Financial Aid Eligibility

In general, to be eligible for financial aid, students must:

  1. Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen.
  2. Have a high school diploma from a TEA-recognized accredited high school or a GED, or other Ability to Benefit credentials.
  3. Be admitted as a regular student and enrolled in a certificate or degree program.
  4. Be making satisfactory academic progress.
  5. Not be in default of a federal or state student loan or owe a repayment on any federal grant.
  6. Enroll for at least the minimum number of hours required by each financial aid program.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Requirements for Financial Aid

The amended Higher Education Act of 1965 and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board mandate that institutions of higher education establish a standard of satisfactory academic progress for a student to receive financial aid. This standard must apply to a student’s entire academic history, whether financial aid was received or not. Satisfactory academic progress applies to all financial aid programs administered by the Financial Aid Office, except alternative loans if not required by the lender.

COM’s satisfactory academic progress requirements apply to all financial aid programs including, but not limited to state, federal, and institutional loans; all grant and student employment programs. Satisfactory academic progress requirements include the following components:

  1. A student must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 1.5 for up to 30 attempted hours and 2.0 for 31 hours or more.
    1. The grades of F and FN are included in the GPA.  
    2. The student’s financial aid GPA can be different from the school’s GPA due to transfer and/or developmental courses.
  2. A student must successfully complete a minimum of 67 percent of all hours attempted at COM.
  3. A student receiving financial aid funds must complete his/her COM educational objective or course of study within 150 percent of the credit hours needed to complete the program, including developmental and all attempted hours whether taken at COM or another college.
    1. Grades of F, FN, I, W, WX, developmental courses and repeated courses are counted in the total number of hours attempted.
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