Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy

There are three components to SAP. Failure to comply with any component may result in a loss of aid eligibility. The three components are as follows:

1. Cumulative grade point average (GPA)

• Undergraduate Students (0 - 29 earned hours) : 1.80 GPA
• Undergraduate Students (30 or more earned hours): 2.00 GPA
• Graduate Students: 3.00 GPA

2. Completion Rate (SCH)

Students are required to complete a percentage of all credits hours attempted for all periods or enrollment, including transfer credit hours, regardless of whether or not financial aid was received. To determine if you are meeting this requirement, total cumulative earned hours are compared to total cumulative attempted hours. Courses that are dropped or withdrawn from are considered as attempted hours regardless of the time of drop/withdrawal or the grade received. Grades of F, NC, NP, PR, W, and I are considered credit hours attempted, but no successfully completed and/or earned.

• Undergraduate Students (0 - 29 earned hours) : 62%
• Undergraduate Students (30 or more earned hours): 67%
• Graduate Students: 67%

3. Maximum Hours (MAX)

Students are expected to complete their degree program within a maximum time frame of 150% of the published length of the program of study. This also includes transfer hours earned as well as institutional attempted hours. Credit hours are cumulative; thus, students working towards obtaining more than one degree in the same category (e.g., double major) may reach this maximum time frame before completing their course of study and may need to appeal eligibility.

• Undergraduate Program of Study: 180 hours
• Graduate Program of Study:
  • MS in Organizational Psychology and Human Resources: 33 hours
  • MS in Counseling Psychology: 72 hours
  • MSN with Family Nurse Practitioner Option: 72 hours
  • Doctor of Physical Therapy: 149 hours
  • All Other Graduate Programs: 54 hours

Students who fail to meet one or more of the SAP components at the end of the semester will lose their federal and state eligibility immediately. A student who fails to complete a single course or has a complete withdrawal from Angelo State University after receiving financial aid may be automatically placed on suspension.

• Suspension: will occur if a student fails to meet any of the SAP requirements and cannot reestablish SAP within one full-time (12 hour) semester. Suspension also occurs if a student fails to meet the terms of his or her Financial Aid Probation and/or academic plan. Students cannot receive financial aid while suspended.
• Financial Aid Probation: A Student can be placed on Financial Aid Probation for one semester only. Any student that is approved through the appeal process shall be placed on Financial Aid Probation and will be eligible to receive financial aid during this semester. A student placed on Financial Aid Probation may receive financial aid program funds for that semester. While on Financial Aid Probation, the student must meet the institution’s SAP standards by the end of the semester.
• Students placed on Financial Aid Probation with an Academic Plan or Graduation Plan for Financial Aid Eligibility must complete the requirements of the academic plan or graduation plan by the end of the semester. The academic and graduation plans are developed by the institution to assist the student in regaining their financial aid eligibility by regaining SAP. The student’s Financial Aid Agreement will explain all requirements that must be met during his/her probationary period to continue to receive financial aid.

Academic Circumstances that affect your eligibility:

• Pursue a degree at a lower level after earning a graduate degree. There is no additional eligibility if you earn a graduate degree and return to pursue another degree at the undergraduate level, or at a lower graduate level. If you change degree level from graduate to undergraduate, your SAP status must be reviewed to determine your eligibility.
• Incomplete grades, missing grades, failing grades and course withdrawals all lower your completion ratio because they are counted as attempted, but not earned credits. They also are included in the calculation of maximum hours attempted.
• Courses taken for pass/fail grades are included in both your maximum attempted credits and your completion ratio.
• Repeated courses count as attempted credit hours each time you register for them, but reduce your completion ratio because they count as earned credits only once.
• Remedial courses count as attempted, but not earned credits.
• Late posted grades or grade changes will not change your status. You may request that your SAP status be recalculated after you have confirmed with the Registrar’s Office that the grade change has been posted to your academic record.

Please note: Financial Aid Probation and Suspension are separate from ACADEMIC probation and suspension.

Students failing to meet minimum requirements will be notified through their ASU email address, as well as RamPort. Students are held responsible for reading and understanding the Satisfactory Academic Progress eligibility requirements and knowing their status at the end of each semester.

Students are responsible for submitting documentation and accurate information requested by the ASU Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships in a timely manner and keeping copies for their own records. Students are responsible for checking their RamPort account regularly.

If questions arise, contact the Office of Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships at 325-942-2246.

Recent federal regulations change the way enrollment status is determined for students who are repeating coursework in which they previously received a letter grade of D- or higher. An institution may pay a student one time for retaking previously-passed coursework. To determine a student’s enrollment status (full time vs. part time), the school may not include more than one retake of a previously passed course.

Example

Two years ago, Sam enrolled in a three-hour Applied Mathematics course and received a grade of D-. Sam took the same course again last year and received a grade of C-. His major requires that he pass the class with a C or better, so Sam decides to take the course again this semester. Sam is enrolled in nine hours of other coursework, plus the Applied Math class, for a total of 12 hours. The three hours of that class are NOT included in determining Sam’s enrollment status for the current semester because it is the second time he is repeating a class in which he previously received a “passing” grade. Sam would be paid financial aid as a part-time student because he is enrolled in 12 hours minus the three hours of the course he’s repeating for the second time, which do not count. For financial aid purposes, Sam is enrolled in nine eligible hours.

If you feel that you had a special circumstance within the last 12 months that prevented you from making SAP, you can file an appeal. Some examples of special circumstances include:

• The death of a close friend or family member
• Hospitalization or serious illness
• Legal issues or other events of that magnitude over which you had no control.

You will also need to provide backup documentation (e.g., obituaries, hospital bills, court orders) to substantiate your special circumstance.

Helpful Information to consider when you are notified that you are not making SAP:

• Before submitting an extenuating circumstance appeal, review the entire SAP policy to ensure you have met the necessary requirements to file an appeal.
• Lack of knowledge of the SAP standards will not be grounds for the approval of an appeal.
• Be specific when explaining your circumstances. Lack of information will result in a delay of an appeal review, or may result in a denial of your appeal. If there were problems with your physical or mental health that played a role in your circumstances, please attach supporting documentation from a doctor, counselor or hospital (if no documentation is available, be sure to explain in the appeal).
• Do not discuss your need for financial aid in your appeal. Needing financial aid is not a valid reason for approval of an appeal.
• Complete all items on the appeal form. Incomplete appeals will delay decisions.

How to file an appeal

If you feel that you had a special circumstance within the last 12 months that prevented you from making SAP, you can file an appeal. Some examples of special circumstances are the death of a close friend or family member, hospitalization or serious illness, legal issues, or other events of that magnitude over which you had no control. Please note that if your reason for filing an appeal is not deemed a special circumstance, your appeal will be automatically denied. The decision of the appeal committee is final.

1. Go to the angelo.verifymyfafsa.com webpage.
2. Click on the SAP Appeal tab.
3. Fill out the form in its entirety. Incomplete forms will not be processed.
4. Once your appeal is under review, your SAP status in Ramport will show “Appeal in Review”.
5. Please allow at least ten business days from the time your appeal is received for the committee to review your appeal.
6. An email notification will be sent once a decision has been determined.

Extenuating circumstance appeals that are submitted without the necessary documentation will be marked incomplete and will not be processed. All future financial aid will be terminated. Please note that if your reason for filing an appeal is not deemed a special circumstance, your appeal will be automatically denied. The decision on the appeal is final and may not be disputed.