If you are receiving financial assistance, you must meet certain conditions to continue to receive assistance. Often one of these conditions is that they must be on track to graduate and earn a degree.
The precise definition of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is set by individual schools. Generally, you must maintain a grade point average of at least 2.0 and earn enough credit hours to graduate within 150% of your scheduled degree time frame.
What is Satisfactory Academic Progress?
Satisfactory academic progress is a measure of whether you are making enough progress towards your degree. Federal financial aid requires progress toward a degree.
Each school sets its own standards for what qualifies as satisfactory academic progress, so if you are unsure of what your school will look like, you should contact your school’s financial aid office.
A school’s satisfactory academic progress policy typically covers some or all of the following:
How Satisfactory Academic Progress is Used for Financial Aid
Satisfactory academic progress is a requirement for federal financial aid, so nearly all schools monitor this as part of their financial aid office. Schools may measure each student once or twice a year using the most up-to-date information in the measurement period. If your school determines that you are not making enough progress, you may receive a financial aid warning or lose financial aid.
Sufficient academic progress is typically used for federal financial aid products, but there are also private student loans that require academic progress. If you fall below the school’s satisfactory progress threshold, you may also not qualify for a private loan.
If you are unsure how loan progress is measured or required, please contact your loan provider or loan servicer.
How to Appeal a Satisfactory Academic Progress Decision
If you are not making enough progress towards your degree, you can appeal the school’s decision. Generally, you can appeal a determination of satisfactory academic progress for the following reasons:
- serious illness or injury
- death of your close relative
- Other anomalies or special circumstances
If you believe any of these apply to your particular situation, you should contact your school’s financial aid office in writing. Many colleges and universities allow appeals, but not all do. Make sure you understand your school’s academic admissions policy before it becomes an issue.
A Loophole to Avoid Satisfactory Academic Progress
If you find yourself in a situation where you risk losing financial aid due to unsatisfactory academic performance, there may be some loopholes you can take advantage of.
One is to change majors. Additional time may be permitted by school policy if changed. There is also the possibility of enrolling in another school.
While these may sound like attractive options, use them only as a last resort. Colleges and universities may limit how often you can change majors to limit your ability to take advantage of this loophole. You may be unable or unwilling to change colleges, as changing colleges can mean a pretty significant overhaul and change in your life.
Conclusion
If you have federal financial aid, you must demonstrate satisfactory academic performance towards your degree.
The exact standards of satisfactory academic performance are set by each school, so if you are unsure how your university measures this, please contact the Office of Financial Assistance. They will understand this in detail and help them understand if they are at risk of falling below the threshold of satisfactory academic progress.