Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements for Financial Aid Recipients

All students enrolled at Greenville University are subject to the academic standards printed in the Academic Information section of the University Catalog. In addition, students who receive financial aid awarded under Title IV Programs of the Federal Code must meet other requirements as described in this statement of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in order to remain eligible for Federal or Illinois Student Aid.

The Greenville University Financial Aid Director, working in conjunction with the Registrar, VP for Academic Affairs, Head of Student Success, and Academic Committee, is responsible for ensuring that all students who receive federal or state financial aid meet the SAP standards. Review of student status in all areas of SAP will take place at the end of each fall, spring and summer semesters; however, all semesters of enrollment are included in SAP calculations including interterm.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards

In order to be eligible for federal or state financial aid, a student must maintain three SAP standards. These standards are:

1. The GPA (Qualitative) Standard;
2. The Pace of Progress (Quantitative) Standard; and
3. The Maximum Time Frame (Degree Completion) Standard

Failure to fulfill any one standard will result in the student becoming ineligible for federal or state financial aid.

1.  The GPA (Qualitative) Standard

Graduate students must achieve and maintain a satisfactory cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of at least a 3.0.

2. The Pace of Progress (Quantitative) Standard

Each student must complete at least 67% of all credit hours attempted in order to qualify for financial aid the following semester.

3. The Maximum Time Frame

Students must complete a degree in no more than 150% of the stated time frame for a degree program.

For example: The student’s degree program requires a minimum of 123 credit hours for graduation. The student is eligible to receive federal and state financial aid until the student completes 185 credit hours. Students who do not complete their program within this time frame can continue to attend, but will not be able to receive financial aid.

Semesters in which the student did not receive federal or state funds are counted in the Maximum Time Frame Standard.

Federal Lifetime Limits also affect financial aid eligibility for federal student loans and the Federal Pell Grant program.

• Federal Pell Grant Lifetime Limit is 600% of the maximum Pell Grant or the equivalent of 12 semesters;
• Federal Direct Subsidized Loan Lifetime Limit for undergraduates is $23,000;
• Federal Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loan Aggregated Limit for undergraduate dependent students is $31,000 or $57,500 for independent students;
• Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan Lifetime Limit for graduate students is $138,500;

When changing programs of study, a student must apply to the Registrar to have his or her major changed, as long as all admissions and Registrar requirements are met. All attempted courses, withdrawals, and transfer-in hours (except incompletes) at the university are counted toward the 150% eligibility. SAP-status of a student will be applied in continuation from one program to another.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Status

There are four designations used to describe a student’s SAP status. These designations are:

1. SAP Financial Aid Compliant;
2. SAP Financial Aid Warning;
3. SAP Financial Aid Suspension; and
4. SAP Financial Aid Probation

A. Compliant Status

A compliant status is assigned to a student who is in good standing under all three SAP Standards. Student remains eligible for financial aid.

B. Warning Status

A warning status is assigned to a student who fails any one of the three SAP standards (GPA, pace of progress, or maximum time frame). The student may continue to receive federal or state financial aid for a subsequent semester (warning semester).

No SAP appeal is necessary. If the student fails SAP at the end of the warning semester, the student will be placed on SAP Financial Aid suspension.

A student in warning status is in one of two conditions:  (1) Failed to achieve and maintain SAP for a single regular semester or (2) Transferred to Greenville University with less than the required GPA standard for his or her grade level classification (refer to the GPA Standard above.)

For the student who has failed to achieve or maintain SAP for a regular semester:

• The Financial Aid Director will provide the student with written notification of his or her status;
• The student will remain on SAP warning for one semester;
• If at the end of the regular semester, the student on SAP warning achieves SAP, then he or she is returned to a SAP compliant status;
• If at the end of the regular semester, the student on SAP warning fails to achieve SAP, then the student will be placed on SAP suspension.

C. SAP Suspension Status

A SAP suspension status is assigned to a student who fails to meet SAP standards at the end of the warning semester.

• The student is not eligible for federal or state financial aid for the current and subsequent semesters.
• The only option for the student to avoid loss of federal or state financial aid is for the student to submit a SAP appeal to the Financial Aid Director.
• If the student’s SAP appeal is approved, the student will be placed on SAP probation for one semester and will continue to receive federal and state financial aid.

Sitting out for a semester does not affect a student’s SAP standing. Absence does not restore eligibility to receive federal or state financial aid.

The student subject to SAP suspension for a second time will be allowed to submit a second SAP appeal request to the Financial Aid Director. The Financial Aid Director may allow a second semester on Financial Aid probation status or may deny eligibility for federal and state financial aid indefinitely.

The SAP suspension status may be removed when a student successfully completes the suspension or submits an SAP appeal.

Complete the suspension:

• Completes at least 12 credit hours at Greenville University without financial aid; and
• Achieves a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA Undergraduate or 3.0 cumulative GPA Graduate; and
• Completes 67% of all attempted credit hours.

After the suspension is completed, the student will automatically be placed back on SAP warning.

SAP Appeal Process:

Submit a SAP appeal:

• Submit a SAP appeal letter to the Financial Aid Office within the stated timeframe.
• For second appeals of a suspension status, an appeal letter may also be requested by the Director of Financial Aid.
• When a student meets the GPA requirements (2.0 CGPA Undergraduates and 3.0CGPA Graduates) but fails to meet the 67% pace of progress standard, the appeal letter must be submitted to the Director of Financial Aid.
• Submission of an appeal is not a guarantee of approval and/or reinstatement of federal financial aid eligibility.

The student’s appeal must include:

• An explanation of why the student failed to make Satisfactory Academic Progress; and
• A detailed explanation of how the student plans to achieve Satisfactory Academic Progress.

By approving an appeal, GU simply acknowledges that the student may continue to receive federal or state financial aid even though he or she fails to meet SAP standards.

If a student’s SAP Appeal is approved, the student will be assigned SAP Probation status. The student’s SAP status will be evaluated within one semester.

All SAP decisions are final.

D. SAP Probation Status

SAP probation status is assigned to a student who is failing to make SAP and who successfully appeals. Eligibility for aid may be reinstated for one payment period (semester).

• A student on SAP suspension is placed on SAP probation status only after he or she has submitted a SAP appeal and his or her appeal is approved.
• SAP probation status will not be granted automatically.
• The SAP probation student must make SAP at the end of the probation semester.
• An approved appeal decision will require a student to arrange an academic plan with the Student Success Office.

Consideration for Special Circumstances – Second Appeals

• If the student is still not making SAP at the end of the SAP probation period, in very limited circumstances, the Greenville University Financial Aid Director may allow a student to submit a second Financial Aid SAP appeal. Review of the second SAP appeal will be granted for situations in which a student faces extenuating circumstances beyond his or her control, such as, (but not limited to) a death of a parent, or student injury or illness. A student who fulfills the steps of a learning contract with the Student Success Office, and who submits an appeal letter to the Financial Aid Director, may also be considered for approval of a second SAP probation period.

• Approval of a second appeal will require the student to be successfully following an academic plan in order to continue receiving financial aid. The academic plan must define how the student can regain SAP status by a specific point in time.

• Any exceptions to this policy will be made on an individual basis and in compliance with Federal, State, and institutional regulations governing financial aid.

Additional SAP Considerations

Frequency of Progress Checks – The official check of Satisfactory Academic Progress will occur for each semester of attendance.

Notification – If a student fails to achieve Satisfactory Academic Progress, the student will be notified via the student’s GU email address. Included in this communication will be information on the student’s status, the effect of this status on the student’s financial aid eligibility, and any actions the student must take.

Incomplete Course Grades – Students who fail to complete at least 67% of attempted credit hours because of incomplete grades will be placed on SAP warning status.

Withdrawals – Any student who fails to complete 67% of attempted credit hours because of being withdrawal from classes will be placed on SAP suspension.

Repetition of Classes - Federal regulations require that credits from all attempts be included when assessing if the student meets the quantitative SAP standard.

Miscellaneous – Generally, all periods of the student’s enrollment count when judging Satisfactory Academic Progress, even periods in which the student did not receive financial aid funds.

Transfer hours counted toward completion of the student’s program will be counted as both hours attempted and hours completed, but will not be counted in the calculation of the GPA.