFSA or qualifies based on Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) as stated below:
  1. Single, Independent Students - AGI Maximum of $28,959 or less
  2. Married, Independent Students - AGI Maximum of $57,920 or less (student and spouse together)
  3. Dependent Students - AGI Maximum $57,920 or less (student and family together);
• Is currently employed by a school
• Has worked as an Educational Aide in a Texas public school district for 1 year during the 5 years preceding the term or semester for which the exemption is received, or has been a Substitute Teacher with 180 full days of service within the past 5 years;
• Is enrolled in courses required for teacher certification at the institution of higher education granting the exemption;
• Meets Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements

Applications
Applications for this program are available on-line at www.CollegeForTexans.com or can be requested from the Coordinating Board in Austin, Texas at 800-242-3062, ext. 6387. The applicant initiates the process with Human Resources at his/her school of employment. The Office of Financial Aid submits the application to the Coordinating Board after the student and the school district have completed their respective sections.

Deadlines
For more information on the Educational Aid Exemption and deadlines, visit www.CollegeForTexans.com/paying/edaide.cfm

Further Information on State Programs

State programs and information regarding residency, college planning, military in Texas and additional resources are available at www.CollegeForTexans.com.