Satisfactory Academic Progress

Marilyn BakerAngela Karlin

Agenda

• What is Satisfactory Academic Progress?• Crafting your policy and procedures• Best practices• Appeals• Questions/Comments

Satisfactory Academic Progress

• Citations– Federal Regulation §668.42(c)(2)– FSA Handbook Chapter 1

• Schools and Students have equal responsibility– Student – Maintains satisfactory progress in the

enrolled program of study according to the schools published standards

– School – Establish, publish, and apply reasonable standards for measuring Satisfactory progress in a student’s educational program

SAP Standards

• Apply to all Title IV programs• Consistently applied to all students• Measure SAP at the end of a term that is not

longer than an academic year• Two cumulative components– Qualitative (grade-based)– Quantitative (time-based)

UCM SAP requirements

• Undergraduate• 180 attempted hours• 67% completion per year• Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0

• Graduate Students– 3.0 minimum cumulative GPA– Maximum hours depend on program hours that

may vary program to program

SAP and Notification

• Measure at the end of the spring semester• Immediately have aid suspended• Students with active aid term receive formal

letter with reason for not meeting SAP• Students without active financial term will be

notified– What should the letter say?

Crafting your SAP policy/procedures

• Guidance in FSA handbook Chapter 1– Must specify standards of measurement– Must explain how course incompletes, repeats,

transfer work and withdrawals will affect the measurement

• Appeal process– How to appeal, documentation and how the

appeal process works

Missouri Western SAP process

• Undergraduate• 186 attempted hours• 67% completion per year• Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0

• Graduate Students– 3.0 minimum cumulative GPA– 52 attempted hours

Maximum Time Frame & Alignment

• Misalignment of pace of progression and max time frame is a frequent audit program review finding.

• Degree program requires 124 credit hours• Max time frame is 124 x 150% = 186• The quantitative measure is 124/186 = 67%• Student must earn 67% of credit hours attempted• Pace of progression and maximum time frame are in

alignment

Appeals

• According to the Federal Government, a student may appeal the loss of eligibility if he/she had mitigating circumstances beyond his/her control that affected his/her ability to meet the minimum SAP standards.

• What is your process?

To Grant appeal or Not to grant?

• What benchmarks do you use?– Is the reason for the appeal legitimate?– Has the student had a history of SAP?– Is the deficiency able to be fixed?– Other thoughts?

To grant or not to grant?

• Top reasons for denial of appeal1. Never successfully completed a semester or never earned a

2.50 semester GPA 2. Academic plan is unrealistic 3. Student did not have mitigating circumstances

Internal Appeal Process

• What is the make up of your committee that reviews appeals?

• Does the group meet on all students or just the sticky situations?

• Process for review of appeals

What does the committee review?

• Has student shown a practical plan to progress toward degree?• Has student ever met the criteria that will be required to

continue receiving financial aid on probation?• Has student’s academic advisor set the student up for

success?• Did the student have truly mitigating circumstances for which

he/she could not plan, influence, or prevent?• Has the student planned the quickest path to graduation?

• Decisions are final and not subject to further review.

SAP training for staff/advisors

• Focus on mitigating circumstances in narrative (with specifics), explaining reasons for failing grades, withdrawals, incompletes, etc.

• Advise student to ensure academic/graduation plan is realistic based on his/her academic record (Ex. You have never completed 15 hours in a semester without dropping a course or earning a 2.00 GPA so it would be wise to work out a schedule with your advisor attempting fewer hours (at least for the next two semester, if not a time-limit appeal)

• Advise student to specifically outline how he/she believes he/she can succeed if we decide to approve appeal. What resources will he/she utilize to ensure he/she would meet standards?

Appeal GPA: 1.79; Comp%: 85%; Att. Hours: 143

• Submitted academic plan for BA in Sociology• Planning to graduate in two semesters; must earn 3.3 each

semester to bring cumulative GPA to minimum 2.00 in order to graduate• Student has never earned higher than a 3.00, which was four

semesters prior• “Made mistakes of not working hard enough, diligently enough,

and consistently”• “My schedule is set and forces me to do homework without

delay”• “My plan is to concentrate on classes and the work required from

them”

Appeal GPA: 2.10; Comp%: 75%; Att. Hours: 190

• Submitted graduation plan for BS in Biology; 7 hours remaining; needs to earn 4 hours of B’s or two hours of A’s in 3000+ level BIOL courses to raise major GPA to 2.00• Has not earned a B or better in a BIOL course since 6 semesters

prior; has attempted 19 HIST hours, which do not apply toward degree (12 in last two terms)• Last semester: Grandfather died, friend was murdered, mom was in

custody battle for niece; Two semesters ago: sister died unexpectedly, family dog died; Three semesters ago: close family friend died; Four semesters ago: another friend murdered; Five semesters ago: another friend murdered• Has Federal loan debt of $50,500• No documentation provided