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 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.

Minimum Grade-Point Average (GPA)

Students must maintain the minimum grade-point average requirement of their respective colleges. Questions regarding the grade-point requirement should be directed to the individual college.


Minimum Pace Requirement

Use the formula below to determine your pace. The minimum pace requirement is 67%.

Completed Semester Hours (grades of A, B, C, D, S or P)   divided by   Attempted Semester Hours (completed semester hours plus grades of F, N, U, W, O or I)

Example: 

  Fall Semester + Spring Semester = Total
Completed Hours 6 + 6 = 12
Attempted Hours 9 + 9 = 18

12 ÷ 18 = .67 (67 %)


Duration of Eligibility Limit

Students are considered for financial aid for a limited time. All UI graduate hours are included in the duration of eligibility. If you exceed the number of attempted credit hours (all UI graduate courses taken including W, F, U, N, O, and I grades) listed below then you will have reached the duration limit for program and you must file a SAP Appeal to regain financial aid eligibility.

Your duration limit will be automatically updated if your major or degree changes and will be reviewed under those SAP standards during the next review period.

Master's Level

Ed.S. = 101 hours
M.A., M.S. = 75 hours
M.Ac. = 45 hours
M.A.T. = 101 hours
M.C.S = 48 hours
M.F.A. = 123 hours
M.P.A.S. = 171 hours
M.P.H. = 63 hours
M.S.N. = 69 hours
M.S.N. - C.N.L. = 59 hours
M.H.A, M.S.W. = 90  hours
M.P.A.F.F. = 63  hours
M.B.A. = 83 hours

Doctoral Level 

Au.D. = 143 hours
D.M.A. = 108 hours
D.N.P. = 156 hours
D.P.T. = 156 hours
Ed.D. = 113 hours
PharmD = 225 hours
Ph.D. = 155 hours

Impact of Course Repeats, Withdrawals, Incompletes, Remedial, and ESL Courses

Email Satisfactory Academic Progress staff at finaid-sap@uiowa.edu if you have questions about course repeats (duplications), withdrawals, incompletes, remedial, or ESL courses.

Course Repeats: Students receiving an F in a course may repeat that course and receive financial aid for it until the course is passed. Students receiving a passing grade (D- or better) and retaking the course may only receive financial aid for that course one additional time. Repeated courses will be counted towards both the pace, GPA, and duration of eligibility components of SAP.

Course Drops after the add/drop period (W's): A withdrawn course will count as attempted hours but will not count as completed hours in the SAP pace calculation.

Semester Withdrawals: View our Impact of Student Withdrawal webpage.

Incompletes: An Incomplete will count as attempted hours but will not count as completed hours (therefore affecting pace). An incomplete may negatively affect a student's pace and aid eligibility. Once the work is completed a grade, passing or failing, is assigned and that grade will be incorporated into the next SAP review.

Retroactive Grade Changes: Grade changes that occur after the semester has started cannot be considered for SAP eligibility for that semester.  If you are SAP ineligible and your GPA and/or pace has improved due to a late grade change once the semester has started, you must still submit a SAP appeal for financial aid consideration.

Remedial Courses: All remedial courses are assigned a credit hour value, some of these courses are zero credit hours. Remedial courses that are zero hours do not count towards enrollment for financial aid purposes. Remedial courses that are one or more credit hours count as attempted hours and completed hours. Remedial courses assigned a grade of A-F will affect GPA, but remedial courses assigned a grade of S or U will not affect GPA.

ESL CoursesSome students may qualify for federal financial aid for ESL courses as long as the student is a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, is in a degree-seeking program and the ESL courses are assigned a credit hour value greater than zero.