Updates Related to COVID-19

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is defined as the successful completion of coursework toward an eligible certificate or degree. Federal regulations require the Office of Student Financial Aid to monitor the academic progress of students receiving financial aid.

SAP Standards:

  • apply to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students who wish to establish or maintain financial aid eligibility,
  • apply to a student's entire academic record (including transfer hours), whether or not financial aid was received for prior terms of enrollment,
  • include a minimum grade point average, minimum pace requirement, and total number of semester hours earned and/or semesters enrolled, and
  • do not apply to professional students enrolled in the Colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, and Law, and students in the eligible hospital certificate programs whose academic progress is monitored by the individual colleges and programs.

SAP Eligibility Review

GPA and pace is evaluated for all students after the end of the spring semester. Students are notified by email if they become SAP ineligible after the spring semester. Duration is evaluated at the end of each semester. Students are also evaluated each semester to see if they can become eligible based on GPA and/or pace and are notified by email if they become eligible. Students who are on SAP probation are reviewed at the end of each semester to ensure probation requirements are met.

Students who lose financial aid eligibility due to not meeting SAP requirements may:

  • earn the necessary GPA or semester hours to meet the minimum requirements while not receiving federal financial aid or
  • submit a SAP Appeal Form in MyUI.

SAP Appeal

A student may file a SAP Appeal Form on the basis of:

  • death of a relative
  • injury or illness of the student
  • other special circumstances (such as difficult transition to UI, family issues, legal troubles, work or budget problems, etc.)

SAP Appeal Deadlines:  For the fall and spring semesters, SAP appeals must be submitted by the first Friday of classes.  For the summer session, SAP appeals must be submitted by June 15.

Completed SAP appeals will be reviewed within 15 business days. You will be notified by UI e-mail if your appeal is accepted or denied.

Please note: Up to three appeals may be accepted. Per Federal financial aid regulations, appeals are not automatically accepted and may be denied based on failure to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress standards set forth at the University of Iowa.

Regaining Eligibility

Students who are not meeting SAP requirements for GPA or pace may regain eligibility on their own without submitting an appeal by attending and achieving overall SAP requirements without the assistance of federal financial aid. Students who are not meeting SAP requirements are checked each semester and are made eligible for federal aid if they are now meeting overall SAP requirements. 

The same process applies to students who have submitted a SAP appeal that has been denied, they can attend without the use of federal financial aid. Students who have been denied a SAP appeal can re-appeal after one semester without federal aid. These students are monitored each semester and are made eligible for federal aid if they are now meeting overall SAP requirements.