1. Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Julie Wittmis
Texas Woman’s University

2. What & Why??
To be eligible for FSA funds, a student must make Satisfactory Academic Progress, and your school must have a reasonable policy for monitoring that progress
The Department considers a satisfactory academic progress policy to be reasonable if it meets both the Qualitative and Quantitative criteria explained in this section.

3. SAP Must . . .
Be published and include reasonable qualitative and quantitative standards
Explain how GPA and pace of completion are effected by course incompletes, withdrawals, and repeats, as well as transfer credits
Be at least as strict as your SAP policy for student not receiving FSA funds

4. SAP Must (continued)
Apply to all students (different SAP policies may apply to different programs)
Require evaluation at the end of each payment period for program 1 year or less; annual evaluations required for program greater than an year
Notify and describe status that affects eligibility for FSA funds
Explain how to regain eligibility

5. Qualitative Standard Grade based (most commonly GPA)
Must achieve standard at the end of each period
In addition, HEA requires a specific review at the end of the 2nd academic year.
Programs greater than 2 academic years
At least a “C” or its equivalent or,
Must have an academic standing consistent with your school’s graduation requirements
Escalating GPA ???

6. Quantitative Standard
Pace =
Time-related
May use graduated completion percentages
May include but not required to include remedial courses
Ensure program completion within the maximum timeframe
Student is ineligible when it becomes mathematically impossible to complete the program within maximum timeframe
Appealable

7. Change of Major & Transfer Credits
Generally, all periods of enrollment count
Even when not receiving FSA funds
May exclude courses not part of new major
May limit # of times student changes major
Must count transfer credits for current program
May count transfer grades
Establish rules for those who want new degrees

8. Repeat, Drop, Incomplete, Remedial & ESL Courses
Explain course repeats including which grade will count.
Quantitative standard includes all repeated courses
Policy must explain remedial, incomplete grades, and ESL course work
Cannot exclude course work from the summer term or mini-terms

9. When Do You Check SAP?
No longer than one academic year or the length of the program, whichever is less
Increments generally coincide with payment periods
New/conflicting information is received

10. Regaining SAP Eligibility
Policy must explain how to regain eligibility
Placing them on probation
Submitting an appeal
Using non-FSA until all standards are met
Probation nor Appeals are required (may)
Sitting out a term doesn’t regain eligibility
Paying for one term doesn’t regain eligibility

11. Probation-vs-Warning Status
Policy explains circumstance and procedures
Continue to receive FSA funding
Must regain eligibility by the end of the payment period
Cannot allow over two consecutive periods

12. Appeal Policy
Appeal - A process by which a student who is not meeting SAP petitions for reconsideration.
May have an appeal policy for mitigating circumstances, but not required
Appeal must explain mitigating circumstances and what has changed to ensure compliance going forward.
Approved appeals receive FSA funding
Must regain eligibility by your policy standards

13. Appeal Policy (continued)
May have an appeal procedure
How the student may re-establish T4 eligibility
Basis for filing an appeal
Petition must include why the student failed to meet SAP, what has changed that will allow the student to meet SAP at the next review.

14. SAP Evaluated Each Payment Period
Option 1
Place on FA warning
Receives T4 funding for one payment period
Not meeting SAP after that, loses T4 eligibility
No appeal policy, regain eligibility when meets SAP
Approved appeal, FA Probation, receives T4 funds
Student must meet SAP end of next payment period or
Comply with academic plan designed to ensure student will meet SAP standards

15. SAP Evaluated Each Payment Period (continued)
Option 2
SAP not met
Student loses T4 eligibility immediately
No appeal policy, regain eligibility when meets SAP
Approved appeal, FA Probation, receives T4 funds
Student must meet SAP end of next payment period or
Comply with academic plan designed to ensure student will meet SAP standards

16. SAP Evaluated Annually or Less than Each Payment Period
Student not making SAP, loses T4 funding
Approved appeal, receive T4 funding
Part of your policy
Student placed on FA Probation
Student must meet SAP end of next payment period or
Comply with academic plan designed to ensure student will meet SAP standards
No appeal policy-students regain eligibility when they meet school’s SAP standards

17. Financial Aid Probation
School determines that student should be able to meet SAP standards by the end of the next payment period. OR
An academic plan is developed and student can meet school’ SAP standards by a specific point in time.

18. Academic Plan
School and the student must define the steps needed to meet SAP standards by a specified time
Can also continue to successful program completion
Review of progress at each SAP evaluation period
Must specify timeframe by which SAP standards must be met
Must appeal to change plan
Must explain what happened to make the change necessary and how they will be able to make SAP

19. Terms
Appeal – A process by which a student who is not meeting SAP petitions for reconsideration
Probation – A status assigned to a student failing SAP and successfully appeals. Eligibility may be reinstated for one payment period.
Warning – A status assigned to a student failing SAP. Eligibility may be reinstated for one payment period without an appeal. May only be used by schools that evaluate at then end of each period.
Maximum Timeframe
Undergraduate program (credit hours), cannot exceed 150% of published length of program
Undergraduate program (clock hours), cannot exceed 150% of published length of program, measured by cumulative # of clock hours required to complete.
Graduate program, school defines based on the length of the program

20. Resources Federal Register 668.34 (c); (d); (a) (3-7), (b)
Federal Student Aid Handbook
Volume 1- Student Eligibility, Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), pages 1-13 through 1-17
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