Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Federal regulation requires that you, as a recipient of Federal Title IV aid, such as the Federal Pell Grant, Federal SEOG, Federal Work-Study, Federal TEACH Grant/Loan, Federal Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students, Graduate PLUS, and Federal Stafford Loan, make satisfactory academic progress toward completing your degree in order to keep receiving that funding. Additionally, the State of Florida has its own eligibility requirements for continued access to state grants and scholarships. Stetson University has also set minimum academic standards that you must meet to continue receiving institutionally funded financial assistance, including merit-based scholarships and need-based grants.
Your satisfactory academic progress will be evaluated cumulatively by the Office of Student Financial Aid at the end of each scheduled evaluation period. This includes terms when you did not receive financial aid. All federal satisfactory academic progress requirements will be assessed after the fall, spring, and summer terms. Programs in Florida and at Stetson University will be reviewed for satisfactory academic progress after the spring term of each academic year.
To comply with current regulations, the Office of Student Financial Aid at Stetson University will evaluate your academic performance.
Qualitative Standard
As Measured by GPA
To satisfy this requirement, a student must meet and maintain the minimum required academic performance levels as listed below. Please note that while a student may choose to change majors before completing their first degree it will not change the formula for calculating compliance.
Undergraduate:
- Up to 26 total credit hours earned (6.5 units): 1.5 GPA
- More than 26 total credit hours earned (6.5 units): 2.0 GPA
Graduate:
- 9 or more total credit hours earned: 3.0 GPA
Quantitative Standard
As Measured by Total Credits Earned
Every undergraduate and graduate student must successfully complete 67% of total attempted credits during his/her academic career at Stetson University as measured for each term of enrollment. Attempted credits are defined as the number of credits enrolled on the Financial Aid Fixed Enrollment date. For a student who withdraws between the first day of classes and the Financial Aid Fixed Enrollment Date, the attempted credits will be the enrolled credits on the date of the University withdrawal. The percentage of earned credits is calculated by dividing earned credits by all attempted credits. The successful completion of a credit attempted is defined as credit for which a grade of A, B, C, D or S is received. Withdrawal, incomplete, audit, and F's represent unsatisfactory completion of a course. Any student who receives an Incomplete “I” in any course must notify the Office of Student Financial Aid when the “I” is changed to a letter grade in order for the credits earned to count toward the quantitative standard of performance. A grade of "D" is not considered satisfactory completion of a course for a graduate student.
As Measured by Maximum Time for Degree Completion
The maximum time frame for degree completion to remain eligible to receive federal aid is 150% of the published length of the program. For example, a program requiring 128 credits for graduation would allow aid eligibility for up to 192 credits attempted (128 x 150% = 192). The 150% rule does not apply to graduate students. Maximum time frames for state and institutional funds vary by program.
Students who must repeat a course should be aware that specific criteria apply to the continuation of aid, including merit scholarship assistance. If a student is repeating a course due to a failure (F), available financial aid can cover the repeated course as many times as they repeat the same course until a passing grade is achieved, or the student loses aid eligibility due to not meeting satisfactory academic progress requirements. If a student is repeating a course for which they previously received a passing grade (any grade other than F), available financial aid can cover the cost of repeating the course one time only even if the student receives an "F" in their subsequent attempt.
**The Department of Education considers a passing grade as any grade greater than a failing, or "F", grade. Therefore a "D" grade is a passing grade for Title IV purposes even if it is not sufficient to count towards the student's program of study.
If you do meet any academic performance criteria at the end of an academic semester, you will receive a notification from the Office of Student Financial Aid, and you will be placed on Financial Aid Warning for the next enrollment period. You are not required to take any action, and you will still be eligible to receive federal aid for one semester (Fall, Spring or Summer) and state and institutional aid for one year while you are enrolled. However, it is recommended that you meet an Academic Success staff member.
If you do not meet the SAP standards by the end of the semester on Financial Aid Warning, you will not be eligible for financial aid unless your SAP appeal is approved. Detailed information about the SAP appeal process at Stetson University is provided below.
If your SAP appeal is approved, you will be placed on Financial Aid Probation for one semester. You will need to work with the Office of Student Financial Aid to create and sign an academic plan. This plan will outline the terms of your probation and what is expected of you during the semester.
If you need more than one semester to meet the standard SAP requirements, you will receive an academic plan that covers multiple terms. At the end of the probation period, your progress will be reviewed. If you have met the goals set in your plan and SAP rules, your probation will end, and you will be eligible for financial aid again without any extra steps. However, if you do not meet the expectations, you will lose eligibility for financial aid.
When you transfer credits, they will count as both attempted and earned hours in your academic evaluation. Withdrawals, incomplete and repeated courses are also factored in. If you are a part-time student, your enrollment is reviewed in the same way as if you were full-time. The same rules apply if you are earning credits through a consortium agreement or if you change your major.
However, if you are working on a second degree, you are not held to the same standards as students earning their first degree. If you are readmitted or receive academic forgiveness for past coursework, you will still need to meet the standards in this policy to stay eligible for federal aid. When you reapply and submit your FAFSA, your academic progress will be reviewed, including all of your previous coursework at Stetson University, even any coursework that has been forgiven academically.
If you are making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), it means you have completed at least 67% of all the credit hours you have attempted, are meeting the required GPA, and have not gone over the maximum allowed time frame for your program. If you lose eligibility for federal aid, you can get it back by meeting Stetson University's SAP requirements.
If you have been deemed ineligible for federal aid, you can appeal your status through the Office of Student Financial Aid. Appeals are reviewed if there are special circumstances, like personal illness, injury, or the death of an immediate family member. You can appeal more than once, but each time you need to provide new documentation to support your request. You will also need to include a written statement explaining why you did not meet satisfactory academic progress before, and what has changed in your situation that will help you succeed in the next evaluation.
Acceptable forms of documentation you can provide include, but aren’t limited to, a note from your doctor explaining an illness or accident, a newspaper obituary or death certificate for a family death, a letter from a clergy member, family member, or someone else who knows your situation, or a written statement from your academic advisor or teacher. If you’ve lost federal aid but your appeal is approved, you’ll be placed on Financial Aid Probation for the next term and can receive federal aid during that time.
You must submit your appeal by the middle of the term for which you are requesting it.
When you submit an appeal, it is received, logged and sent to the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Committee. The committee will review your appeal, and you will receive their decision in writing. This decision is final. If you are placed on Financial Aid Probation, you will need to pass 67% of your cumulative attempted credits by the end of the probationary period to regain your federal aid eligibility.
If your appeal is approved, you will get an Academic Plan outlining the progress pace you must follow to regain federal aid eligibility. Your plan might cover more than one semester. If you are on probation and do not meet the requirements of your Academic Plan at the end of any term, you will lose federal aid eligibility and will need to meet SAP requirements to qualify again.
The Satisfactory Academic Progress policy affects financial aid eligibility, not your academic standing for continued enrollment at Stetson University. Different scholarships or grants may have their own renewal requirements and future legislation could impact these policies. For any questions about SAP standards for financial aid, contact the Office of Student Financial Aid at Stetson University.