SAP Info for Graduate Students

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for Graduate Students

To be eligible for financial aid, a student must maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP). Students are expected to pass enough hours (quantitative measure) and maintain a grade point average (qualitative measure) to be considered as making SAP.

• The Student Financial Services office monitors SAP for financial aid eligibility, which is reviewed at the end of each payment period, including summer. 
• All coursework attempted, including repeated, incompletes (“I”), and withdrawn (“W”) coursework recorded on the academic record at the time of the progress check is considered when determining if the student meets financial aid SAP standards. Courses with withdrawal (W) and incomplete (I) grades will be evaluated as attempted hours, but not hours earned. Courses that are retaken to improve a grade are counted in attempted hours but only one passing grade is counted toward the credit completion pace rate and GPA calculation. Transfer credits on the student academic record are considered for the purposes of financial aid SAP review. Non-credit and audit courses are not considered for SAP.
• Courses assigned an incomplete grade are included in the credits attempted for maximum timeframe and pace. These credits cannot be counted as earned credits until a satisfactory grade is assigned. Grade changes from incomplete to another grade are reviewed as part of the next term’s Satisfactory Academic Progress evaluation.
• Maximum Time Frame: Federal regulations require that students complete their program within a maximum time frame of 150% of the published length of a program.
• Qualitative Measurement of Academic Progress
  To receive financial aid, a student must maintain a minimum qualitative measure of progress as listed below:

*Eligibility to proceed in the Program is determined by the Ph.D. Committee

• Quantitative Measurement of Academic Program (Cumulative overall progress)
  Federal regulations for financial aid contain a quantitative component, meaning that students are required to make steady progress towards their degree by completing at least two-thirds (66.67 percent) of all their attempted credit hours. Students who do not successfully complete at least 66.67 percent of all attempted credit hours are placed on financial aid warning.
• When a student's cumulative grade point average falls below 2.0, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Warning status for the following semester of enrollment. Any student who fails to pass three-fourths of the credits in which s/he was enrolled may also be placed on Financial Aid Warning. Financial Aid Warning status is coded by the Registrar as “Probation 1”.
• Student Financial Services (SFS) sends the student a letter notifying them that they have been placed on Financial Aid Warning status and the consequences of not meeting the conditions.
• Student may continue to receive financial aid for one payment period. No appeal necessary. A student will be removed from Financial Aid Warning Status at the end of the semester based on the Registrar’s review.
• If for the Financial Aid Warning semester the student’s grade point average is above 2.0, but the cumulative average is still below 2.0, he or she is not eligible for financial aid. The student may appeal for Financial Aid Probation status to have their financial aid eligibility reinstated.
• A student on Financial Aid Warning whose grade point average for the Financial Aid Warning semester is below 2.0 is subject to academic dismissal. A student who wishes to request an exception to dismissal status must do so with the Registrar’s Office within three days from the time the dismissal notification is received. The student may also appeal for their financial aid eligibility to be reinstated.
• Financial Aid Probation Appeals
  • SFS sends the student a letter notifying them that they are no longer eligible to receive financial aid and the conditions to appeal for Financial Aid Probation status.
  • If, therefore, a student appeals a dismissal status with the Registrar and the appeal is granted, the student will also be allowed to petition for Financial Aid Probation for one semester.
  • The student must file a written appeal with the Director of SFS.
  • The student’s appeal must include why the student failed to make SAP; and what has changed that will allow the student to make SAP at the next evaluation. The Appeal must also include the signed Academic Contract that is required for readmission after academic dismissal status.
  • A student must demonstrate extenuating circumstances to be considered for an appeal. Conditions that will be considered include events such as death of a relative, injury or illness of the student, or other extraordinary circumstances that have significantly affected the student’s ability to achieve academic success.
  • The Director of SFS and the Registrar review the appeals and make the  decisions. The student is notified of the appeal outcome by the SFS Office.
• After the Financial Aid Probation semester, the student must be making SAP, or must be successfully following the academic plan. Evaluation is done by Student Financial Services.
• Courses with withdrawal (W) and incomplete (I) grades are included in the hours attempted, but not hours earned. 
• Students may repeat any course in which an “F” or "D" grade is earned. Only two courses in which a "C-" or better grade may be repeated. The grade for the most recent course taken, whether higher or lower, will count in the GPA average. Courses that are retaken to improve a grade are counted in attempted hours but only one passing grade is counted toward the credit completion pace rate. The hours of the course are counted only once toward graduation requirements. Students repeating any course are required to notify the Registrar's Office within the required deadlines.