FAQs

No. The university requires a record of your assignment within the course. Submitting your assignment in the course shows documentation of completing the course requirements.

Yes. Depending on your instructor's requirements, you will always use either APA (American Psychological Association) or MLA (Modern Language Association) formatting guidelines.

No. Once you click out of an exam, your responses are submitted for auto-grading.

Scholarly writing is graduate-level work that uses peer-reviewed sources and edited publications, including journals and books.

An “A,” “B,” or “C” is needed to receive credit for the course.

For undergraduate students: “Ds” may be counted for other courses as long as the overall grade point average is a 2.0.

This is determined by the course professor and should be stated in the syllabus.

The lowest grade accepted for graduate credit is a C. However, graduate program students must have a B average to receive a degree.

If a student fails a course, he or she will have to retake the course and earn a C or better, but the original grade will be included in the student's cumulative record and in the computation of the GPA. All grades are calculated in determining a student's grade point average.

You will have to wait to take the missed course when it is offered again in the rotation. This will delay your completion date and may delay your graduation date. Any substitutions must receive prior approval from the Dean of the College of Education and Human Development.

First, you will ask your instructional associate for information. If the information is not complete or you need more information, you can email your professor directly.

Transcripts can be sent to the student or school district with student permission. Federal law concerning the release of private student information must be followed. Unofficial transcripts can be obtained from a student university account.

Some courses do require a textbook. In most cases, you will receive advance notice if a textbook is required.

Please email your instructional associate with course content questions.

Many students with TCLEOSE hours are interested in how they can translate these hours into academic credit. For the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program, up to nine academic hours can be awarded to peace officers who have successfully earned a basic peace officer certificate from an approved TCLEOSE Academy. Students seeking credit should submit a copy of their TCLEOSE basic peace officer certificate and their TCLEOSE identification number for credit evaluation. If nine hours are approved, the hours will substitute for CRIJ 1301, CRIJ 1306 and CRIJ 2328.

A student can confirm that his or her basic peace officer certificate was earned from an approved TCLEOSE Academy by visiting the TCLEOSE website and viewing the various lists of approved providers.

If a student has previously earned academic credit for the CRIJ 1301, CRIJ 1306 and CRIJ 2328 Criminal Justice core requirements, then the hours for these courses have already been satisfied. As a result, his or her TCLEOSE hours will not be used to substitute for these classes.

Unfortunately, no—a student must submit a copy of his or her basic peace officer certificate for evaluation. The TCLEOSE evaluator must be able to confirm that the basic peace officer certificate was earned from an approved TCLEOSE Academy; therefore, submission of the basic peace officer certificate is necessary. Students also need to provide their TCLEOSE identification numbers with their certificates.

Beginning in March 2012, students participating in the Lamar University-Academic Partnerships Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice degree program will have an opportunity to earn as many as nine academic credit hours for prior or current work experience. To take advantage of this opportunity, students who have completed six hours of freshman composition (most often ENGL-1301 and ENGL-1302) and who have worked for a minimum of four years in the field of Criminal Justice may elect to enroll in AASC-3102 Narrative for Prior Experiential/Technical Learning Credit. In AASC-3102, students are directed through the organization of a written narrative that describes in detail what they have learned while working in Criminal Justice. Upon Satisfactory completion (final grade "S") of AASC-3102, students can submit their narratives into an evaluation process for a nominal $50.00 assessment fee. Narratives will be evaluated by Criminal Justice faculty, who will determine both the number and level of the credit hours to be awarded.

An ideal candidate for AASC-3102 will be an excellent writer, someone who has broad and varied experiences in the area of Criminal Justice. To learn more about this opportunity, you may schedule an appointment with the program's academic advisor by emailing [email protected] or by calling either 409-880-7248 or 409-880-8534.

Unfortunately, no academic credit can be awarded for TCLEOSE hours earned beyond the basic peace officer certificate. Strict accreditation criteria prevent the Criminal Justice program from approving more than nine academic hours for TCLEOSE hours.

Texas Education Code 54.208 (as amended by House Bill 2347) passed in 2009, authorizing the Peace Officer Tuition Exemption program.

The program began with tuition and fees paid for fall 2011.

A person who meets all of the following criteria is eligible:

• Is employed as a peace officer by Texas or by a political subdivision of Texas
• Enrolls as an undergraduate in an undergraduate program, including certificate, associate and baccalaureate degrees
• Enrolls in a criminal justice or law enforcement-related degree program at the institution
• Is making satisfactory academic progress toward their degree as determined by the institution's financial aid policy
• Applied for the exemption at least one week before the last date of the institution's regular registration period for the applicable semester or other term
• Has not previously attempted 30 or more semester credit hours beyond the degree plan at any Texas public institution of higher education while classified as a resident student (TEC Section 61.0595 (a)).

The Texas Code of Criminal Procedure 2.12 defines all 36 groups considered to be peace officers.

No. Legislation only states that the person must be employed as a peace officer in Texas or by a political subdivision of Texas. It does not specify full-time employment; therefore, part-time employment is allowable.

Only courses in law enforcement or criminal justice are covered by this exemption program.

No. Only laboratory fees are included in this exemption.

No. The exemption program only covers courses in law enforcement or criminal justice, even if other courses are required for the degree or certification.

Generally, no. Only courses that receive formula funding are covered. If the college receives formula funding for the continuing education or extension courses, then these would be covered.

Yes. Since these courses receive formula funding and collect tuition and fees, they are subject to the tuition exemption.

No. This exemption is only for those in law enforcement-related or criminal justice undergraduate certificate or degree programs.

No. Each institution determines which courses in law enforcement and criminal justice qualify for this exemption.

The peace officer must apply for the exemption at least one week before the last day of the institution's regular registration period for that semester.

Yes. The institution may not provide exemptions through the Peace Officer Tuition Exemption program to more than 20% of the maximum enrollment for a given class. (TEC 54.208 (d)).

No. A peace officer may not receive an exemption for any course if the student has reached the maximum number of hours allowed for formula funding (30 hours beyond the degree requirement).

No. However, the legislation has included a clause addressing funding issues: "If the legislature does not specifically appropriate funds to an institution of higher education in an amount sufficient to pay the institution's costs in complying with this section for a semester, the governing board of the institution of higher education shall report to the Senate Finance Committee and the House Appropriations Committee the cost to the institution of complying with this section for that semester." (TEC 54.208 (g))

No. Peace officers must be employed by either Texas or a subdivision of Texas.

Financial aid is available for admitted, qualified students.

Students may apply for the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan and the Federal Grad PLUS Loan. Students must meet all eligibility requirements established by the U.S. Department of Education.

Students are encouraged to apply for financial aid as soon as possible to prevent processing delays. There is no hard deadline; however, student loans cannot be certified after the last class day. Processing time to award student loans takes approximately 2-3 weeks, so students who do not get processed in time may have to pay for class to begin and then get reimbursed for the financial aid they receive.

Note: Students are only allowed to receive financial aid from one institution at one time. If you are currently enrolled at another university and are receiving financial aid, you will not be allowed to receive financial aid at Lamar University and should decline any aid offered to you. If you receive financial aid while attending Lamar University and decide to concurrently enroll at another institution, you will not be allowed to receive financial aid at that institution. If you have received aid at two institutions for the same enrollment period, you will be required to repay the financial aid received at one of those institutions.

To apply awarded financial aid to your student account, you must be registered for at least 6 undergraduate hours or 5 graduate hours in a given term. If you are taking more than 1 course per start date, this requirement should be easily met. However, if you are only taking 1 course at a time, you must register for future courses in that term to qualify. Only courses that are required for your degree may be taken; courses that are not in your degree plan will not receive financial aid. If you drop a course(s) or are dropped from a course(s) by Lamar University in a semester for any reason after the disbursement date, a portion or all of the aid may be required to be returned. If a student drops prior to the disbursement date for any reason, the student may not be eligible for the full amount of aid awarded.

Lamar University is considered a trailer school. What this means is that the summer session falls at the end of the award year. If you have been awarded the maximum allowable financial aid (including loans), then you will not be eligible for any additional financial aid (grants/loans). All summer financial aid is awarded based on the previous academic year's FAFSA application. The last date a student can complete a FAFSA is June 30th of each year.

Note: The summer semester is billed at a per-credit basis and treated as a separate billing and loan period. Therefore, you must apply separately for summer aid.

Federal regulations prevent students from receiving financial aid until they are officially admitted into a program.

1. Complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online application at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. Lamar University's Federal School Code is 003581. Check your Lamar University email to see if additional documents are requested. If your application is correct and complete, it will take approximately two to three weeks to process.
2. If a student has been placed in verification, additional paperwork will be required such as a tax transcript, verification worksheet, W-2's and possibly additional documentation.
3. Once the documentation has been received, each student will be awarded the full amount of their financial aid eligibility. Students should log into their Self-Service Banner account and accept their awards (full or partially) and follow the instructions.
4. If you accept loans, you must go to www.studentloans.gov and complete:
   1. Stafford Loan Entrance Counseling and
   2. A Master Promissory Note
   These items can take up to five business days to update in Self-Service Banner.

Lamar University's Office of Student Financial Assistance will determine the eligibility and the amount of the awards.

An email concerning your financial aid will be sent to your MyLamar email address. The Financial Aid Office can be reached by phone at 409-880-7011 if you have any questions.

No, you must be six hours in a long semester unless you are an undergraduate and eligible for a Pell Grant.

First-time freshmen may have a delay in receiving their funds due to the required 30-day delay for loan processing for first-time students.

In order to be processed for financial aid, students must be enrolled in their courses. Enrolling in courses at the last minute could cause a delay in the student's financial aid.

To learn more about Lamar University's financial aid process, visit the Frequently Asked Questions about Financial Aid page.

No. Peace officers must be employed by either Texas or a subdivision of Texas.

You can always check your admission status at www.lamar.edu/admissions-status.

Academic Appeal may be your best option. Discuss your action plan with admissions by emailing [email protected].

No. Lamar University does not accept technical coursework as transfer credit.

If you have not been accepted to the program, please send an email including your student ID. For graduate students please send an email to [email protected]. For undergraduate students please send an email to [email protected].

To confirm if you are eligible to enroll based on your home state please refer to the Out of State Approval page.

GRE scores are one predictor of graduate school success. The scores provide common measures for comparing the qualifications of applicants and aid in evaluating grades and recommendations.

Ideally, yes, for the programs in which the GRE is required. GRE scores should be submitted prior to beginning the program. However, students are allowed to complete up to nine graduate hours without scores. Passing GRE scores must be submitted for students to continue into the fourth course.

Deadlines for GRE submission are firm. Students without passing GRE scores are not allowed to proceed to the fourth course. Remember, it takes approximately three weeks for Lamar to receive GRE scores after you take the test, so plan accordingly. Students who have a conferred master's degree from an accredited United States college or university and have submitted official transcripts of that master's degree to Lamar are exempt from the GRE requirement.

For all degree and certification programs that require it, the GRE is waived for students who provide official transcripts for a conferred master's degree or equivalent from an accredited United States college or university or an official transcript publishing a qualifying GRE score, in lieu of the GRE.

GRE PowerPrep® software is a free download available to help you become familiar with the test. You may also choose to purchase products through a test preparation company.

The test is offered year-round, and most test centers are open five to six days per week. Appointments are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. Register early to get your preferred test date.

Take the computer-based General Test, which includes verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing sections.

For applicants to graduate programs in the College of Education and Human Development, students with a 3.0 GPA or higher in their undergraduate GPA or 3.0 or higher in their last 60 hours of college-level work are admitted unconditionally.

Students who do not have the minimum GPA are required to take the GRE. Students required to take the GRE must meet the institutional GRE and GPA standard.

GRE taken before August 2011:

Undergraduate GPA (or last 60 hours, whichever is higher) x 200 + (GRE Verbal + GRE quantitative) =/or greater than 1350

GRE taken after August 2011:

Undergraduate GPA (or last 60 hours, whichever is higher) x 50 + (GRE Verbal + GRE quantitative) =/or greater than 428

Students not meeting the standard of 428 must retake the GRE and submit their scores for additional consideration. Appeals may not be processed without submitting the results of a second GRE attempt.

Take the GRE right away. Scores take approximately 10-15 business days to be sent after the date requested. You need to complete the test in time for your results to arrive to Lamar University before the payment date for your fourth course. You should allow mailing and processing time, so plan accordingly. Please refer to your degree's academic calendar to view important deadline dates.

Online: www.ets.org/gre By phone: Call the test center directly at 1-800-GRE-CALL (1-800-473-2255) Testing locations: lamar.edu/career-and-testing-services/testing/index.html

Request the scores be sent to institution code 6360 for Lamar University. More information is available at the ETS site.

Be sure that you have given yourself plenty of time to prepare for the GRE, including practice tests, preparation classes and study guides.

There is no limit to how many times you can take the GRE. You must take it at least twice before you are eligible to submit an appeal.

After taking the GRE twice, you may appeal to be admitted on the basis of criteria in lieu of scores that do not meet the GRE requirement for admissions. Be sure you have attempted to take the test at least twice, as appeals will not be reviewed without two submitted scores.

You should send your materials to the appeals committee as soon as possible after your second attempt at the GRE. It may take up to six weeks for your appeal to be processed and for the committee to make a decision about your case. You will be notified by email as soon as the appeals committee has made a decision.

If you have taken the GRE test twice and failed to meet the admission requirements, you may wish to appeal. The appeals committee will not review your appeal until your packet is complete. An appeal requires a one-page letter of intent to appeal and copies of your GRE score reports that were mailed to you from ETS.

• Explain your goals for your degree
• Explain why you did not meet the requirements
• List examples of other test scores that demonstrate your proficiency
• List activities, accomplishments and leadership that are pertinent to the program you are seeking
• Include supporting materials (ExCET or TExES test scores, examples, etc.)

Send to:
Appeals Committee, Academic Partnerships
P.O. Box 10034
Lamar University
Beaumont, TX 77710

• ETS homepage
• ETS GRE site
• GRE FAQs hosted by ETS
• Take the GRE practice test

You must be enrolled and/or have completed EDLD 5311. While in that class, you will need to complete the Intern/Supervisor Application and Agreement located in the Portfolio Homepage in the "Document" module. Make sure to complete the form online and submit to your portfolio, then print and sign the form and have your supervisor sign it. The completed form needs to be scanned and emailed to [email protected]. As the subject, use app, last name, first name.

Make sure you understand the workings and timelines of the electronic portfolio by reviewing the handbook and the Portfolio Structure Presentation.

You may start on your internship hours and the electronic portfolio while you are in EDLD 5311 (your first class). The Principal Internship is an 18-month program that runs concurrently with your master's program. During that time, you will be working on campus-supervised and course-embedded activity logs and other items that must be completed before you take your final class, EDLD 5398. All of these items are located in your electronic portfolio. Make sure you read the handbook and review the portfolio structure presentation.

There are 140 course-embedded log activity hours and 140 campus-supervised log activity hours within the principal internship program. All of these documents are located in the electronic portfolio and must be completed following the prescribed pacing guide. Make sure you read the handbook and review the portfolio structure presentation.

The EDLD 5398 - Capstone Principal Internship class is your final class in both the master's program and your principal internship program. In that class, you will complete a final report that uses the extensive knowledge gained and reflected on both your course-embedded logs and campus-supervised logs. This report is part of your final requirements for graduation along with the completion of the electronic portfolio and other items.

There is no fee to take the LCE.

The LCE is offered online. View more information on LCE testing times and dates.

No. Students who wish to take the TExES Principal Exam must pass the LCE with an 80% or better.

TExES

If you have questions or need more information about the certification process, please contact us at [email protected], call 409-880-2125 or visit http://education.lamar.edu/texes-and-certification/index.html.

Professional Licensure for Out-of-State Residents

For students considering Clinical Mental Health Counseling, School Counseling, Educational Diagnostician, Principal Certificate or Superintendent Certificate, or any other academic program that leads to professional licensure in a state outside of Texas, please contact the applicable licensure board(s) in the state you want to pursue licensure, prior to beginning the academic program, in order to determine whether the program meets licensure requirements. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm program eligibility for licensure in any state outside of Texas.

1. The academic department will notify all students via email when enrollment for each session is complete. The payment due date will be included.
2. Finance will email all unpaid students the day after payment due date as a courtesy reminder.

1. To pay, login to your Self Service Banner.
2. Use your Banner student ID number and your PIN to login. If you need assistance with your Banner ID and/or PIN, please contact the records office at [email protected].
3. Click on the Student account tab.
4. Go under “Student Account Summary by Term.”
5. Click on the red “To make a payment by electronic check or credit card” link. This will bring you to the pay portal. You will need to login again.
6. Click on “make a payment” and proceed with your payment.

• If paying with a credit card, a convenience fee of 3% of the total payment amount, with a $3.00 minimum, will be charged.
• You can avoid paying the convenience fee by utilizing the new Electronic Check option. Electronic Check enables you to make payments directly from any checking or savings account.
• VISA credit cards will now be accepted for payment of tuition and fees. The University will continue to accept MasterCard, American Express and Discover.

Note: You may be enrolled in all sessions for the current term. If you wish to pay only the current session balance, click on Pay by Term. You will then be able to change the amount due to the amount you want to pay.

If you would like to pay by check, please mail payment to Lamar University, Attn: Cashier's Office, P.O. Box 10183, Beaumont, Texas 77710. Please include your Banner student ID number (at the top of your enrollment email) on the check.

If you have qualified for third party tuition reimbursement, you must pay the tuition as enrolled and follow up with the necessary paperwork. For more information, please email Finance at [email protected] with "Third Party Billing" in the subject line to properly identify your request

Yes, payment for each course is due seven days prior to the start date. Non-paid courses will be dropped for non-payment two business days prior to the start date.

Yes. For students in education programs (5 week format) should send a request to [email protected] and for students in all other programs (8 week format) should email their advisor or email [email protected] if they are uncertain on who their advisor is.

Yes, tuition and fees are subject to change without notice by action of the Board of Regents or the Texas State Legislature.

No, we do not require testing.

Diploma nurses who graduated from a state board-approved program are eligible for the RN to BSN online program. Individual advising will be conducted to review college courses completed and ensure students have enough hours to graduate.

No clinical experience is required. Practicum projects applying clinical content will be used.

Yes. In the spring, RN to BSN students are eligible to apply for scholarships for the next fall.

No, all courses are accepted regardless of when taken.

This is dealt with on an individual basis through our Program Director.

Courses equivalent to Lamar University courses transfer. Up to 66 hours of equivalent courses can be transferred to LU.

A student who passed NCLEX-RN can apply to our RN to BSN online program before obtaining a license number. The student needs a license number, though, before being allowed to begin a nursing course.

Students should expect to receive a University decision, which will be sent via e-mail, within one week. Students may track their application status online at Self-Service Banner.

The Department of Nursing reviews your documents to determine if you meet the department requirements (2.5 GPA, unencumbered RN license, completed ADN or diploma program). It takes about two weeks after the University decision for the department decision, which will be sent via e-mail.

An application is only good for the term for which a student applies. If the student does not attend that semester, he or she will need to go to applytexas.org and submit a new application. Keep your user ID and password from the prior application so you do not have to re-enter all fields, just add new updates (e.g., semester applying for).

You do not have to take Chemistry or Pathophysiology. LU recognizes that you had some of this content in your ADN or diploma program.

Statistics is required before or with the Nursing Inquiry and Evidenced-Based Practice course because it is a research course. Before you can take Statistics, you need to complete a college-level algebra course.

The last course in the program that students are required to take is NURS 4580 Synthesis in Professional Nursing. This is a capstone course, so all other nursing courses and corequisite courses must be completed before taking NURS 4580.

You can register with the Lamar University Career & Testing Center. They offer in-person and remote TSI testing with flexible appointments available. The Lamar University Career & Testing Center shares the list of scheduled students with us so that we are aware of where they are in the process. Only TSIA scores taken at Lamar University are shared automatically. If a student tests with another institution, they will need to complete a form authorizing Lamar University to pull their scores.

While waiting to take the TSIA will not delay receiving a decision, it will delay registration. Without test scores or qualifying exemptions, you are unable to be registered for your course.

To know if you are exempt from the TSI requirement, please click here to complete the “Am I Exempt” questionnaire.

The TSI Assessment (TSIA) is part of the Texas Success Initiative program designed to help determine if you are ready for college-level coursework in the general areas of reading, writing and mathematics. This program also will help determine what type of course or intervention will best meet your needs to help you become better prepared for college-level coursework if you are not ready. If you are an entering college student in Texas, you are required to take the TSIA—unless you are already exempt (read below)—to determine your readiness for college-level work. Based on how you perform, you may either be enrolled in a college-level course that matches your skill level and/or be placed in the appropriate developmental course or intervention to improve your skills and prepare you for success in college-level courses.