When you receive federal or state financial aid, federal guidelines require that you make real and measurable progress toward your degree in order to continue to receive federal aid. This requirement is called “Satisfactory Academic Progress” (SAP).
At DePaul, this policy applies to federal, state, and need-based institutional aid.
Overview of Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
There are three parts to the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy:
- Grade Point Average (GPA): undergraduate and graduate students
- Cumulative (Overall) Progress: undergraduate and graduate students
- Degree Completion:
a) Maximum Time Frame (undergraduate students only)
b) Timely completion of degree (graduate students only)
You need to comply with all requirements to remain eligible for aid, as explained in the following:
1. Grade Point Average (GPA) : undergraduate and graduate students
The Satisfactory Academic Progress policy requires that you maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) in order to remain eligible for financial aid. This cumulative GPA is 2.0 (on a 4.0 scale). If you drop below a cumulative GPA of 2.0, you will be placed in financial aid warning. Once you are in financial aid warning, you may continue to receive financial aid, but you will be expected to meet the minimum standards (2.0 cumulative GPA and a minimum 67% overall completion rate) by the end of your warning term in order to continue to receive financial aid. Failure to meet the minimum standards after your warning term will result in financial aid suspension.
2. Quantitative Standards - Cumulative (Overall) Progress: undergraduate and graduate students
The Satisfactory Academic Progress policy contains a quantitative component, meaning that you are required to make steady progress toward your degree by completing at least two-thirds (67%) of all your attempted credit hours. For example, if you attempt 16 hours per term during the academic year (48 cumulative attempted hours), you would be expected to satisfactorily complete at least 32 of these hours in order comply with the minimum quantitative standards.
If you do not successfully complete at least two-thirds of all credit hours attempted, you will be placed in a financial aid warning status. Once you are in financial aid warning, you may continue to receive financial aid, but you will be expected to meet the minimum standards (2.0 cumulative GPA and a minimum 67% overall completion rate) by the end of your warning term in order to continue to receive financial aid. Failure to meet the minimum standards after your warning term will result in financial aid suspension.
3. Degree Completion
a)
Undergraduate students: Maximum Time Frame
The Satisfactory Academic Progress policy contains a maximum time-frame component, which specifies that the number of credit hours for which you may receive federal financial aid may not exceed 150% of the credit hours required for graduation. For most undergraduate programs, the maximum is considered to be 288 credit hours
b)
Graduate Students: Timely Completion of Degree
The Satisfactory Academic Progress policy includes an expectation that you complete your degree in a reasonable timeframe, appropriate to your program of study. Because graduate program lengths vary, graduate students whose cumulative graduate hours exceed 90 attempted credit hours are required to submit a degree completion plan to the Office of Financial Aid in order to continue to qualify for federal financial aid. The degree completion plan must outline the specific requirements remaining for degree completion. The plan must be signed by an academic advisor and be submitted to the Academic Progress Committee for review.
What Happens If You Fall Below the Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements?
Financial Aid Warning
You are considered to be in financial aid warning if you fail to meet the minimum Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements for one or more of the following reasons:
A. You are below the 2.0 cumulative GPA requirement (GPA requirement); and/or
B. You are below the 67% minimum course completion rate (quantitative requirement).
Once you are in financial aid warning, you may continue to receive financial aid, but you will be expected to meet the minimum standards (2.0 cumulative GPA and a minimum 67% overall completion rate) by the end of your warning term in order to continue to receive financial aid. Failure to meet the minimum standards after your warning term will result in financial aid suspension.
Financial Aid Suspension
Your financial aid is suspended when you fail to meet the minimum Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements for one or more the following reasons:
A. You have been assigned a warning status, a probation status, or you are in a monitoring term after your probation (see “Probation/Academic Plan” below), and you fail to meet the requirements of your warning status, probation status, or academic plan.
B. You are a readmitted student or a first-time applicant whose prior coursework is below the minimum Satisfactory Academic Progress threshold (see “Readmitted Students” below), and because of this you are considered suspended and ineligible unless you successfully appeal.
C. You have exceeded the maximum time frame limits.
Appealing Financial Aid Suspension
Appeal Procedures
If you have been suspended from financial aid because of failure to meet the minimum SAP requirements, and you feel that severe or unusual circumstances have kept you from making progress toward your degree, you may appeal.
To appeal, you must submit a online written appeal in Campus Connection. Your appeal should include all of the following:
1. Describe the specific reason(s), events, or circumstances preventing you from meeting the academic progress requirements.
2. Provide a specific plan/corrective action plan to improve your academic progress.
3. Meet with your academic advisor to discuss your plan of action and obtain a signature from your advisor to document that you have discussed your corrective action plan together.
Appeals are reviewed by the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeals Committee.
Appeals are reviewed within fourteen days, provided that all necessary documentation is received. You should receive an email with the outcome of your appeal within fourteen days of your submission of a complete appeal.
Financial Aid Probation/Academic Plan: Terms Following Suspension
A successful appeal for reinstatement after a financial aid suspension will result in the following:
1. A probationary term in which specified term requirements must be met;
2. An additional two monitoring terms, at the end of which you will be expected to be fully meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements, both in terms of GPA and completion rate. These monitoring terms are referred to as Satisfactory Academic Progress Term 1 and 2 (SAP Plan 1 and SAP Plan 2).
Special Considerations
Readmitted Students
Readmitted students are required to meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy requirements. If you are returning to DePaul after an absence, and your former coursework would indicate that you are below the minimum progress requirements, you will need to appeal for reinstatement for your student aid eligibility by submitting a
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal Form for Readmitted Students explaining:
1. Your revised academic objective and anticipated graduation date;
2. Any specific corrective action plans you have made as part of your readmission process.
Appeals should be directed to the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeals Committee.
Appeals are reviewed within fourteen days, provided that all necessary documentation is received. You should receive an email with the outcome of your appeal within fourteen days of your submission of a complete appeal.
First-Time Financial Aid Applicants
Current students who apply for financial aid are required to meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy requirements. If you are a currently enrolled student and you are applying for financial aid for the first time, and your coursework does not meet the minimum academic progress requirements, you will need to complete a
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal Form . Your Appeal should include all of the following:
1. Describe the specific reason(s), events, or circumstances preventing you from meeting the academic progress requirements.
2. Provide a specific plan/corrective action plan to improve your academic progress.
3. Meet with your academic advisor to discuss your plan of action and obtain a signature from your advisor to document that you have discussed your corrective action plan together.
Appeals should be directed to the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeals Committee.
Appeals are reviewed within fourteen days, provided that all necessary documentation is received. You should receive an email with the outcome of your appeal within fourteen days of your submission of a complete appeal.
Students Who Withdraw or Fail to Complete Any Courses in a Term
The Office of Financial Aid reserves the right to suspend students who completely withdraw or fail to complete any courses in a term – i.e., students who fail to demonstrate any measurable progress within a given term. If you withdraw completely or fail to complete all of your courses in a term, you may be suspended and asked to appeal. Your Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal form should include all of the following:
1. Describe the specific reason(s), events, or circumstances preventing you from meeting the academic progress requirements.
2. Provide a specific plan/corrective action plan to improve your academic progress.
3. Meet with your academic advisor to discuss your plan of action and obtain a signature from your advisor to document that you have discussed your corrective action plan together.
Appeals should be directed to the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeals Committee.
Appeals are reviewed within three to five days of receipt. You should receive an email with the outcome of your appeal within five days of your submission of the appeal, provided that all necessary documentation is submitted.
Definitions and Terminology: SAP Policy
Attempted Credit Hours and Successfully Completed Credit Hours
All credit-bearing courses are calculated into “hours attempted” for financial aid purposes. Courses with passing grades (A, B, C, D, or P) are considered to be hours successfully completed. Courses with Grades of F, W, WA, FX, R, I, or M are not considered to be hours successfully completed. Note that repeated courses are counted in the “hours attempted” calculation for financial aid purposes and the repeat grade is treated in the cumulative GPA in accordance with university policy.
Financial Aid Warning
Financial aid “warning” is a status assigned to a student who has fallen below the minimum thresholds of satisfactory academic progress: that is, a student whose cumulative grade point average is below 2.0, or whose completion rate is below 67% (that is, the student has completed fewer than 67% percent of hours attempted). A student is eligible to receive aid in this status.
Financial Aid Suspension
Financial aid “suspension” is assigned when a student fails to meet his/her progress requirements after a warning, probation, or academic plan status is assigned.
Suspension may also be assigned to a readmitted student or first-time applicant whose prior coursework does not meet SAP thresholds (see sections below).
Suspension may also be assigned to an undergraduate student who exceeds the maximum timeframe.
A student in financial aid suspension is not eligible to receive financial aid.
Academic Progress Appeal
A financial aid appeal is a written appeal after suspension of aid. In a financial aid appeal, a student petitions for reinstatement of aid. An appeal must be submitted online in Campus Connection, or via a paper Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form. An appeal must include an explanation of the circumstances that caused the student to fall below the minimum SAP thresholds, and it must also include a plan for corrective action, as well as an academic advisor signature certifying that the student has discussed this plan with his/her academic advisor.
Financial Aid Probation/Reinstatement
A suspended student who has successfully appealed for reconsideration is reinstated for aid in a probation status. During probation, which lasts one term, a student is expected to complete 100% of all courses with a minimum term GPA of 2.5. In some situations, more rigorous term requirements will be stipulated.
A student who successfully meets the terms of probation will be continued on aid but will be expected to continue to meet the terms of his/her academic plan to assure that the student is fully meeting the minimum SAP requirements by the end of SAP Academic Plan 2 (see below).
SAP Academic Plan 1 and SAP Academic Plan 2
SAP Academic Plan 1 and SAP Academic Plan 2 occur after a student’s probation term. During these two terms, a student is expected to continue to meet the terms of his/her academic plan by continuing to complete all courses each term with a term GPA of 2.5 or higher so that by the end of these terms, the student is fully meeting the minimum SAP requirements.