A consultation between the student and his/her academic official that demonstrates how the student will meet SAP standards by a particular point in time.

A process by which a student who is not meeting the school’s SAP policy, petitions for reconsideration of eligibility for financial aid. A student who is denied aid because of a failure to meet satisfactory progress standards may appeal this determination to the SAP committee by completing a SAP Appeal form by the established deadline.

An appeal must be based on significant mitigating circumstances that seriously affect academic performance. Examples include serious illness, severe injury, death of a family member, or similar situations.

The SAP Appeal must include an explanation of why the student failed to make SAP standards, and what has changed that will now allow the student to regain satisfactory SAP status after the end of following semester of enrollment.

Students may be eligible for financial aid at the time award notifications are issued, but may lose eligibility before the financial aid payment period begins. Students, whose financial aid status is updated to Financial Aid Suspension, will not be eligible to receive aid. Students who have been placed on Financial Aid Suspension as a result of the failure to meet SAP standards have the right to appeal.

The rate in which student financial aid recipients must demonstrate measurable progress toward earning a degree.

Example: (based on cumulative hours)

A sophomore has attempted 60 credit hours and has successfully completed 48 hours of these credit hours would have completed 80% completion rate. Therefore, the student is eligible for aid because he exceeded minimum completion rate of 67% (48 divided by 60 = 80%)

Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) refers to the overall GPA, which includes dividing the number of quality points earned in all courses attempted by the total degree-credit hours in all courses attempted.

Students who do not meet the SAP qualitative and quantitative policy criteria are not eligible for aid. Students can however, file a SAP Appeal to request their aid be reinstated. Students must meet both criteria components to remain eligible for aid. Students must maintain satisfactory progress in their course of study according to the school’s published standards.

A status assigned to a student who is meeting the conditions of the SAP policy. Students are eligible to receive federal student aid funds, including grants, loans and work-study, and the Sumner’s Scholarship program funds (if otherwise eligible).

A student’s cumulative grade point average for any given term.

An undergraduate program cannot exceed 150 percent of the published length of the program. For graduate program, cannot exceed length of time specified in SAP policy.

Example of how an undergraduate might fail to meet Maximum Time Frame Standards:

Student is enrolled in a degree program that requires at least 120 credit hours to graduate. The Max Time Rule allows a student to take up to 180 credit hours (120 x 150%). When a student has exceeded the 180 credit hours, then the student is no longer meeting the SAP requirements, therefore, the student will be placed on financial aid suspension. The student would have to successfully appeal to have his financial aid reinstated to receive aid.

If after SAP evaluation, you cannot mathematically complete your program within the maximum time frame, you will become ineligible for aid.

Students who are not making SAP will be notified of their SAP results that impact their Title IV eligibility.

The rate a student must progress to ensure educational program completion within the maximum time frame. Pace is equal to the total number of hours the student has successfully completed divided by the total number of hours the student has attempted.

A student who has not achieved the required GPA or who is not successful completing his or her educational program at the required Pace is no longer eligible to receive assistance for federal aid.

Example:
Maximum time frame is 180 credits for a 120 credit hour degree program. What is the pace that a student must keep to complete the program within 180 attempted credits?

Answer:
If a student earns at least 67% of the credits attempted in each term, the student should complete the program within the maximum time frame (120 divided by 180 is a pace of 67%).

Example:
Student takes 12 credits in fall term and earns 12 credits. The student has earned 100% of the credit attempted. In the spring, the student enrolls for 18 credits and earns 15. He has a cumulative total of 27 earned credits. The cumulative total of attempted credits is 30. Pace = 90% (27 divided by 30).

A status assigned to a student whose status is Financial Aid Suspension, but who successfully appeals to have his aid reinstated. The student is permitted to receive financial aid for one additional semester.

If the SAP Appeal is approved, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Probation and may receive financial aid (if otherwise eligible) for the probation semester only. At the end of the Probation semester, the student must be meeting SAP or will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension. However, if the student is still not meeting SAP, but is successful following established Academic Plan, student would continue to be eligible for aid.

A student who completes the academic requirements for a program but does not yet have the degree or certificate is not eligible for further Title IV aid for that program.

Quality of work performed (example GPA = 2.0.) Based on cumulative hours.

Progression to degree, certificate or transfer. Based on cumulative hours.

Paying for one’s classes nor sitting out a semester affects a student’s SAP status. So neither is sufficient to re-establish aid eligibility.

All students who have been placed on Financial Aid Suspension as a result of failure to meet SAP standards have the right to appeal. If your SAP status is Financial Aid Suspension, you can regain financial aid eligibility by meeting at least one of the following criteria:

1. Correct the SAP problem(s) and meet the overall SAP policy requirements.
2. Win SAP Appeal. If SAP Appeal is approved by the SAP committee, you will be placed on Financial Aid Probation and you may be granted one additional semester of Financial Aid eligibility (if otherwise eligible). Please refer to the SAP policy for additional information about Financial Aid Probationary periods.

A status assigned to students who fail to earn the minimum SAP policy requirements at the end of the SAP evaluation. Financial aid will be terminated or suspended until the student regains minimum satisfactory academic progress standards. Students may reestablish eligibility for upcoming periods by achieving the satisfactory progress standards or submitting a successful SAP Appeal. After a student has re-established eligibility, he may be considered for aid for upcoming periods but not for periods during which the standards had not been met.

This status is only permitted for schools that evaluates SAP at the end of each semester, including summer.

SAP is evaluated annually:

No warning semester is permitted. Students who are not making satisfactory academic progress will automatically be placed on Financial Aid Suspension for their next period and future enrollment. Student will not be eligible for financial aid unless they have a successful appeal.

SAP is evaluated at the end of each semester:

A warning status is assigned to a student who was in good standing prior to the last SAP evaluation, but at the last SAP evaluation, has now failed to make SAP. The student is permitted to receive financial aid for one additional semester. No SAP Appeal is required. At the end of the warning semester, the student must be making satisfactory academic progress to be considered for additional aid eligibility. If the student is not making satisfactory academic progress, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension and will not be eligible to receive financial aid.