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Satisfactory Academic Progress - Undergraduate Students

SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS GUIDELINES for FINANCIAL AID PURPOSES

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is language set forth in the federal guidelines [34 CFR §668.34] that specifies the minimum academic progress required of a student to avoid termination of funding provided by federal and state governments. The guidelines also relate to programs funded by the institution (except for tuition waivers) or as determined by the University of Jamestown (UJ). The academic standards for students receiving Title IV funds (federal aid) are the same as those for students not receiving Title IV funds.

To demonstrate SAP for financial aid purposes, all students must comply with the following components:

  1. Qualitative Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0.
  2. Pace or Quantitative Students must successfully complete (grade of ‘D’ or higher) at least 67% of all attempted credits. Grades of incomplete on the last day of the term are included in the calculation and not recalculated for that term once the grade is entered. Credit hours from another school accepted at UJ will count as both attempted and completed hours. 
  3. Maximum Timeframe or 150% Rule Students must complete their program within 150% of the total credits required for completion. 

Monitoring Procedure

The University of Jamestown monitors student progress after every payment period (term). Summer is considered a payment period for this purpose and, consequently, progress will be monitored for those students enrolled in summer school courses after the summer session as well.

Possible statuses of each SAP calculation are good standing, warning, and suspension. A student who fails SAP after one semester is placed on financial aid warning. A student who fails SAP the next consecutive semester after being placed on warning will be placed on financial aid suspension. A student placed on financial aid suspension may appeal the suspension by submitting an official Financial Aid Suspension Appeal Form (which can be found on the University of Jamestown website under Current Students/Financial) by the stated deadline. A committee including the Associate Provost/Dean of the Undergraduate College, Vice-President of Enrollment Management, Registrar, Student Success Coordinator, and Director of Financial Aid, will review the appeal. If an appeal is granted by a majority vote of the committee, an academic plan will be generated for the student. The student and financial aid representative will sign the academic plan. 

Students will be notified of SAP statuses of warning and suspension and be sent an academic plan by email to their UJ email.  Requirements necessary to regain eligibility for financial aid will be included in an academic plan.

Additional Information

  • Limited funding may be available through private sources explicitly stating that SAP is not required.
  • The Financial Aid Office reserves the right to adjust SAP verbiage at any time.
  • Grades of incomplete will be counted as not earned in the calculation immediately following the term in which the grade falls. If the grade changes to a letter grade, that grade will be considered in future calculations for SAP following subsequent periods of enrollment. 
  • A course in which a student received a passing grade may be repeated only one time for federal student aid payment of both times the course was taken. Federal student aid may not be used for a second repeat of the same course with a passing grade (D or higher). If a student receives a passing grade in a course and then subsequently fails the course, the student cannot receive federal aid for the course in any subsequent taking of the course after failing it. All course repeats count toward the total number of credits the student has attempted, which may affect pace and/or 150% calculations for SAP.

Glossary/Additional Information

ACADEMIC PLAN An academic plan will be created for the student and will include the number of semesters, specific coursework, and minimum grades and/or grade point average it will take the student to regain compliance. The student’s advisor will be notified of the plan. Once a student is in compliance, s/he is again considered to be in good standing. The academic plan will be monitored by the Registrar and the Director and/or Assistant Director of Financial Aid each semester for compliance.

APPEAL Should a student fail to make progress after a semester on warning, an appeal is required for reinstatement to financial aid privileges.  The appeal must be submitted by the published deadline on an official Financial Aid Suspension Appeal Form, which can be found on and submitted from the University of Jamestown website under Current Students/Financial Aid. Students have the right to appeal action taken regarding the University’s Satisfactory Academic Progress policies.  Prior appeals will be considered along with a current appeal if the student has appealed in the past.  There is no limit to the number of appeals a student may submit.

Appeal Denied If a student’s appeal is denied, s/he is no longer eligible to receive financial aid until compliance has been regained. 

APPEAL GRANTED If a student’s appeal is granted, an academic plan will be generated for the student. Once signed, the student is placed on probation and s/he is eligible to receive financial aid for the following term, after which the student’s record will be reviewed.

Attempted Credits All courses taken for which a student receives a ‘W’ or grade on the transcript are counted. Attempted credits also include those taken during terms in which the student receives no aid as well as repeated courses and credits transferred into UJ from other institutions.

GOOD STANDING All three compliance factors are being met or surpassed. Student is eligible for financial aid.

Incompletes Courses for which a student receives an incomplete will be counted as not earned in the calculation immediately following the term in which the grade falls. If the grade changes to a letter grade, that grade will be considered in future calculations for SAP. 

PACE The quantitative component for all grade levels, calculated to ensure the student successfully completes (grade of ‘D’ or higher) at least 67% of all (cumulative) attempted credits.

Repeated credits The highest course grade will be used in determining GPA compliance. Credits from a repeated course will be counted each time the course is taken for the pace calculation.  All credits will be counted toward the 150% Rule. 

WARNING The first semester that a student fails to make satisfactory academic progress, s/he is assigned the status of warning.  This is an automatic action, and no appeal is required by the student.  The otherwise eligible student will be entitled to financial aid for one additional semester.  

SUSPENSION Should a student be determined to not be in compliance with any one of the three components of Satisfactory Academic Progress and has not successfully appealed, s/he is no longer eligible to receive assistance under financial aid programs at UJ. Any charges that the student incurs during this period of suspension from financial aid privileges are the responsibility of the student. 

TRANSFER CREDITS Credit hours from another school accepted toward the student’s educational program will count as both attempted and completed hours and be considered toward total GPA. 

https://www.uj.edu/about/policies-handbooks-and-forms/sap-undergraduate/