Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy

GPA requirements

• Maintain a 2.00 cumulative grade point average.
• Students who fail to meet this requirement will be place on financial warning for one semester. Failure to meet this requirement after a financial aid warning is given will result in a loss of federal, state and institutional aid after the warning period.

Completion Rate

• Pass 67% of credits attempted throughout your academic career (transfer credits are included). Attempted courses are credits you are enrolled in after the refund period.
• Students who fail to meet this requirement will be placed on financial warning for one semester. Failure to meet this requirement after a financial aid warning is given will result in a loss of federal, state and institutional aid after the warning period.

Program Completion

• Students must complete their degree program within the maximum time frame of credits allowed, which is 150% of the published length of the program.  For example:  If you are a student who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Accounting (B.B.A.), your program must be completed by 186 credits hours (124 credits x 1.5 (150%) = 186).  
• The program completion requirements are mandatory and have no warning period. 

GPA requirements

• Maintain a 2.00 cumulative grade point average or meet the academic standards required by departments, whichever is higher.
• Students who fail to meet this requirement will be place on financial warning for one semester. Failure to meet this requirement after a financial aid warning is given, will result in a loss of federal, state and institutional aid after the warning period.

Completion Rate

• Pass 67% of credits attempted throughout your academic career (transfer credits are included). Attempted courses are credits you are enrolled in after the refund period.
• Students who fail to meet this requirement will be placed on financial warning for one semester. Failure to meet this requirement after a financial aid warning is given, will result in a loss of federal, state and institutional aid after the warning period.

Program Completion

• Students must complete their degree program within the maximum time frame of credits allowed, which is 150% of the published length of the program.  For example:  If you are a student who is pursuing a master’s degree in nursing (MSN), your program must be completed by 54 credits hours (36 credits x 1.5 (150%) = 54).  
• The program completion requirements are mandatory and have no warning period. 

A student will not be eligible for financial aid if any of the following has occurred:

• If the student does not meet the SAP requirements at the end of their warning or probation period.
• If a student has met the maximum number of credit hours for program completion 

All courses repeated and passed, will count toward the completion rate (67%). Courses repeated and failed, will count as an attempted course and will affect a student’s completion rate (67%). 

Students enrolled in non-credit courses or non-degree courses in which the full tuition rate is charged, may use the credit hours for determination of full-time or part-time enrollment status. Non-credit courses numbered below 100 level of the basic skills requirements (ENGL 080, ENGL 082, MATH 081, MATH 082) will be used to meet the credit hour requirement of this policy. Non-degree courses cannot be used to meet the credit hour requirement.  

Incomplete courses will not be counted as courses completed, but will count as an attempted course toward your completion rate. A student’s GPA is not affected by an incomplete grade.  

Course(s) withdrawn after the refund period will be counted as attempted courses and will count toward your completion rate (67%). Grade of “W” and “WP” does not affect a student’s GPA. A grade of “WF” (failing grade) will affect a student’s GPA.  

Transfer credit from other institutions will be counted towards your program completion rate (67%) and program completion.  

Students who change their academic program may appeal to have previous program requirements excluded from their program completion requirements.   

Students may appeal the decision to cancel financial aid based on the following circumstances:

1. The student became very ill or severely injured.
2. A death of a relative.
3. Other special circumstances.

Students must submit a Financial Aid Reinstatement Form (E-Form) or  Financial Aid Reinstatement Form (pdf version)  and supportive documentation.  Student must explain their failure to meet SAP and what has changed to allow them now to regain their aid. Application for reinstatement must be received by the end of the semester in which the appeal or reinstatement is requested.  Decisions are made within 10 business days after receipt. Students will be notified in writing.  

If the student files a successful appeal, the status will be changed to Financial Aid Probation and the student will have one subsequent semester to meet SAP requirements.

The student will be monitored at the end of their probation semester. If the student meets SAP requirements after their probation semester, then they will regain their aid for the next semester of attendance. If the student does not meet the SAP requirements after their probation semester, the student will lose eligibility for federal, state, and institutional aid until the student meets the GPA and completion rate requirements above. Students who are on financial aid probation can receive federal, state, and institutional aid as long as they meet all eligibility requirements.

Some students may be required to set up a Progress Plan with an Academic Adviser for their probationary period, which will consist of multiple semesters. Students must meet the plan requirements each semester to receive aid in remaining semester(s) of the plan. Student must meet the following requirements of the Progress Plan: Obtain a semester grade point average of 2.5 and pass 75% of courses attempted after the refund period for each semester. At the completion on the Progress Plan the student must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.00, have passed (67%) of credits attempted after the refund period in their academic career (including transfer credits) and have not exceeded their program completion credits.

If a student does not appeal their denial of federal, state, and institutional aid, a student may regain eligibility when Satisfactory Academic Progress standards are met. The student must complete a Financial Aid Reinstatement Form (E-Form) or  Financial Aid Reinstatement Form (pdf version). Retroactive payments will not be made for semesters in which a student was not eligible for financial aid. Contact an SVSU academic adviser if you plan to attend another institution and transfer credits back to SVSU.