State Loan Programs FAQs

The information provided in the answers below is to be used solely as a resource and does not supersede the statute and/or rules for the state loan programs. When administering these programs, which include the College Access Loan (CAL), Texas Armed Services Scholarship Program (TASSP), and B-On-Time (BOT) Loan, institutions should always refer to the Texas Education Code (TEC) and Title 19 of the Texas Administrative Code (TAC).

Yes. While a CAL can never exceed the amount certified by the institution, there are several common situations where a CAL can be increased.

  • The institution certifies a loan and the student cancels all or part of the loan but later ends up needing the money during the loan period. The institution can request that the loan be increased up to the original certification amount.
  • The institution certifies a loan and the student becomes ineligible prior to the disbursement from the THECB. The institution cancels the loan but the student later becomes eligible during the loan period. The institution can request that the loan be reinstated up to the original certification amount.
  • The institution certifies a loan and returns funds during the loan period to the THECB. The institution can request that the loan be reinstated up to the original certification amount.

Institutions must verify that the changes to the loan do not exceed the difference between the student’s COA and other forms of financial assistance for which the student is eligible. Requested changes must be submitted in writing through CONTACT US and include the following information:

  • CommonLine Unique ID/Loan Number
  • Last four digits of the student’s SSN
  • First name, last name and middle initial (when applicable)
  • New disbursement dates and amounts

A CAL cannot be increased in the following situation:

  • The institution certifies LESS than what the student was pre-approved to borrow. The student ends up needing more money after certification (e.g., to cover additional tuition and fees) and wants to increase his or her current loan amount. The loan amount CANNOT be increased beyond the certified amount by the institution even though the student may have been pre-approved for more than what was certified.

Each state loan program has its own SAP eligibility requirements.

CAL: Yes. If an institution has an appeal process for students who have not met SAP requirements, it must be documented. Students whose SAP appeal has been approved by the institution can receive a CAL.

Applications can be certified using two options.

Option One: Manual Certification

  • Administrators can manually certify loans using the HelmNet portal. See the SFAP Web Portals FAQs for information on requesting a HelmNet user account.

Option Two: CommonLine Certification

  • Administrators can upload a certification file through MOVEit DMZ to certify loans.

NOTE: To request set-up information for the commonline certification process, send an inquiry through CONTACT US (select “Financial Aid Question” as the Contact Reason).

The difference between an alternate and replacement student appointment is as follows:

An “alternate” can be nominated when a new student does not complete his or her application by the deadline (set by the THECB) and/or fails to meet the requirements to receive the scholarship initially.

A “replacement” can be nominated when a previous student fails to maintain eligibility for a continuation award. The replacement may use any eligibility that remains from the previous student.

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