Overview

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 is monitored by the Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) with the exception of professional students enrolled in the Colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, and Law, and students enrolled in the eligible hospital certificate programs who are monitored by their individual colleges and programs.

Same as or Stricter Than

The University of Iowa OSFA SAP policy is the same as the baseline academic standards for students enrolled in their specific program. Those standards are outlined below for GPA. These GPA standards are also in line with the federal requirement that SAP standards should be at least a "C" average or consistent with academic requirements for graduation.

Categories of Students

Categories of students include undergraduate, graduate, professional, and teacher certification.

Qualitative Measure (GPA)

Students who are eligible for SAP are checked for their GPAs after the end of the spring semester. Students on probation are monitored at the end of each semester.

Undergraduate students must maintain at least a 2.0 UI GPA. Graduate and professional students must maintain the minimum UI grade-point average requirement of their respective colleges. Teacher certification students must maintain at least a 2.0 UI GPA. Transfer credits are not included in the SAP GPA calculation.

Students who do not meet the GPA requirement for SAP after the spring semester are no longer eligible for federal financial aid and must complete a SAP appeal to receive federal financial aid for the subsequent semester.

Quantitative Measures (Pace and Duration)

The minimum pace requirement (course completion rate) for undergraduates, graduates, professional students, and teacher certification. A student who falls below this pace is no longer on track to complete their program within the maximum timeframe and is therefore made SAP ineligible at that point.

Pace:

The minimum pace requirement for all categories of students is 67%. This is calculated by dividing total credits completed (grades of A, B, C, D, S or P) by total credits attempted (completed semester hours plus grades of F, N, U, W, O or I). The pace calculation is rounded to the nearest full percentage (ex: 66.4% = 66% and 66.5% = 67%). Transfer credits that are accepted from another institution are included in the pace calculation and count as both attempted and completed hours. Generally, remedial courses are included in the pace calculation as both attempted and completed hours, but do not impact GPA. 

Pace is evaluated for all students at the end of the spring semester.

Duration:

Evaluation Periods

GPA and Pace is evaluated for all student categories 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.

Financial Aid Probation

Students with an approved SAP appeal are placed on financial aid probation for one semester. Students on financial aid probation are required to maintain a specific GPA (either semester or cumulative) and complete at least 67% of the semester hours they attempt. 

If a student does not complete these requirements after one semester on financial aid probation, they are no longer eligible for financial aid for the next semester and must submit an additional SAP appeal. If a student meets their probation requirements but are not meeting overall SAP standards they are placed on an academic plan for the next semester. If a student meets their probation requirements and is now meeting overall SAP standards, they are eligible for aid and are no longer on probation or an academic plan.

SAP Appeals

Students can appeal the GPA, pace, or duration components of SAP. Students are informed of the appeal process via email after they are determined to be SAP ineligible. Students also receive reminder emails about the appeal process. 

Appeals are submitted through MyUI (paper form is available upon request). The deadline for submitting a SAP appeal is the first Friday of classes in the fall and spring semesters and June 15 for the summer semester. Appeals are reviewed within 15 business days of Office of Student Financial Aid 2400 University Capitol Centre, Iowa City, Iowa 52242 | 319-335-1450 | Fax 319-335-3060 | financial-aid@uiowa.edu | financialaid.uiowa.edu receipt by the Office of Student Financial Aid. The student will be notified by UI email if the appeal is accepted or denied. Students may appeal multiple times, however, appeals beyond the third appeal are rarely accepted. 

Appeals are automatically denied if the student has been reported as not attending or receiving a grade below a C- in at least one class at midterm. 

Before an appeal is complete the student must work with their Academic Advisor to get their approval on the plan of study portion of the SAP appeal. 

A student may file a SAP Appeal (available on MyUI) on the basis of: 

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

Documentation

Appeals are considered on an individual basis. Depending on the nature of the appeal, the number of appeals the student has filed, and/or the student’s academic record, additional documentation may be required of the student before the appeal can be accepted. For example, the student may be asked to provide supporting documentation from a doctor, counselor, etc.

Students are asked to answer two questions on the SAP appeal explaining why they did not meet SAP standards and how they will meet SAP standards in the future. In many cases, this explanation is sufficient to approve an appeal. However, we will also accept supporting documentation from a student, especially when this is not their first appeal. Supporting documentation may include a letter/statement from a doctor or counselor, academic advisor or faculty/staff member, or other relevant third party.

Extending Probation (Academic Plan)

Students who meet their probation requirements but are not overall meeting SAP eligibility requirements are placed on an academic plan and can have their probation extended an additional semester. Students who are on an academic plan must maintain a GPA and pace requirement. The GPA requirement may be semester or cumulative depending on the student. The pace requirement is completing 67% of the courses they attempt that semester. Students on an academic plan are monitored at the end of each semester by the Office of Student Financial Aid to see if they met the GPA/pace requirements before their probation is extended an additional semester.

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.

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.

Incompletes

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

Withdrawals

A withdrawn course will count as attempted hours but will not count as completed hours in the SAP pace calculation.

Retroactive Grade Changes

SAP eligibility is based on a grade check after final grades are posted and before the next semester has started. Grade changes that occur after the subsequent semester has started cannot be considered for SAP eligibility for that semester, and therefore you must submit a SAP appeal for financial aid consideration.

Pass/Fail and Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grades

A grade of P/N is not included in the calculation of GPA. Grades of P/N will count towards the calculation of SAP pace. P grades count as a completed course. N grades do not count as a completed course. Grades of P/N will count towards the SAP duration of eligibility limits.

Second Grade option

Courses that are removed from the GPA after taking a second grade option will be counted toward SAP pace and duration, but will not be counted in the SAP GPA calculation.

Restart Semesters

Students who have semesters waived through the Restart option will still have those courses counted toward their SAP GPA, pace and duration limits.

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.

English as a Second Language Courses

Some 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.

Consortium Agreements

Hours taken under a consortium agreement are included in the pace/duration calculation, but not the GPA calculation for a student.

Second Degree

Students who are working on a second degree are still held to pace, GPA and maximum timeframe SAP standards. The maximum timeframe for these students will continue to be the same as students working on their first degree.

Second Major

Students who have a bachelor’s degree conferred from UI and come back for the same type of bachelor’s degree (ex: BA in theater coming back for BA in Biology) are not eligible for federal financial aid. These students are considered “major only” and would only be able to get aid if they are earning a different type of bachelor’s degree (ex BA and then BS). This only applies to students with a bachelor’s degree that has been conferred from UI.

Major or Degree Changes

Students can change majors or degrees without any effect on SAP. A student’s duration limit will be automatically updated if their major or degree changes and will be reviewed under those SAP standards during the next review period.

Completion of All Degree Requirements

Based on federal Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) financial aid regulations, students who have met all degree requirements for their first bachelor’s degree at the University of Iowa may no longer qualify for federal financial aid even if they have not officially applied for graduation.

After final semester grades are posted, the UI Registrar’s Office provides the UI Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) a list of students who have met all degree requirements for their first bachelor’s degree, whether or not they have applied to graduate. OSFA emails all students who have met degree requirements for their first bachelor’s degree to explain the different options for covering future educational costs. 

Financial aid options will vary depending on the student’s individual educational plan.

Single Declared Major (no minors or certificates declared)

Students with a single declared major who have completed all degree requirements for their first bachelor’s degree will no longer qualify for federal financial aid. Students will continue to qualify for institutional scholarships and state financial aid.

Double Major or Dual Degree

Students who have completed all degree requirements for one of their declared majors/degrees will no longer qualify for federal Pell Grant or SEOG. Only courses required for the second major or degree will qualify for federal loans or work-study. Students must take at least 6 semester hours required for the second major or degree to qualify for loans. Students will continue to qualify for institutional scholarships and state financial aid.

Minors and Certificates (other than Teacher Certification)

Students with declared minors and/or certificates will not qualify for federal financial aid once all degree requirements for their first bachelor’s degree have been met. Students will continue to qualify for institutional scholarships and state financial aid.

Required Prerequisites for Admission to Another Degree Program

Students who have completed all degree requirements for their first bachelor’s degree and are enrolled in required prerequisites for admission to another degree program may qualify for federal loans in addition to institutional scholarships and state financial aid. In order to determine eligibility, the Non-Degree Student Status Form must be completed.

Notices

The University of Iowa’s SAP Policy is available on our website. Each semester all students receive an eligibility email with information about SAP and links to the SAP policy.