Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy
Students must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to receive Federal Student Aid. According to Federal Regulations, students who fail to make satisfactory progress towards their degree or certificate will lose their ability to receive Federal Student Aid. This regulation applies to all AAU students, including those that have not previously received financial aid. Students who lose their aid may appeal the loss provided there are mitigating circumstances that inhibited their academic progress. If mitigating circumstances do not exist, students may take classes at their own expense to demonstrate improvement for a future appeal. To otherwise restore eligibility, students must achieve the grade point average (GPA) and completion rate as defined in the policy.
There are three criteria used to measure Satisfactory Academic Progress:
- Cumulative grade point average (qualitative)
- Credit hour completion (quantitative)
- Maximum Timeframe
AAU evaluates SAP at the end of each semester and at the beginning of the first semester. A semester is defined as a 16-week period of academic study. The requirements of each criterion must be met and are discussed in detail below. The University provides written notification, within prescribed time periods, to notify a student who is failing to achieve SAP standards.
Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA): CGPA is the qualitative measure of SAP, meaning that it measures the quality of the grades that each student earns in their courses. Evaluation occurs at the end of each semester as demonstrated in the sample segments listed in the Satisfactory Academic Progress Progression Table. Only credits completed at AAU with a final grade of A through F are included in the CGPA calculation.
To meet SAP requirements students must maintain a CGPA that meets or exceeds the minimum requirements as shown in the Satisfactory Academic Progress Progression Table below. Students who fail to meet CGPA requirements also fail to meet SAP requirements and will be put on an Academic Probation and Financial Aid Warning. (See FA Warning and Probations section.)
Credit Hour Completion: Credit hour completion is the quantitative measure of SAP, meaning that you must complete a certain percentage of your courses to meet minimum SAP standards and maintain eligibility for Federal Student Aid. Each academic program within our University system has a defined number of credit hours required for completion. To maintain SAP, students must achieve a minimum percentage of credits earned versus credits attempted.
- Courses with a final grade of A through D will be counted towards credits completed.
- Final grades that fall below the minimum D are not counted as credits completed but will be used to determine credits attempted.
- Withdrawn (W) courses are considered credits attempted.
- Courses with grades of incomplete ('I') will not be counted as credits attempted until a final grade is earned.
- During week one of each semester students will be cancelled from any courses in which they have not participated in. Courses that are dropped prior to the course start date or during the add/drop (week one) will not count towards attempted credits. Note: All students are required to log into each of their courses and participate in week one according to the class syllabus to confirm their attendance. Students who do not complete an academically related event during the add/drop period will be cancelled from their course.
- Remedial courses do not count towards attempted credits.
- Any course in which the student remains enrolled beyond week one will count towards attempted courses regardless of the grade received.
- Repeated courses will count as attempted courses.
Maximum Timeframe
All students who receive federal financial aid under Title IV of the Higher Education Act are required to complete their program of study within 150% of the published length of the program. The following maximum time frames apply to each academic program:
- Associates Degree - the published length is 60 semester credits. The maximum period must not exceed 90 (60x1.5) Total Semester Credits Attempted.
- Bachelors Degree - the published length is 120 semester credits. The maximum period must not exceed 180 (120 x 1.5) Total Semester Credits Attempted.
- Certificate Programs - the published length is an average of 18 semester credits. The maximum period must not exceed 27 (18 x 1.5) Total Semester Credits Attempted.
AAU has provided a chart that illustrates the minimum quantitative and qualitative requirements for various evaluation points.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Progression Table
| SAP Level |
Credits Attempted
(inc. Trans) |
Minimum Cum
Credits Completed |
Minimum
CGPA
|
| Associate Degrees |
12 |
50% |
2.00 |
| |
24 |
50% |
2.00 |
| |
36 |
67% |
2.00 |
| |
48 |
67% |
2.00 |
| |
| Bachelors Degree |
12 |
50% |
2.00 |
| |
24 |
50% |
2.00 |
| |
36 |
67% |
2.00 |
| |
48 |
67% |
2.00 |
| |
60 |
67% |
2.00 |
| |
72 |
67% |
2.00 |
| |
84 |
67% |
2.00 |
| |
96 |
67% |
2.00 |
| |
108 |
67% |
2.00 |
| |
120-180 |
67% |
2.00 |
*Credits transferred in from another college or university via an official Transfer Credit Evaluation are factored into the calculation of how many credits a student has completed in determining the minimum CGPA threshold from the chart.
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