Axe ’Em, Jacks!
Only available to full-time, first-time, first-year students. Incoming/current transfer students are not eligible for consideration in this program. Advanced placement or dual credit that counts toward the degree and courses taken in the summer preceding SFA enrollment will not prevent consideration of first-time students.
What is the Purple Promise Guarantee Program?
The Purple Promise Guarantee Program pays the *remaining balance for a flat rate tuition and regular fees that are not covered by other grants, scholarships, exemptions, benefits or waivers.
Purple Promise will only cover up to four years toward your undergraduate degree, and only as long as you remain eligible each year.
It's important to note that the program does not:
- cover tuition and fees for summer semesters.
- automatically renew each year unless the student remains eligible.
Eligibility requirements:
- Be enrolling or have initially enrolled at SFA as a full-time, first-time, first-year student for the summer or fall term.
- Be a Texas resident
- Be a “dependent student” as defined by FAFSA
- Have a combined family adjusted gross income of $80,000 or less, based on the information you enter on your FAFSA
- Complete all financial aid application requirements by June 1, including:
- admission to SFA as a regular degree-seeking student
- financial aid office receiving your valid FAFSA
Application process:
Students do not apply for the program. Funds are automatically applied to those who qualify based on the requirements listed above, and only after all other need-based financial aid is applied.
Renewal process:
The program does not renew unless the student continues to meet the eligibility requirements stated above.
A student will no longer receive Purple Promise funding if they:
- are no longer a Texas resident or considered a “dependent student” as defined by FAFSA
- don't complete all financial aid application requirements by June 1 each year, including the financial aid office receiving your valid FAFSA
- have a combined family adjusted gross income of $80,001 or more, based on the information entered on the FAFSA
- or are unable to complete at least 30 credit hours each consecutive academic year (including summer terms) at SFA with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.2.
Note: Renewal requirements for other scholarships and grants (including the Texas Grant) may differ from renewal requirements for the Purple Promise Guarantee Program.
Requalifying for Purple Promise:
If Purple Promise eligibility is lost due to the student not completing at least 30 credit hours at SFA each consecutive academic year (including summer terms) with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.2, the student cannot requalify in future years.
If Purple Promise eligibility is lost due to an increase in the combined family adjusted gross income of $80,001 or more, the student can requalify in future years if the adjusted gross income becomes $80,000 or less and all other criteria continue to be met.
Dropping a course or withdrawing:
A change in your enrollment status may result in a reduction or cancellation of your financial assistance, including any exemptions and waivers applied to your account. More information regarding the possible consequences of dropping or withdrawing are available on the Office of the Registrar's How to Drop or Withdraw page.
View important financial aid dates and deadlines.
A $1 million endowment to our Purple Promise program from the University of Texas System raised the qualifying income threshold from $30,000 to $80,000**. This expansion makes our program available to hundreds more students. Read more on UT's website.
*Purple Promise pays the remaining balance of the student's Cost of Attendance amount and not necessarily the actual amount charged. SFA's Cost of Attendance is based on the flat rate.
**The increased income threshold applies to new first-year students only, beginning fall 2023.