Maintaining Eligibility for Financial Aid

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

According to the United States Department of Education regulations (34CFR 668.16 and 668.34), all students receiving Title IV funds must meet and maintain a set of academic standards that demonstrate they are meeting satisfactory academic progress. Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is measured in terms of qualitative (grade-based) and quantitative (time-based) standards and must be measured regardless of whether the student received financial aid for the terms and credits measured. Academic progress will be checked for all graduate students at the end of each semester.

Qualitative Measure

The qualitative, or grade-based, measure of a student’s progress is measured by reviewing a student’s cumulative grade point average. The minimum cumulative GPA students must maintain to remain eligible to apply for Title IV financial aid is as follows:*

• All master’s or doctoral students must maintain a 3.00 cumulative GPA.

• All students enrolled in a graduate certificate program must maintain a 2.00 cumulative GPA.

The following will not be included in the GPA calculation: transfer grades of TR; withdraw grades of W; incomplete grades of I; and in progress grades of CIP. When the incomplete or in progress grade has been replaced with the final grade, this course will be included in the GPA calculation at the first SAP review following the final grade entry. Repeated courses are only calculated into the GPA on the most recent attempt.

* This measure is in addition to the academic performance requirements for each relevant graduate program.

Quantitative Measure

Pace of Progression

The quantitative or time-based measure of a student’s progress is measured by reviewing a student’s pace of progression. Every student’s pace of progression is measured at the end of each semester by dividing cumulative credits successfully earned/completed by cumulated credits attempted.

Federal financial aid recipients must maintain a 70% minimum completion rate for attempted credit hours. Credit hours for a course are earned by completing and passing the class. Attempted hours include hours from which the student withdrew (W), received a grade of incomplete (I) or in progress (CIP), and remedial courses and repeated courses. Audit grades (AU) are not considered when calculating a student’s pace rate.

For example, if a student successfully passes three out of four 3-credit courses, the student has attempted 12 credits hour, but only earned 9 credit hours, yielding a pace of progression rate of 75%. This meets the SAP minimum requirement, and therefore, the student’s SAP status would be satisfactory, which continues their eligibility to receive Title IV loans. If, however, the student successfully passes only two of the four courses, the student’s pace of progression rate would be 50% and would not meet the SAP minimum threshold. The student would therefore be moved to SAP Suspension status and lose their eligibility to receive Title IV funding unless an appeal is granted.

Maximum Timeframe

Graduate students are eligible for financial aid for a maximum of 150% of the published length of the education program. All attempted, withdrawn, failed, repeated, and/or transferred credit hours that apply to a student’s program count toward this maximum timeframe.

For example, a student pursuing a master’s or doctorate degree requiring 36 credit hours may attempt up to 54 credit hours before financial aid eligibility is suspended (36 x 150% = 54). Students on SAP Suspension lose their eligibility to receive Title IV funding unless an appeal is granted.

Monitoring Progress

Collectively, the relevant graduate program, the Registrar’s Office and the Office of Student Financial Aid Services conducts a SAP review at the end of each semester for each graduate program. Students not making SAP are notified via their College email account and placed on SAP Suspension. Students on SAP Suspension cannot receive financial aid until they meet all SAP requirements. If an appeal is granted (see below), the student is placed on SAP Probation.

Regaining Eligibility

Federal financial aid may be reinstated when one of the following conditions has been met:

• The student completes courses at their own expense (without federal aid) until they meet all SAP measures. Students exceeding the maximum timeframe cannot regain eligibility on their own.
• The student files an appeal, which is successful (see below).

Appeals

Occasionally, extenuating circumstances contribute to a student’s inability to meet the requirements for satisfactory progress. Extenuating circumstances include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Death of an immediate family member;
• Severe injury or illness of the student or an immediate family member;
• Emergency situations such as fire or flood;
• Legal separation from spouse or divorce; and
• Military reassignment or required job transfers or shift changes.

Students who have extenuating circumstances may submit a written appeal to the Registrar. The written appeal must (i) explain why the student failed to make SAP and what has changed that will allow the student to make SAP at the next evaluation; and (ii) attach supporting documentation to document the relevant extenuating circumstances (e.g., physician statement documenting a severe injury/illness; an obituary/death certificate documenting the death of an immediate family member; insurance claim/FEMA application documenting a traumatic life-altering event, such as a fire, flood or hurricane).

The Registrar in collaboration with the Director of Student Financial Aid Services and the director/chair of the relevant graduate program (or their designee) will review the appeal to determine if the student will be able to meet SAP standards by the next evaluation. If the appeal is denied, the student may take classes at their own expense to try to regain SAP. If the appeal is approved, the student is placed on SAP Probation and an academic plan will be developed in conjunction with the director/chair of the relevant graduate program in order to help the student meet SAP standards in a specified timeline in order to graduate from the program. Graduate students on SAP Probation will continue to receive aid as long as they earn grades of a B or higher. If a student earns grades of a C or lower, W, I or CIP, they are placed on SAP Suspension again and cannot receive financial aid. All appeal decisions are final.