Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

To be eligible for Federal Student Aid (FSA) funds, a student must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Academic progress will be reviewed at the end of each semester.

SAP is measured in the following ways:

Qualitative Standards – Minimum academic requirements

To meet the minimum academic requirements in any term: a student must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7 and satisfy academic degree requirements as determined by the academic department/program and the Registrar’s Office.

Quantitative Standards – A minimum pace which you must progress through your program to ensure you will graduate within the maximum time frame.

To meet the minimum pace requirements in any term: a student must satisfactory complete 67% of attempted credits in that term and cumulatively. Courses are not considered to have been completed satisfactorily if students: withdraw after the add/drop deadline; receive an incomplete grade; or receive a failing grade.

Maximum Time Frame for Degree Completion

A student must complete degree requirements for graduation within 150% of the published program credits:

SM 42.5 -63.75 attempted credits max
MPH 45 – 67.50 attempted credits max
MPH GEN – 67.50 attempted credits max
SM 60 – 90 attempted credits max
MPH 65 – 97.50 attempted credits max
SM 80 – 120 attempted credits max
DrPH – 247.50 attempted credits max

For SAP, attempted credits are defined as any credits that remain part of a student’s permanent academic record (includes grades of Withdrawn, Incomplete, and Failing).

Students that do not meet the minimum SAP standards at that review will be placed on a Financial Aid Warning.

A Financial Aid Warning shall consist of one additional semester of eligibility subsequent to the period in which a student failed to meet the conditions for Satisfactory Academic Progress. The student will be notified at the start of the semester when they are placed on a Financial Aid Warning. Once the Financial Aid Warning period has expired, if a student is still failing to make SAP, that student will be notified of their loss of FSA eligibility.

A student who has lost FSA eligibility may appeal the decision to the Office of Financial Aid by submitting a signed statement explaining the extenuating circumstances that kept that student from maintaining SAP. The written statement must also demonstrate a student’s ability to meet SAP in the subsequent semester. Additional documentation verifying the circumstances may be requested by the Office of Financial Aid.

Appeals will be reviewed by members of the Care Team, the Office of Financial Aid, and the Associate Dean of Student Services. If an appeal is not granted, the student’s loss of FSA eligibility will be permanently revoked. If an appeal is granted, a student will have one semester of Financial Aid Probation. The probation period may, at the discretion of involved parties, be accompanied by an academic plan that the student must adhere to in addition to meeting the SAP requirements. If at the end of the probation period a student has met SAP and fulfilled any requirements of an academic plan, that student’s full eligibility will be restored. If at the end of the probation period a student has not met SAP, that student’s eligibility will be permanently revoked. Subsequent appeals will only be considered if the circumstances of the appeal differ substantially from those that formed the basis of the original appeal.