Financial Information

Financial Aid and Scholarships Office

The Financial Aid and Scholarships 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 their 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.

For information on programs, application requirements, Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), student budgets, priority dates, links to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and all forms necessary to complete the application process visit our website Financial Aid & Scholarships. 

Types of Financial Aid

Grants

  • Federal Pell Grant
  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
  • Texas Public Educational Grant (TPEG)
  • Toward EXcellence, Access and Success Grant (TEXAS grant)
  • Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant (TEACH)
  • Bearkat Grant

Loans

  • College Access Loan
  • Federal Direct Loan Program
  • Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS)

Semester Loans

  • Bearkat Payment Extension Loan
  • Short-term Loan for Books

Applications for Semester Loans may be completed on-line through the Financial Aid menu option on SamWeb. Semester loans are short term loans with a maximum loan period of 90 days.

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. 

Most academic scholarships offered by SHSU can be applied for using a single application, which can be found on MySam under the Scholarships4Kats page. The application period begins early September for each upcoming academic year. Students must be admitted to Sam Houston State University and have an active computer services account.

Student Employment (Work Study)

Employment opportunities can be accessed online through PeopleAdmin.  Students will need to create an account if they do not have one.  Instructions can be found on the Human Resources website.

  • Federal College Work-Study Program
  • Texas College Work-Study Program

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, Subsidized/Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, and Direct PLUS 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.

  • Direct Unsubsidized Loan
  • Direct Subsidized Loan
  • Direct PLUS Loan (Parent Loan for Dependent Students)
  • Direct GRAD PLUS Loan (Graduate Student)
  • Pell Grant
  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
  • TEACH Grant

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Requirements must be met to remain eligible for Federal Aid.  These requirements are known as Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).

Minimum requirements for undergraduate students are:

  • A minimum SHSU grade point average (GPA) of 2.0
  • Complete 67% of all attempted hours at SHSU and other institutions (transfer hours)
  • No more than 180 attempted hours

For information, view the complete SAP Policy.

Veteran’s Benefits Assistance

For information relating to Veteran’s Benefits Assistance, visit with the School Certifying Officials located in the Estill Building, Suite 228 or the VETSUCCESS counselor in the Veteran’s Resource Center, located in the Academic Building III, Suite 110. Assistance is available for those seeking to use the following:

  • Montgomery GI Bill® (MGIB) - GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by the VA is available at the official U.S. Government Website at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill
  • Chapter 30 - Veteran status
  • Chapter 31 – Veteran Readiness and Employment
  • Chapter 33 – Post 9/11 GI Bill® 
  • Chapter 35 - Dependent
  • Chapter 1606 – Reservist
  • Hazlewood 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. These tax credits are reviewed by the federal government periodically, therefore, annual referral to the IRS website is recommended.

CPOS Policy

Per Title IV regulations, a student cannot receive federal aid for coursework that does not lead to the completion of their degree. This is stated in CFR 34 668.32 (a)(1)(i) which defines “a regular student as one that is enrolled or accepted for enrollment at an institution for the purpose of obtaining a degree, certificate, or other recognized educational credential offered by that institution.” In summary, Title IV funds are intended to pay for courses that go towards a student’s program of student to assist them in obtaining an academic credential.