Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Satisfactory academic progress (SAP) is a term used to describe a student’s successful completion of coursework toward a degree or certificate. SAP is required to receive all federal, state, and most institutional financial aid.

Federal regulations require the Financial Aid Office to apply reasonable standards for measuring whether a student is making progress toward a degree. This is to ensure that students receiving funds are successfully progressing through their program of study.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards

Student academic progress is measured at the end of each semester against the following qualitative and quantitative standards:  cumulative grade point average (GPA), completion rate (pace), maximum time frame and meeting the academic standards of your school or college (e.g., the College of Engineering and Science, the School of Architecture, etc.).

To Keep Financial Aid You Must

To remain eligible for financial aid, students generally must:

  • Maintain the required cumulative GPA for their program
  • Successfully complete at least 67% of attempted credits
  • Finish their degree within 150% of the published program length

Students who do not meet these requirements may lose eligibility for financial aid but may have the option to appeal.

SAP Appeal Deadlines

While you are expected to meet minimum academic progress requirements to maintain your financial aid eligibility, we understand that extenuating circumstances sometimes prevent students from making satisfactory progress towards their degree. If you are ineligible for financial aid because you are not meeting SAP requirements before the beginning of the academic year, and extenuating circumstances have hindered your academic performance, you may submit a SAP Appeal to have your eligibility reconsidered. 

An appeal must be filed by the appropriate deadline in order to be considered for a particular semester. We cannot award financial aid for previous semesters if we did not receive the appeal by the semester deadline.

Deadlines:

Fall semester: September 28
Winter semester: February 28
Summer semester: May 28

You will be notified at the end of your enrolled semester if you are not meeting SAP requirements, and you will be ineligible for your financial aid for any future semesters.

Submitting an appeal does not guarantee approval.

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    Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA)

    2.0 for undergraduate and Dental (DDS) programs, 2.2 for Law programs, and 3.0 for graduate programs.  At any time that it becomes mathematically impossible for the student to meet the GPA requirement by the time the student would complete enough credit hours to graduate, the student becomes ineligible for federal aid.

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    Completion Rate (Pace)

    At least 67% of all credit hours attempted must have passing grades that can be applied to the degree. The 67% completion rate maintains a pace of progression toward the degree or certificate that ensures completion of the academic credential within the maximum time frame allowed.  The pace of progress is calculated by dividing cumulative hours that you have successfully completed by the cumulative hours you have attempted.  This includes hours attempted for which you do not receive credit, such as repeated courses which do not count toward your degree and classes taken prior to re-starting your degree program.

    PLEASE NOTE: Credit hours transferred from other schools that are accepted toward completion of a student’s 老王论坛 program count as hours attempted and hours completed.  However, transfer credit hours are not included in the calculation of a student’s grade point average. Please refer to the "Grades and Credits" section of this policy for a list of attempted credit hours.

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    Maximum Time Frame

    Students must complete a degree or certificate program in no more than 150% of the published length of the program in credit hours.  Examples:

    Undergraduate degrees that require 120 credit hours:

    • Attempted credit hours may not exceed 180 (120 credits x 150% = 180 credits).

    Master’s degrees that require 36 credit hours:

    • Attempted credit hours may not exceed 54 (36 credits x 150% = 54 credits).

    Professional and other degrees that require completion within a specific number of years from the start date:

    • Student must complete degree in no more than the maximum number of calendar years from the date s/he began the program AND student must complete at least 67% of credit hours attempted during any given semester AND attempted credit hours may not exceed 150% of the required credit hours for the student’s program of study.

    PLEASE NOTE:  If at any point it becomes mathematically impossible for the student to meet degree completion and/or grade point requirements prior to the maximum time frame, the student immediately becomes ineligible for future federal (and/or) state financial aid.

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    Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Evaluation Process

    At the conclusion of each semester, the Registrar’s Office notifies the Financial Aid Office once all final grades have been posted. Upon receiving this notification, the Financial Aid Office begins the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) review process for all students.

    SAP statuses are not updated in real time and will not appear immediately after final grades are posted; SAP evaluation process may take approximately 7–10 business days to complete.

    Once SAP evaluations are finalized, students may view their SAP status by logging into the student portal and navigating to: Financial Aid > Satisfactory Academic Progress. The student’s SAP status and the effective term will be displayed within the portal.

    Students enrolled in courses that span multiple semesters will be evaluated in two ways:

    • At the end of each term for any courses with posted grades, and
    • Upon completion of the multi-semester course, once a final grade is assigned.
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    Financial Aid Warning

    Students who do not meet SAP standards for the first time will be placed on Financial Aid Warning and notified of the minimum academic requirements needed to maintain financial aid eligibility. Students remain eligible for financial aid during the warning semester and are encouraged to utilize available academic support services at 老王论坛.

    SAP will be reviewed again at the end of the warning semester. Students may receive financial aid for one warning semester only. If SAP standards are not met at the end of the warning semester, the student becomes ineligible for future financial aid unless an appeal is approved or the student regains eligibility by meeting SAP standards independently.

    Students enrolled in courses that span two or more semesters before a final grade is assigned are not eligible for a warning semester. If these students fail to meet SAP standards at the end of the second semester of the course sequence, financial aid eligibility will be suspended and the student must submit a SAP Appeal for further financial aid consideration.

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    Loss of eligibility due to lack of satisfactory progress

    A student who loses financial aid eligibility due to not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards may regain eligibility by successfully completing coursework at their own expense and demonstrating the ability to make academic progress toward their degree. This includes completing a semester without failing grades, incomplete grades, or withdrawals. Students seeking to regain financial aid eligibility must also submit a SAP Appeal for review. Financial aid eligibility is not automatically restored simply through the passage of time.

    Students who are academically dismissed from the University and later approved to re-enroll are not automatically eligible for financial aid. Academic admission and financial aid eligibility are reviewed separately, and students must still meet SAP requirements to receive federal, state, or institutional financial aid.

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    SAP Appeal

    If you experienced an extenuating circumstance that impacted your academic progress you may submit a SAP Appeal.

    A typed appeal letter requesting reinstatement of eligibility must be submitted to finaid@udmercy.edu by the SAP Appeal Deadline for the semester (see SAP Appeal Deadlines).

    The SAP appeal must include:

    • An explanation of your overall situation, including your entire academic history at 老王论坛, detailing the circumstances that contributed to your inability to meet the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress standards.
    • An explanation of circumstances that contributed to your most recent unsuccessful semester.
    • Demonstrate what you have done to correct the problems that have hindered your success.
    • Attach supporting documents, such as obituaries, medical notices, tutoring contracts, etc.

    Students should not assume that a SAP appeal will be approved and accepts responsibility for paying their tuition and fees if the appeal is denied.

    If you do not appeal your SAP status:
    You may choose not to appeal your SAP status. In this case, your financial aid will be suspended. It will be reinstated once you are meeting SAP requirements.

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    SAP Appeal Timeline Examples

    Deadlines:

    Fall semester: September 28
    Winter semester: February 28
    Summer semester: May 28

    You will be notified at the end of your enrolled semester if you are not meeting SAP requirements, and you will be ineligible for your financial aid for any future semesters.

    Appeal Deadline Examples:

    Winter Enrolled Semester & Plan on Attending the Upcoming Summer Semester - Appeal Example:
    End of Winter 2024: You are notified that you are not meeting SAP requirements. You are ineligible for financial aid for any future semesters. 
    Summer 2024: If you appeal before the May 28 deadline and your appeal is approved, your financial aid will be reinstated for the summer 2024 semester.

    Winter Enrolled Semester & Plan on Attending the Upcoming Fall Semester - Appeal Example:
    End of Winter 2024: You are notified that you are not meeting SAP requirements. You are ineligible for financial aid for any future semesters. 
    Fall 2024: If you appeal before the September 28 deadline and your appeal is approved, your financial aid will be reinstated for the fall 2024 semester.

    Summer Enrolled Semester & Plan on Attending the Upcoming Fall Semester - Appeal Example:
    End of Summer 2024: You are notified that you are not meeting SAP requirements. You are ineligible for financial aid for any future semesters.
    Fall 2024: If you appeal before the September 28 deadline and your appeal is approved, your financial aid will be reinstated for the fall 2024 semester.

    Fall Enrolled Semester & Plan on Attending the Upcoming Winter Semester - Appeal Example:
    End of Fall 2024: You are notified that you are not meeting SAP requirements. You are ineligible for financial aid for any future semesters. 
    Winter 2025: If you appeal before the February 28 deadline and your appeal is approved, your financial aid will be reinstated for the winter 2025 semester.

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    Financial Aid Probation

    Financial Aid Probation

    Financial aid probation status will be assigned to students who have failed to meet SAP standards and have successfully appealed to reinstate their aid eligibility.

    Students who do not meet SAP standards after a semester with a warning status or attend multi-term classes may appeal to reinstate their aid eligibility. The student will be offered a financial aid probation contract if the appeal is approved.

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    Financial Aid Contract

    The Academic Contract outlines the academic requirements a student must meet to continue receiving financial aid while on Financial Aid Probation. The contract must be approved by an academic advisor within the student’s college or school and may include additional academic requirements established by the college or school to support the student’s academic success.

    Students who successfully meet the terms of their Academic Contract will remain eligible for financial aid for future semesters. Students on Financial Aid Probation are considered to be meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements as long as they continue to satisfy the conditions outlined in their Academic Contract, which may extend across multiple semesters.

    The Scholarship and Financial Aid Office reviews the academic records of students on Financial Aid Probation at the end of each semester to determine continued eligibility. Students who fail to meet the terms of their Academic Contract will lose financial aid eligibility.

    Federal SAP regulations apply to all students, including first-time financial aid applicants who previously attended 老王论坛, regardless of whether they were previously placed on Financial Aid Warning or Probation.

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    Grades and Credits

    The following grades and credit types count as attempted credits for SAP purposes, even if financial aid was not used. 

    • Earned Hours (A-D)
    • Pass (P)
    • Satisfactory (S)
    • No Record (NR)
    • No Pass (NP)
    • Unsatisfactory (U)
    • Withdrawal (W)
    • Administrative Withdraw (AW)
    • Failure (F)
    • No Record Failure (XF)
    • Final Grade Postponed - Law School Only (X)
    • Incomplete (I)
    • Incomplete/Failing (I/F)
    • Numerical grades (0.0 - 4.0)
    • Transfer Credit

    Withdrawal From Courses: If a student withdraws from a course after the add/drop period, the course credit hours will be added to his/her attempted credit hours total.

    Remedial Courses: Credit hours for each remedial course a student takes are included in the calculation of his/her attempted credit hours total and are included in the GPA calculations, but are not counted towards degree requirements.

    Incomplete Courses: Credit hours for incomplete courses are included in the calculation of a student's attempted credit hours total, but not in the calculation of his/her GPA.

    Audit Courses: Credit hours are not earned for audited courses; therefore, they are not included in the calculation of a student’s attempted credit hours total or GPA.

    Pass/Fail Courses: Credit hours for pass/fail courses are included in the calculation of a student's attempted credit hours total, but not in the calculation of his/her GPA.

    Change Majors Courses: For students who change majors, the credit hours taken under all majors will be included in the calculation of the attempted credit hours total, the GPA calculation, and the maximum time frame for degree completion.

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    Repeated Courses

    Repeated coursework may affect both pace and maximum time frame calculations, even if the repeated course is not eligible for financial aid.

    Federal regulations limit the number of times a student may repeat a course and receive financial aid for that course.

    • A student may receive aid when repeating a course that was previously failed, regardless of the number of times the course was attempted and failed.
    • A student may receive aid to repeat a previously passed course one additional time.
    • If a student retakes a course that is not aid-eligible, a recalculation of aid is performed to exclude the credits for the repeat course.
    • This rule applies whether or not the student received aid for earlier enrollments in the course.

    Note: Federal regulations specify that students may not receive aid for repeating courses previously passed if the student is required to retake those courses as part of a structured program. For example, a student who fails a course in a semester and is required by the college or department to repeat all courses taken in that semester before moving on in the program, would not be eligible to receive aid for the passed courses—only for the failed one(s). That may mean that the student would not be eligible for any aid for the semester, depending upon the number of previously passed courses being repeated.

    If a student repeats a course, credit hours for each registration in the course will be added to his/her attempted credit hours total.

Frequently Asked Questions

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    Does dropping or withdrawing from a class affect SAP?

    Yes. Dropped, withdrawn, failed, and incomplete courses may affect your Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) because they can impact both your completion rate and maximum time frame. Students are encouraged to speak with the Scholarship & Financial Aid Office before dropping or withdrawing from courses.
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    Do transfer credits count toward SAP?

    Yes. Transfer credits accepted by 老王论坛 count toward a student’s maximum time frame for SAP purposes. However, transfer credits are not included in the calculation of the student’s cumulative GPA at 老王论坛.
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    Can I still receive financial aid during a Financial Aid Warning semester?

    Yes. Students placed on Financial Aid Warning remain eligible for financial aid during the warning semester. SAP will be reviewed again at the end of the semester to determine continued eligibility.
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    What happens if I do not meet SAP standards after my warning semester?

    Students who do not meet SAP standards at the end of their warning semester become ineligible for financial aid unless:

    • a SAP Appeal is approved, or
    • the student regains eligibility by meeting SAP standards independently.
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    What happens if my SAP Appeal is approved?

    Students with approved SAP Appeals are typically placed on Financial Aid Probation and may be required to follow an Academic Contract. The contract outlines the academic requirements the student must meet to continue receiving financial aid.
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    What happens if my SAP Appeal is denied?

    Students whose SAP Appeal is denied are no longer eligible for financial aid. Students may regain eligibility by successfully completing coursework at their own expense and meeting SAP standards.
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    How long does the SAP review process take?

    After final grades are posted and confirmed by the Registrar’s Office, the Scholarship & Financial Aid Office begins the SAP review process. Reviews may take approximately 7 to 10 business days to complete.
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    Does SAP affect scholarships and institutional aid?

    Yes. SAP standards apply to most federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs, including many university scholarships and grants.
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    Where can I view my SAP status?

    Students may view their SAP status by logging into the student portal and navigating to:

    Financial Aid > Satisfactory Academic Progress

    The SAP status and effective term will be displayed within the portal.

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