Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid Recipients (A-40)
Original Implementation: September, 1985
Last Revision: January 30, 2007
Federal regulations mandate minimum standards of "satisfactory progress" for students receiving financial assistance. These requirements apply to the student’s entire academic history, whether financial aid was received or not and to all types of aid: Grants, Loans, and Work-Study. The standards for determining progress at the university are composed of three separate measurements: Grade point average, Credit hour requirements, and Maximum hours allowed. For a student to be eligible to receive federal and state student financial assistance at SFASU, the student must maintain satisfactory progress in their course of study. All students must be enrolled in a degree or teaching certificate program. Newly enrolled undergraduate students must be admitted "in good standing".
NOTE: Students who are admitted to SFASU as a Non-Degree, Provisional (except graduate students who will be given one semester to remove provisional status), Transient, Summer Prep, Career Interest or Self-Improvement, Audit Courses, AARC (090) tutoring, or if on academic suspension, will NOT be eligible to receive financial aid. When the student is admitted to a degree program, Special Student status is changed, or suspension status is removed, an eligible student may then be considered for financial assistance.
GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA)
This is the qualitative measurement used for academic work at this University. For financial aid purposes, a student must maintain a cumulative GPA of 1.6 or better as a Freshman, 2.0 or better as a Sophomore through Senior and 3.0 or better as a graduate. Grade point averages will be checked on an annual basis.
CREDIT HOUR REQUIREMENTS
This is the 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, freshmen must complete 60% of the hours attempted. All other students must complete at least 75% of the hours attempted.
Credit hours will be considered to be satisfactorily completed if one of the following grades is earned: A, B, C, D, or P. Grades of F, W, WH, WF, WP, or QF are not satisfactory. If a graduate student receives a WH for Thesis Research or Thesis Writing, the hours will not be counted as hours attempted due to the length of time needed to complete this degree requirement. However, there is a two-year limit on Thesis Research and Thesis Writing.
If you withdraw from the university prior to the end of the semester, receive all F’s, or receive a combination of all W’s, F’s, or QF’s, you will be denied for future financial assistance. W’s, F’s, and QF’s will be checked after each semester. You may reapply after Satisfactory Progress has been met.
Financial Aid is given to students enrolled for remedial courses (098 & 099). These courses are considered attempted hours and also count as earned hours for financial aid satisfactory progress. A student must make a grade of A, B, C, D, or P to remain in compliance.
Repeated classes are treated the same as any other class.
MAXIMUM HOURS ALLOWED
The stated maximum allowable hours at each level of study 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 count toward the maximum number of allowable credit hours. Maximum hours allowed will be checked after each semester.
| Enrollment Status at University Census Date |
Maximum Number of Credit Hours by Degree Objective |
| Undergraduate |
195 attempted semester hours |
| Post-Baccalaureate |
36 attempted semester hours |
| Graduate: Masters |
54 attempted semester hours |
| MFA & MBA |
90 attempted semester hours |
| Ph.D. |
96 attempted semester hours |
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.
Cross Reference: None
Responsible for Implementation: Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Contact for Revision: Director of Financial Aid; Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Forms: None