Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid Recipients (A-40)
Original Implementation: September, 1985
Last Revision: July 21, 2009
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 (GPA), credit hour requirements, and maximum hours allowed. For students to be eligible to receive federal and state student financial assistance at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA), students 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 SFA 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 on academic suspension shall 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)
The grade point average is the quantitative measurement used for academic work at the 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 student. Grade point averages shall be checked on an annual basis.
CREDIT HOUR REQUIREMENTS
The credit hour requirement is the quantitative measurement of the minimum number of hours completed each year at SFA. 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 shall be considered 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 graduate students receive a WH for thesis/dissertation research or thesis/dissertation writing, the hours shall not be counted as hours attempted due to the length of time needed to complete this degree requirement. However, a time limit on the research and writing of a thesis/dissertation is assigned by the academic department.
Students who withdraw from the university prior to the end of a semester or receive unsatisfactory grades shall be denied future financial assistance. A check for unsatisfactory progress shall be done at the end of each semester. Students may reapply after satisfactory progress has been achieved.
Financial aid may be awarded to students enrolled for remedial courses (098 & 099). These courses are considered attempted hours and are also counted as earned hours for determining satisfactory progress for financial aid purposes.
Repeated classes are treated the same as any other class.
MAXIMUM HOURS ALLOWED
The maximum allowable hours at each level of study are for all students regardless of the number of changes in major or concentration. A student’s entire academic record at SFA (including prerequisite courses) is used in calculating hours toward the maximum requirement. Course work transferred to SFA shall count toward the maximum number of allowable credit hours. Maximum hours allowed shall be checked after each semester.
| Enrollment Status at University Census Date | Maximum Number of Credit Hours by Degree Objective |
Undergraduate |
180 attempted semester hours* |
Post-Baccalaureate |
36 attempted semester hours |
Graduate: Masters |
54 attempted semester hours |
MFA & MBA |
90 attempted semester hours |
Ph.D. & Ed.D. |
96 attempted semester hours |
* For undergraduate programs that exceed 120 hours, the maximum number of hours allowed will be set at one and a half times the normal program length.
Students not in compliance are ineligible for assistance until they make up the credit hour deficiency from the last evaluation period and/or bring their GPA to the standard indicated. Once the deficiency is made up, students should notify the financial aid office.
Students who are not making satisfactory academic progress may file a written appeal to the financial aid office. Students have thirty (30) days after notification of denial of financial aid to file an appeal with the financial aid office. Appeals shall be submitted to a committee for review. Appeals should include all documentation that supports mitigating circumstances concerning the failure to maintain the expected level of satisfactory progress. All decisions made by the committee are final. Students shall be notified of the committee’s decision in writing.
Cross Reference: 34 C.F.R. § 668.34; 20 U.S.C. 1091(d)
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