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. Please view the SAP Policy for information on how the Office of Student Financial Aid determines Satisfactory Academic Progress.
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 are 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:
- submit a SAP Appeal or
- earn the necessary GPA or semester hours to meet the minimum requirements while not receiving federal financial aid
Regaining SAP 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.
How SAP is Measured
GPA
Undergraduate students must maintain at least a 2.0 UI GPA. Some scholarships may require a higher GPA than the minimum required to remain in good SAP standing.
Graduate 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.
Pace
Students must complete at least 67% of all credit hours attempted. Transfer credits that are accepted from another institution are included in the pace calculation and count as both attempted and completed hours.
- Only grades of A, B, C, D, S, or P are counted as completed.
- Failed classes, withdrawn classes, incompletes, and no credit count as attempted but not completed and negatively impact the SAP calculation.
- The credit hours from a repeated course are included in the calculation every time the class is taken.
Duration
Students must complete their degree within 150% of the credit hours required for the degree per the academic catalog.
This calculation includes all attempted credits hours, including transfer credits.
Duration Example: If your degree requires 120 credits to graduate, 150% of your degree requirements is 180 (120 X 150% = 180). For this example, your financial aid would be suspended if you did not complete your degree before attempting 180 credits.
Your SAP Status Explained
| SAP Status | Next Steps |
|---|---|
| Eligible | You are meeting SAP standards and don't need to do anything. |
| GPA - Not Eligible | You can either:
|
| Pace - Not Eligible | You can either:
|
| Duration - Not Eligible | Submit a SAP Appeal by the deadline each semester as noted below. |
| Financial Aid Probation | This status means your SAP Appeal has been approved and your aid has been reinstated for one term. To maintain eligibility, you need to either:
|
SAP Appeal Process
A student may file a SAP Appeal based on:
- Difficult transition to UI
- Mental or physical health issues
- Work, family, budget stressors
- Any other circumstances that made it difficult for them to meet SAP standards
The SAP Appeal requires a statement explaining the circumstances and steps for future success as well as a Plan of Study which is then reviewed with the student and their academic advisor. Supporting documentation for extenuating circumstances is not required as part of the appeal.
SAP Appeal Deadlines and Review: 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.
If your SAP Appeal is accepted, you will be placed on Financial Aid Probation status and will need to meet probation requirements each semester until you have met overall SAP Standards in order to continue to be eligible for federal and state financial aid. You will receive an email with your financial aid probation requirements when your appeal is accepted.
SAP Appeal Deadlines
First Friday of classes each semester