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Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (SAP)

Federal regulations require that financial assistance recipients meet standards of academic progress. The standards established by the Office of Student Financial Assistance, consistent with the federal student aid requirements, are stated below. These standards measure progress in a given program of study. They include quantitative (percentage of courses completed) and qualitative (grade point average in those courses completed) measures. Continued compliance with the standards for academic progress policy is measured upon the completion of each term.

Grade point average, credit hour requirement, and maximum hours allowed will be checked for compliance annually. Students who are not in compliance are not eligible for assistance until they have made up the credit hour deficiency from the last evaluation period and/or brought their GPA up to the qualitative standard indicated. Once the deficiency is made up, the student should notify the Financial Aid Office.

Students who are not making satisfactory academic progress may file a written appeal to the Financial Aid office. Appeals will then go before a committee for review and all students will be notified of the committee's decision in writing. Appeals should include all documentation which supports any mitigating circumstances concerning the failure to maintain the expected level of satisfactory progress. All decisions made by the committee are final. Students have thirty (30) days after notification of denial of financial aid to file an appeal with the Financial Aid office.

 

Standard Requirements

The Standard Requirements that must be met in order to receive financial assistance apply to all students. They are as follows:

  1. All students must be enrolled in a degree-seeking or teaching certification program.
  2. Newly enrolled undergraduate students must be admitted in good standing by the SFASU Admissions Office.
  3. Students who have re-entered SFASU must NOT be on Academic Suspension.
  4. Student enrollment status will be determined based on the number of hours they are enrolled in for each term. Satisfactory Academic Progress considers all course work including withdrawals, repeated courses, incompletes and failures.

 

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Grade Point Average (GPA)

This is a qualitative measurement used for academic work at this University.

Freshman Undergraduate Students
Must maintain a cumulative GPA of 1.6 or better.

Sophomore - Senior Undergraduate Students
Must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better.

Graduate Students and Post Baccalaureate Students
Must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.

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Credit Hour Requirements

This is a quantitative measurement of a minimum number of hours completed each year at SFASU. A year is defined as Summer I, Summer II, Fall, and Spring sessions. In order to receive financial assistance, Freshman students must complete at least 60% of the hours attempted and all other students must complete at least 75% of the hours attempted. Credit hour requirements will be checked on an annual basis. See the examples below for acceptable and unacceptable hour requirements.

 

Example 1: Freshman Students Only
 
Hours Attempted
Hours Earned
Summer I
0
0
Summer II
0
0
Fall
14
10
Spring
12
12
Total
26
22
26 hours x 60% = 15 hours.
This student is in compliance.

 

Example 2: Sophomore - Gradute
 
Hours Attempted
Hours Earned
Summer I
0
0
Summer II
6
3
Fall
12
7
Spring
14
11
Total
32
21
32 hours x 75% = 24 hours.
This student is NOT in compliance.

 

Example 3: Sophomore - Gradute
 
Hours Attempted
Hours Earned
Summer I
0
0
Summer II
0
0
Fall
16
10
Spring
12
12
Total
28
22
28 hours x 75% = 21 hours.
This student is in compliance.

 

 

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Maximum Hours Allowed

Students are given a maximum number of credit hours they can attempt based on their enrollment status. If students have met their maximum hours they will be ineligible for further financial assistance. The stated maximum allowable hours at each level of study (Bachelors, Post-Baccalaureate, Masters, and Ph.D.) are for all students regardless of the number of changes in major or concentration. The student's entire academic record at SFASU (including prerequisite courses) is used to calculate the maximums. Course work transferred to SFASU will also count toward the allowable number of maximum credit hours. This status will be checked at the end of each semester.

Classification Status Maximum Attempted Hours Allowed
Undergraduate, PBU, PBD 180 credit hours
Post-Baccalaureate 36 credit hours
Graduate
Graduate, Masters 54 credit hours
MFA, MBA, MSW 90 credit hours
Ph.D. 96 credit hours

 

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Ineligible Students

Students who are admitted to SFASU as: Non-Degree, Provisional Undergraduate (provisional graduate students will be given one semester to remove provisional status), Transient, Summer Prep, Career Interest, Audit courses, AARC (090) tutoring, or Self Improvement or are on academic suspension, will be ineligible for financial assistance. When the student is admitted to a degree program, Special Student Status is changed, or suspension status is removed, the student is eligible to apply for financial assistance.

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