Satisfactory Academic Progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements (to be eligible for federal and state financial aid)

In accordance with federal regulations, all financial aid recipients are required to make satisfactory academic progress (SAP) towards their degree to remain eligible to receive federal and state financial aid each year. Some institutional scholarships may also require students to be in good academic standing. Good academic standing for undergraduate students is defined as maintaining a minimum GPA of 2.00 based on credits earned for completed courses, excluding grades of "W," "INC," and "INC+." The requirements for good academic standing are described in the “Academic Policies” section of the undergraduate catalog.

There are 2 main components of SAP (see below for details):

  • GPA
  • Percentage of successfully completed credits vs attempted credits (called Pace)

SAP Component 1:

Students are required to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA). Please refer to the Academic Policies for additional information on this requirement or CLICK HERE.

SAP Component 2:

At all times throughout the students’ enrollment, federal regulations require schools to ensure that students are successfully completing 67% of the credits they are attempting in order to stay on track for graduating on time. This is called "pace".

To determine if you are meeting “pace”, divide the total number of credits you have successfully earned by the total number of credits you have attempted. Successful completion is defined as the receipt of a passing letter grade (A+ to D-) and does not include the receipt of an F (Failure), INC (Incomplete), DNA (Did Not Attend), W (Withdrawal), or U (Unsatisfactory).

Additional Component:

In addition to the 2 main components of SAP, financial aid eligibility is limited to accumulated attempted credit hours totaling no more than 150% of the published credit hours required to receive an undergraduate degree.  This is your maximum timeframe for receiving financial aid.  For example, a program that requires 120 credit hours x 1.5 = 180 maximum allowable credit hours attempted for financial aid eligibility.

Every term that you are enrolled in school will be counted, even the terms when you do not receive financial aid.  Transfer credits accepted by the university from other institutions will count as both hours attempted and hours completed towards the maximum credit hour limit.

  • At the end of each spring term the Financial Aid Office will check your academic transcript to make sure you have achieved the required cumulative grade point average (CGPA), and have earned the required number of credits to maintain the appropriate pace.

  • If you do not meet the satisfactory academic progress requirements, you will not be eligible to receive federal or state financial aid for the next school year. Federal financial aid includes, but not limited to, federal Direct student loans, federal Direct parent loans, federal Pell and SEOG grants, and federal work study.

  • The Financial Aid Office will mail a letter to each student who fails to maintain the minimum satisfactory academic progress requirements. The letter will detail the deficiencies and the steps for reinstating your financial aid eligibility.

  • A student who is able to make good satisfactory academic progress after their next subsequent semester can appeal their academic ineligibility in order to be granted financial aid despite academic deficiencies. The student must write a detailed letter to the Financial Aid Office explaining the extenuating circumstances (death, divorce, illness, etc) that hindered them from making satisfactory progress. It is suggested that the letter come complete with documentation of the extenuating circumstances (death certificates, doctor’s note, etc.), an explanation of why they failed to meet the SAP requirements, and what has changed that will allow the student to make satisfactory academic progress at the next evaluation period.

    A financial aid appeals committee made up of various members of the University community, including academic and administrative personnel, will meet to review the appeal letters. Decisions to reinstate eligibility or to deny an appeal are made in a fair and equitable manner based on the information the student provides in the letter, the supporting documentation, and a review of the academic record. If the student provides documentation falling under TITLE IX of the Higher Education Act of 1972 we may be required to disclose it to other university officials.

  • A financial aid appeals committee made up of various members of the university community, including academic and administrative personnel, will meet to review the appeal letters.  Decisions to reinstate eligibility or deny an appeal are made in a fair and equitable manner based on the information the student provides in the letter, the supporting documentation and a review of the academic record.

  • If the financial aid SAP appeals committee approves the SAP appeal, then the student will be awarded their federal and/or state financial aid on a probationary period for one semester. At the end of the semester for which the student receives the approved appeal, the student must meet the satisfactory academic progress requirements to be eligible for federal and/or state financial aid for future terms. Additionally, the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements will continue to be reviewed by the Financial Aid Office at the end of each spring term.

  • If the financial aid SAP appeals committee upholds the loss of financial aid, then the student is not eligible to receive federal and/or state financial aid until they regain their eligibility by meeting the SAP requirements. Students who need options to pay their bill may consider a private student loan, if the private student loan does not require the student to be meeting the SAP requirements of the school. Students may also contact the Bursar's Office regarding payment options.