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Financial Aid | Satisfactory Academic Progress

What is Satisfactory Academic Progress?

When you receive financial aid, federal guidelines require that you make real and measurable progress toward your degree to receive aid. This requirement is called Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).

SAP Standards

UVU evaluates a student's academic progress at the end of each semester, using these three metrics:

GPA

Undergraduate students must maintain a cumulative GPA of a 2.0.

Graduate students must maintain a cumulative GPA of a 3.0.

The letter grades E, and UW are used in the GPA calculation. Receiving these grades will negatively impact the GPA. I, W, AU and NC grades are not used in the GPA calculation and will not affect the GPA. Once incomplete grades are updated to a final grade, it will impact GPA. When SAP is run at the end of the next enrollment period, the change in GPA will be reflected in their SAP status at that time.

When a student repeats a course, the most recent grade is used for the GPA calculation.

UVU does not use GPAs from transfer credits. Transfer credits will not negatively impact a student's GPA.

Academic Renewal cannot be applied for either hours attempted/completed, or cumulative GPA for Title IV purposes. Students who are granted Academic Renewal at UVU will have the credit hours removed from their earned credits and GPA for academic purposes. However, for SAP purposes, students are measured based on the original grades and not the changes due to academic renewal.

Completion Rate

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.

Completion Rate is calculated by dividing the number of earned credit hours by the number of attempted credit hours.

The letter grades I, E, W, UW, AU, and NC are not considered completed grades for SAP and will negatively impact the completion rate. Once incomplete grades are updated to a final grade, it may impact a student's completion rate. When SAP is run at the end of the next enrollment period, if there is a change in completion rate it will be reflected in their SAP status at that time.

All repeated courses are considered attempted credits and if the student does not complete the repeated course, it may negatively impact their completion rate.

All accepted transfer credits are considered attempted and completed and will not negatively affect the student's completion rate.

If a student completes 67% of all attempted credits, they will complete their program/graduate within the Maximum Timeframe.

Academic Renewal cannot be applied for either hours attempted/completed, or cumulative GPA for Title IV purposes. Students who are granted Academic Renewal at UVU will have the credit hours removed from their earned credits and GPA for academic purposes. However, for SAP purposes, students are measured based on the original grades and not the changes due to academic renewal.

Maximum Timeframe

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 cannot receive financial aid if they exceed 150% of the graduate program's published length, as measured in credit hours. For example, if your graduate program requires 30 credit hours you will be failed for Maximum Timeframe if you exceed 45 credits.

The letter grades I, E, W, AU, and NC are considered attempted hours and count towards a student's Maximum Timeframe.

All attempted hours count towards a student’s Maximum Timeframe calculation.

All accepted transfer credit hours are considered attempted and completed and will affect Maximum Timeframe.

All repeated courses are considered attempted hours and count towards a student's Maximum Timeframe.

 

Important Things to Know About SAP

  • When evaluating SAP, all semesters of enrollment will be evaluated regardless of whether you received financial aid during those semesters or not.
  • If you are failed SAP for GPA and/or Completion Rate, you may receive one warning semester per SAP standard. A student on SAP warning will receive financial aid for the next semester for which they enroll. 
  • If you are not meeting SAP standards, you may complete a SAP Appeal by logging in to STUDENTFORMS.
  • To remain eligible for federal and state aid programs, you must meet all UVU SAP standards regardless of whether you have received financial aid in the past.
  • UVU does accept transfer credit. If the credit is accepted, it will be counted as both attempted and completed.
  • These standards apply to your entire academic record at UVU (including renewal grades and transfer credit hours accepted by UVU).
  • If you are not meeting SAP you can still attend classes.
  • Not all financial aid programs require students to meet the SAP standards. For example, many scholarships and private education loans have other eligibility requirements. Students must contact their scholarship program and/or private loan lender to determine if their SAP status impacts the receipt of the scholarship or private education loan. 
  • If you are not meeting any of the SAP standards, you will receive a notice to your student email account. 
  • UVU students can receive incomplete grades. Incomplete grades will be counted as attempted, but not complete. If the incomplete grade changes to a failing grade, it will be considered attempted and not completed successfully.  Grades changed from an I to an A - D- will count as attempted and completed. 
  • When a student repeats a course, the most recent grade is used for the GPA calculation. All repeated courses are considered attempted hours and will count towards a student's maximum timeframe. If the student does not complete the repeated course, it will be counted as attempted and not earned, which may negatively impact their completion rate. 
  • If you withdraw from a course and receive a W grade, this will not impact your GPA, however, it will negatively impact both your completion rate and maximum timeframe. 

How to Reinstate Eligibility

GPA & Completion Rate Standards

If you are failed for GPA and/or completion rate, you may reinstate financial aid eligibility one of the following ways:

  1. Attend without financial aid until your GPA and/or completion rate is meeting SAP standards.
  2. Complete a SAP appeal.

Maximum Timeframe Standard

If you are failed for maximum timeframe, you may reinstate financial aid eligibility one of the following ways:

  1. If you graduate from one program and enter a new program, new credit limits may apply, and the maximum timeframe violation may be cleared. Students must notify the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office to determine if the SAP requirement can be cleared. 
  2. Complete a SAP appeal.

SAP Warning Semester

GPA & Completion Rate Standards:

If you fail to meet the required minimum GPA and/or Completion Rate, you will be placed on a SAP Warning for one semester. You may still receive federal student aid during your warning semester.

  • If you attain the required GPA and/or Completion Rate standards by the end of your warning semester, you will no longer be on a SAP Warning. 
  • If you fail to meet the required minimum GPA and/or Completion Rate at the end of your warning semester, you will no longer be eligible for federal student aid. You may complete a SAP Appeal for reconsideration. 

 

Maximum Timeframe Standard:

There is not a warning semester if you have exceeded 150 percent of your program requirements. In order to be reconsidered for eligibility, you must complete a SAP Appeal.

Appeals

Student using computer

If you are no longer eligible for financial aid due to not meeting one or more of the SAP standards, you may submit an appeal explaining why you were not able to meet SAP, and request to have your aid reinstated.

More information about SAP Appeals:   

Probation/Academic Plan

Probation: If a SAP appeal is approved, and you need one semester to meet SAP standards, then you will receive a probationary semester in which you are still eligible to receive federal aid.

Students who are granted probation will receive an email to their student email detailing the requirements. If at the end of their probationary semester, the student is not meeting SAP standards, the student will lose their federal aid eligibility. If the student has extenuating circumstances that has caused them to fail the conditions of their probation, they may complete another SAP appeal.

Academic Plan: If a SAP appeal is approved, and you need more than one semester to meet SAP standards, then you may be placed on an academic plan.

Students who are granted an academic plan will receive an email to their student 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 federal aid. If the student has extenuating circumstances that has caused them to fail the conditions of their plan, they may complete another SAP appeal.

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Complete a SAP Appeal

SAP Appeal

Log in to the Student Forms portal to complete your SAP Request Form. Please include the following information in your statement:

  • The extenuating circumstances that caused you to fail. Examples may include illness, injury, death of a relative, divorce, and mental health challenges.
  • What has changed that will enable you to make SAP in the future.

 

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Third Party Documentation

Third Party Documentation

If you are failed for the Maximum Timeframe standard, you will be required to provide one of the following:

  • A locked Wolverine Track Plan showing all remaining courses required to complete your program and graduate.
  • A memo from your Academic Advisor listing all remaining courses required to complete your program and graduate. This memo may be an email from your advisor sent to the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office.

If you are failed for GPA or the Completion Rate SAP standard, you are not required to provide third party documentation unless requested by the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office.

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You submitted your appeal, now what?

After the Appeal is Submitted

Your appeal will be reviewed, and a determination will be made. You will receive an email notifying you of the decision.

If your appeal is approved:

  • You will receive your federal aid and an email with a detailed, individualized plan that will enable you to regain eligibility.
  • If you are on an academic plan, your SAP will be reviewed at the end of each semester. If you are meeting your individualized plan no action is required on your part. You will receive an email and continue to receive your financial aid. If you do not meet the terms of your plan, you will receive an email and will not be eligible for financial aid and may submit a new appeal.
 
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