UHD 2000/2001 Catalog UHD Catalog Home | General Information | Scholarships and Financial Aid Table of Contents | Previous Section | Next Section | Index | How to Use the Online Catalog Programs Requirements Tuition and Fee Exemptions 7 The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) provides assistance to many students who would be unable to continue their education without some financial support. Financial counseling is available for students, prospective students and parents to identify their needs and sources of funding for which they may qualify. Budget counseling also is available to aid students in learning to manage their finances. Programs Grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study employment are among the types of assistance offered. Students must complete all required forms, which are available in the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid. Student needs are matched with available aid in the following areas: Grants The University of Houston-Downtown participates in the following grant programs: Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Texas Public Educational Grants, State Student Incentive Grants, Tuition Grants and Building Use Fee Waivers. Academic Scholarships Academic scholarships at the University of Houston-Downtown are intended to recognize and reward outstanding academic achievement. Applicants for most scholarships, therefore, do not need to show evidence of financial need to qualify. Some scholarships are awarded by the university scholarship committees, while others are awarded through departmental committees. The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid serves as a clearinghouse for information on scholarships available at UH-Downtown. Students interested in applying for an academic scholarship should contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid in Room 437-South. Loans UH-Downtown participates in the Federal Stafford Loan and Parent Loan programs. A limited amount of funds is available for short-term loans for tuition and fees or book purchases. Work-Study Employment The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid maintains a listing of work-study jobs available on campus and off campus in community service agencies. Students who qualify for work-study funds are placed in jobs during non-classroom hours so that they are able to continue their education. The number of job opportunities is determined by the amount of federal and state funds for this program. If you have relatives working at UH-Downtown, you must get clearance from the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid to show that you are in compliance with the university’s nepotism policy. 8 Requirements Most financial aid programs require recipients to be citizens or permanent residents of the United States. Aid recipients must be working toward a baccalaureate degree at UH-Downtown. Satisfactory Academic Progress In order to receive financial aid, students must be making progress toward their degrees as defined by the OSFA. There are three components to academic progress: Grade Point Requirement: Students must achieve and maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average on all course work attempted. Incremental Progress Requirement: Students must complete at least 75% of all course work attempted. Time Frame Requirement: Students may attempt up to 170 hours without earning a degree. If a student has earned their first bachelor’s degree, he/she will be allowed 150% of the hours remaining to complete your program. Please read the complete Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy to determine how academic progress is monitored. The complete policy is included in all financial aid application packets and available in the office. The OSFA is required to review a student’s entire academic record (regardless of the age of the record or whether or not aid was received) to determine if he/she is in compliance. If a student is not in compliance, he/she will be notified in writing of their denial/suspension and the appropriate appeal procedure. Tuition and Fee Exemptions Hazlewood Act for Veterans State law provides that a veteran who is a legal Texas resident is exempted from tuition and certain required fees, but not from deposits, if the following criteria are met. The veteran: Has resided in Texas for a period of not less than 12 months prior to the date of registration; Served in the armed forces or in certain auxiliary services for more than 180 days; Was a bona fide legal Texas resident at the time of entering such service; Was honorably discharged therefrom (except those who were discharged because of being over the age of 38 or because of personal request); Has exhausted all veteran’s educational benefits; and Is not eligible for federal grants, including federally sponsored grants provided for veterans by the U.S. government. Not be in default on any federal or state student loans. To obtain this exemption, the veteran must submit an application (available in Scholarships and Financial Aid office) with attached evidence to the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid by the official day of record of the term for which the veteran is applying for the Hazlewood Benefits. Hazlewood applications must be renewed each year. Benefits for Children of Texas Veterans and Children of Disabled Firemen or Peace Officers Exemption from payment of certain fees also extends to children of members of the armed forces who were killed in action or died while in the service and to the children of disabled firemen and peace officers where injury or death was sustained in the line of duty. Contact the Office of the Scholarships and Financial Aid for proper procedures.