In order to receive financial aid, you must make satisfactory academic progress (SAP). If you do not meet the minimum requirements, you could lose your eligibility for financial aid.
Federal regulations require the financial aid office to apply reasonable standards for measuring whether you are making progress toward a degree. Making progress toward a degree is important for your academic success and a key factor in reducing student debt.
Satisfactory academic progress (SAP) is a term used to describe successful completion of coursework toward a degree or certificate. This policy applies to all students who receive federal and state financial aid, WPU scholarships, grants, departmental awards, tuition pledge programs and some awards from external university sources.
If you want to continue to receive federal and state aid, make sure you stay eligible by doing the following:
- Maintain a satisfactory grade point average (GPA).
- Complete enough classes to maintain an acceptable pace towards successfully completing your degree. All students must complete at least 67 percent of all courses attempted at any college attended.
- Complete your program within the maximum time frame allowed.
The following could affect your ability to maintain the SAP standards for GPA, pace towards completion and time frame:
- Class withdrawals – Pace and time frame can be affected.
- Repeated coursework – Pace and time frame can be affected.
- Change of major – Time frame can be affected.
- Failing class – GPA, pace and time frame can be affected.
- Transfer credits from another school – Time frame can be affected.
- Incomplete coursework – Pace can be affected.
- Academic Renewal – Pace and time frame can be affected.
- Remedial coursework – Pace and GPA can be affected.
For more information on SAP, login to iGrad and search “SAP”.
- How is SAP Measured?Minimum Grade-Point Average (GPA)
Undergraduate financial aid applicants must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average based on the total number of attempted credits (includes transfer credits).
Cumulative GPA Requirement for Financial Aid
Hours Attempted Required Cumulative GPA 0 – 29 1.7 30 – 59 1.8 60+ 2.00 Minimum Pace Requirement
The minimum pace requirement is 67%. Use the formula below to determine your pace. Transfer credits that are accepted from another institution are included in the pace calculation and count as both attempted and completed hours.
Completed Semester Hours (grades of A, B, C, D, S or P) divided by Attempted Semester Hours (completed semester hours plus grades of F, N, U, W, O or I)
Example:
Fall Semester + Spring Semester = Total Completed Hours 6 + 10 = 16 Attempted Hours 12 + 12 = 24 16 ÷ 24 = .67 (67 %)
Maximum Length of Study
To remain eligible for financial aid, students must complete their degree requirements within 150 percent of the published length of their academic program. At WPU, this means that students in programs requiring 120 hours for graduation are eligible for financial aid during the first 180 attempted hours as an undergraduate. All attempted hours are counted, including transfer hours, whether or not financial aid was received, or the course work was successfully completed.
- SAP evaluation frequencySAP evaluation frequency for undergraduate and graduate students
Satisfactory academic progress is monitored at the end of every semester. This includes the fall, winter and all spring and summer semesters. Outstanding grades may change or delay your SAP status decision. If you have been meeting SAP standards and then fail to meet GPA or pace requirements you will be given a warning semester.
During the warning semester, you may continue to receive financial aid, but you are expected to improve your academic standing and degree progress to meet SAP standards at the end of the semester.
If you do not meet the conditions of SAP at the end of the warning semester, you will be denied financial aid beginning the following semester. You will have the option to submit a SAP Appeal to request financial aid consideration. If your appeal is approved you will be on probation for one semester.
Note: There is no warning period for students who have exceeded 150 percent of program requirements. If you have earned over 150 percent of the credits required for your program, you are not eligible for financial aid and must submit a SAP Appeal to request financial aid consideration.
- Satisfactory academic progress definitionsSatisfactory Academic Progress Appeal
If you are not meeting SAP standards you may file an appeal to request reconsideration of your eligibility for financial aid funds. An appeal must include an explanation of what happened and what has changed as well as supporting documentation.
Financial aid warning status
If your SAP status is reviewed every semester and you are failing to make satisfactory academic progress, your financial aid eligibility will be reinstated for one semester. No SAP appeal is necessary. During the warning semester, you are expected to improve your academic standing and degree progress, to meet standards of SAP at the end of the semester. If you fail to achieve SAP at the end of the semester, you will be denied financial aid beginning the following semester.
You will have the option to submit a SAP Appeal to request financial aid consideration.
Financial aid probation status
Probation status is assigned to a student who is failing to make satisfactory academic progress and who successfully appeals. Eligibility for aid may be reinstated for one semester/payment period and during this time, you must make
- Notification of SAP StatusYou can view your SAP status at any time in Self Service. If you are an active student with a FAFSA on file, you will be notified by email if you fail to meet SAP standards. If not all of your grades are posted when we run the SAP evaluation, be aware that your status may be delayed or changed.
- SAP appealWhen you lose financial aid eligibility for failing to make satisfactory progress, you may appeal that result based on: injury or illness, the death of a relative, or other special circumstances. You should not assume that a SAP appeal will be approved. Decisions of SAP appeals review are final. Be aware, that if you enroll for classes and a SAP appeal is not approved, you remain responsible for paying all charges without financial aid. If you have experienced extenuating circumstances that prevented you from satisfying the requirements to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), you may appeal that status.
Extenuating circumstances beyond a student’s control include but are not limited to:
- Death of an immediate family member (spouse, mother, father, guardian, sister, brother, son or daughter)
- Major medical issue (i.e. requires hospitalization) experienced by the student or an immediate family member of the student (as designated above)
- Domestic violence
- Involuntary call to active military duty
- Other extreme circumstances (case by case basis)
The following circumstances are not considered extenuating and beyond the student’s control, but based on personal choices.
- Not knowing the deadline or procedure
- Work conflicts
- Incarceration resulting from a guilty verdict
- Voluntary overtime
- Not needing or wanting a class, not doing well in a class, or having too heavy of a course load
- Wishing to improve your GPA
- Submitting an AppealA complete SAP Appeal includes submission of a web appeal listing an explanation and plan for improvement and supporting documentation. Click on the link below and complete the web appeal.
Explanation of Circumstances
Appeals must be submitted online and include a detailed explanation of how extenuating circumstances beyond your control prevented you from meeting the requirements.
What has Changed
You must explain what has changed and why you feel ready to return to WPU and be successful in your courses.
Plan for Improvement
All appeals must include an explanation of the strategies you will use to allow you to maintain academic progress moving forward.
Documentation
Submit date-specific documentation from an unrelated third party. Documentation includes, but is not limited to:
- Letter from a physician or counselor on letterhead indicating the dates you were under their care
- Copy of a death certificate, obituary or third-party documentation of death ● Accident reports, police records, court records, etc.
- Documentation to support explanation of attempting more than 150% of the required number of credits for your program (for maximum timeframe appeals)
Do not submit original documents, they will not be returned. Make sure all copies are legible.
Letters from family, relatives, and friends are not recommended. If this is the only information that can be provided, you must meet with a Financial Aid Advisor to determine what is acceptable.
Documents must be submitted according to the requirements listed above. Appeals submitted without supporting documentation will be considered ‘Incomplete’. You will not have an opportunity to meet in person with the Committee. Therefore, it is important that your appeal includes all necessary information.
The SAP appeal form can be found at https://forms.gle/tGNRY8qJyUad4VMt7. You must sign in with your WPU email account. Only students with an active WPU email account have access to this form
After your completed SAP Appeal is reviewed by the Financial Aid Office, you will receive a decision via email to your WPU email account. Status will also be posted in Self Service. Appeals are reviewed on a rolling basis as they are submitted. Incomplete appeals will be denied. We will make every attempt to notify you of an appeal decision within 15 business days.