Guidelines for the Academic Plan

Meeting satisfactory academic progress (SAP) is one of many federally-mandated criteria viewed in determining a student’s eligibility for continued receipt of financial aid. In order to remain eligible, students must meet both a quantitative and qualitative standard. The standards measure student’s performance in the following areas: maximum time frame to complete a course of study, credit hour completion rate, cumulative grade point average (GPA), and academic standing with their school of enrollment. Students may have their financial aid eligibility suspended for one or more of these reasons. Student Financial Services has created an SAP estimator to help you determine your status against standards.

Students whose financial aid eligibility has been suspended due to satisfactory academic progress have the opportunity to appeal their SAP status if special circumstances exist. Most appeals require the submission of the Academic Advisor Support Form as well as an academic plan that is developed by the academic dean and the student. The Academic Advisor Support form and academic plan should address all of the deficiencies which caused the financial aid suspension.

The academic plan submitted should demonstrate how the student will meet the SAP requirements by a specific point in time. It is important to note that the academic plan developed by the dean and student should reflect realistic and attainable goals for the student. It is acceptable in cases where special circumstances exist for the academic plan to deviate from the satisfactory academic progress policy requirements, as long as the plan demonstrates the student’s continued progression toward the SAP requirements by a specific point in time and/or program completion. Examples of academic plans are shown below.

Satisfactory academic progress for financial aid purposes differs from the academic progress policies of the University and of each individual school. The complete SAP policy is available here.

Maximum Time Frame

The satisfactory academic progress policy provides a maximum time frame during which students must complete their degree. Students who do not complete their degree within the maximum time frame will have their financial aid eligibility suspended.

The academic plan for students who have met the maximum time frame must demonstrate how the student will meet his/her degree requirements by the expected graduation date.

Maximum Time Frame: Oliver

The maximum time frame for an undergraduate student is 180 attempted credits or 12 semesters (15 for part-time). In this example, Oliver has attempted 195 credits and has earned 158. His expected graduation date is spring 2024, and he needs 22 credits to complete his degree.

Credit Hour Completion Rate

The satisfactory academic progress policy specifies the pace at which students must progress through their educational program to ensure that students will complete their program within the maximum time frame. Students may have their financial aid eligibility suspended for not meeting the credit hour completion rate.

The academic plan for students who are not meeting the credit hour completion rate must demonstrate how the student will meet the completion rate by a specific point in time. The academic dean and student will determine the specific point in time which may be earlier than the student’s expected graduation date.

Credit Hour Completion Rate: Monique

Monique is a full-time undergraduate student who has attempted 80 credits and has earned 50 credits at the end of spring 2023. She has a credit hour completion rate of 62%. Undergraduate students are required to complete 67% of cumulative coursework attempted. This academic plan proposes that Monique will meet the SAP credit hour completion rate by the end of fall 2024.

Credit Hour Completion Rate: Carlos

Carlos is a full-time undergraduate student who has attempted 76 credits and has earned 39 credits at the end of spring 2023. He has a credit hour completion rate of 51%. This academic plan proposes that Carlos will meet the SAP credit hour completion rate by the end of summer 2024.

 
The academic plan must reflect realistic and attainable goals for the student. In this example, Carlos and his dean determined that he should not take a full-time course load in the fall 2023 term.

Cumulative Grade Point Average

The satisfactory academic progress policy specifies the minimum cumulative GPA that students should have at each evaluation to ensure that they meet the GPA requirement for graduation. Students may have their financial aid eligibility suspended for not achieving the minimum GPA.

The academic plan for students who are not meeting the minimum cumulative GPA must demonstrate how the student will earn the required GPA by a specific point in time. The academic dean and student will determine the specific point in time which may be earlier than the student’s expected graduation date.

Cumulative Grade Point Average: Felicia

Felicia is a full-time undergraduate student. At the end of spring 2023, she has earned 12 credits and a 1.50 GPA. This academic plan proposes that Felicia will meet the GPA requirement by the end of summer 2024.

The academic plan must reflect realistic and attainable goals for the student. In this example, Felicia and her dean determined that a 2.0 GPA for the fall 2023 term was attainable even though it would not raise her cumulative GPA to the required 2.0.