Purple Promise Guarantee Program

purple graduation cap with dollar sign

Financial Aid

We'll *1cover your tuition and mandatory fees. That's a promise.

The Purple Promise Guarantee Program pays the *2remaining balance for a flat rate tuition and regular fees that are not covered by other grants, scholarships, exemptions, benefits or waivers.

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 $100,000 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

Enrollment status clarification: 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.

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.

Will my purple promise renew?

If the student continues to meet the eligibility requirements stated above, they will continue to receive Purple Promise funding.

Note: Renewal requirements for other scholarships and grants (including the Texas Grant) may differ from renewal requirements for the Purple Promise Guarantee Program. 

Purple Promise funding is not renewed if:

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 the deadline, including the financial aid office receiving your valid FAFSA
  • have a combined family adjusted gross income of $100,001 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. 

My funding wasn't renewed. Can I requalify?

  • Yes, if Purple Promise eligibility was lost due to an increase in the combined family adjusted gross income of $100,001 or more, the student can requalify in future years if the adjusted gross income becomes $100,000 or less and all other criteria continue to be met.

 

  • No, if Purple Promise eligibility was 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.  

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 *3$100,000.

*1Purple Promise will only cover up to four years toward your undergraduate degree, and only as long as you remain eligible each year. The program does not cover tuition and fees for summer semesters. It also does not automatically renew each year unless the student remains eligible.

*2Purple 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.

*3The increased income threshold applies to new first-year students only, beginning fall 2025.