Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
When you receive financial aid, federal guidelines require that you make real and measurable progress toward your degree in order to continue to receive aid. This requirement is called Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
UVU evaluates a student’s academic progress at the end of each semester. When evaluating SAP, all semesters of enrollment will be evaluated regardless of whether the student received financial aid during those semesters or not.
If you have a SAP hold on your student account, you may complete a SAP Appeal by logging in to StudentForms and completing all SAP Tasks.
GPA
Requirements
- Undergraduate students must maintain a cumulative GPA of a 2.0.
- Graduate students must maintain a cumulative GPA of a 3.0.
Completion Rate
Requirements
- Undergraduate students are required to pass and complete 67% of all credit hours attempted.
- Graduate students are required to pass and complete 80% of all hours attempted.
The letter grades I, E, W, UW, AU, and NC are not considered completed grades for SAP.
Maximum Time Frame
Requirements
- Undergraduate students in a bachelor’s degree may receive financial aid for up to 180 credit hours.
- Undergraduate Students in an associate degree may receive financial aid for up to 90 credits.
- Graduate students may receive financial aid for up to 45 credit hours.
- All attempted hours count towards a student’s maximum time frame calculation.
How to Reinstate Eligibility
GPA & Completion Rate
Students must attend without financial aid until their GPA and/or completion rate is meeting SAP standards.
An appeal may also reinstate eligibility.
Maximum Time Frame
If a student graduates from one program and enters a new program, new credit limits may apply and the class level violation may be cleared. Students must inform our office when graduating from one program and entering a new program.
An appeal may also reinstate eligibility.
How Appeals Work
Students that fall below the SAP requirements have the right to appeal their ineligibility for financial aid. Through the appeal process, students must demonstrate that extenuating circumstances occurred. Examples may include illness, injury, death of a relative, divorce, or other special circumstance.
Additional Information
Financial Aid Probation
If a student successfully appeals their SAP requirements and can be back in compliance with SAP standards at the end of one semester, the student will be placed on financial aid probation. This allows the student to receive federal student aid for that probationary semester.
At the end of the probationary period, if the student is still not meeting SAP standards, then the student will not be eligible for federal student aid.
Academic Plan
If the student needs more than one semester to meet SAP standards, then the student will be placed on an academic plan.
Students who are granted an academic plan will receive an email to their myUVU email detailing the requirements of their plan. If at the end of each semester, the student meets the conditions of their plan, the student will continue to remain eligible for financial aid.
If the student fails to meet the conditions of their plan, the student no longer qualifies for financial aid. If the student has extenuating circumstances that has caused them to fail the conditions of their plan, they may complete a SAP appeal.
