Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy For Financial Aid (Revised December 19, 2019)

Federal regulations require the Financial Aid Office to monitor the progress of all students toward the completion of degree. This monitoring process is called the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). The Department of Education requires that a school monitor SAP both quantitatively and qualitatively. Satisfactory academic process is essential to remain eligible to receive funds from any Federal Title IV, state, or university aid programs.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is assessed by the Financial Aid Office (FAO) for any student who applies for financial aid.  A student must be eligible by this policy whether or not a recipient of aid during the evaluated period of attendance.

These rules must apply to all students whether or not they were recipients of any financial aid at the University of Guam or any other college.  In addition, this policy provides for the consistent application of standards to all students within categories of students, i.e., full-time, part-time, undergraduate, and graduate students, and University educational programs.

This policy is effective immediately and supersedes the previous policies.

Federal regulations state that the rules must include the following elements:

• A maximum time frame for students to complete his or her program (i.e., based on credits attempted);
• A minimum number of units to be completed.
• A minimum grade point average.

At the end of each semester, the Financial Aid Office will monitor each undergraduate and graduate student’s academic progress to determine financial aid eligibility.

To maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) the following minimum requirements must be met:

• UNDERGRADUATE
• Complete at least a minimum of 67% of credit hours attempted with a passing grade (see chart below).
• Have attempted no more than 186 credit hours for bachelor’s degree program (based on a 150% of 124 credit hour requirement degree program. Maximum credit hours for programs requiring more than 124 credits will be adjusted accordingly).
• Must maintain a 2.00 cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA).

 

• GRADUATE
• Complete at least a minimum of 67% of credit hours attempted with a passing grade (see chart below).
• Have attempted no more than 54 credit hours for master’s degree program (based on a 150% of 36 credit hour requirement degree program. Maximum credit hours for programs requiring more than 54 credits will be adjusted accordingly).
• Must maintain a 3.00 cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA).

  

In addition to listed on the minimum requirements, the following also apply to Qualitative (Pace) Standards:

• Transfer Credits: Any credits you earned at another institution that UOG accepts as earned credit will be included in calculating your Maximum Timeframe. However, all transfer credits whether they apply to your program or not, will be used for determining your pace calculation and included in both your earned and attempted credit hours.
• Required remedial courses will count towards the calculation.
• All repeat, transfer, withdrawn, unofficial withdrawal, and no credit courses are also part of this calculations.
• Grades of A, B, C, and D are counted as passing grades.
• Grades of F(failed), W (withdrawal), I (Incomplete), IP (in Progress), and NC (no credit) count as credits attempted but not completed credits.
• At the time an I (Incomplete) grade is converted to a passing grade, the credits will then be considered in the calculation as completed credits. An I (incomplete) grade that is converted to a grade of F (failed) will continue to count as credits attempted by not credits completed.  An incomplete may negatively affect a student’s pace and aid eligibility.
• 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 one additional time.  The most recent grade you received in the repeated course is used to calculate your cumulative GPA.  Repeated courses will be counted towards both pace, GPA and duration of eligibility components of SAP.

 

BREAKDOWN OF REQUIRED NUMBER OF CREDITS

Undergraduate:

Credit Hour Attempted*	Enrollment Status	Minimum Credits to complete each semester
20-21	Full-time	14 Credits
19	Full-time	13 Credits
17-18	Full-time	12 Credits
16	Full-time	11 Credits
14 -15	Full-time	10 Credits
13	Full-time	9 Credits
12	Full-time	8 Credits
11	¾ - time	8 Credits
10	¾ - time	7 Credits
9	¾ - time	6 Credits
6 – 8	½ - time	6 Credits
Below 6 credits	Less than ½ time	MUST PASS ALL Credits

*Credit Hours Attempted – number of credit hours enrolled after the ADD/DROP period of each semester.  Fall and Spring semesters ADD/DROP period ends the Tuesday AFTER the first day of classes; Summer ADD/DROP period end on the first day of each session.

Graduates:

Credit Hour Attempted*	Enrollment Status	Minimum Credits to complete each semester
12	Full-time	8 Credits
9	Full-time	6 Credits
6 – 8	½ - time	6 Credits
Below 6 credits	Less than ½ time	MUST PASS ALL Credits

*Credit Hours Attempted – number of credit hours enrolled after the ADD/DROP period of each semester.  Fall and Spring semesters ADD/DROP period ends the Tuesday AFTER the first day of classes; Summer ADD/DROP period end on the first day of each session.

»To determine the amount of credits required (67% completed with a passing grade), multiply the number of credits you are enrolled in after the ADD/DROP period by .67.

Warning

Undergraduate students who fail to complete a minimum of 67% of credit hours attempted from the previous semester and/or maintain a 2.00 cumulative GPA will be placed on SAP warning for the following semester enrolled.  Students will continue to receive their financial aid funds while on warning status.

Graduate students who fail to complete a minimum of 67% of credit hours attempted from the previous semester will be placed on SAP warning for the following semester enrolled.  They will continue to receive their financial aid funds while on credit hour warning.  If a graduate student does not meet the cumulative GPA of a 3.00 at the end of the previous semester or placed on academic probation by the Graduate School, they will no longer be eligible to receive financial aid funds, until they are off academic probation from the Graduate School.

Suspension of Aid

A student’s financial aid will be suspended for any of the following reasons:

1. The student fails to make progress toward the minimum required cumulative GPA for two (2) consecutive semesters (Fall/Spring/Summer);
2. Failure to complete a minimum of 67% of the credit hours attempted for two (2) consecutive semesters (Fall/Spring/Summer);
3. Complete withdrawal from the University of Guam during the semester for which aid was received;
4. Dismissal from the University of Guam for any reason;
5. The student has attempted more than 186 credit hours (undergraduates) / 54 credit hours (graduates) towards their degree program and has not received a bachelor’s / master’s degree;
6. Failure to receive a passing grade (A, B, C, D, or P) for all of the credit hours attempted during the semester;
7. Placed on Continued Probation by the Admissions and Records Office at the end of a semester;
8. First semester after a Dismissal or Suspension from the Admissions and Records Office;
9. Current academic status with the Admissions and Records Office shows any of the following: Continued Probation, Suspension, or Dismissal.
10. Student does not follow signed Planning Agreement from the Financial Aid Office (Appeal Process).

How to Re-Establish Eligibility

If you are on suspension you may submit an appeal.  If your appeal is approved, you will receive one probationary semester with contractual performance requirements.  Approval is not guaranteed, and you will be held responsible for any debts incurred if you enroll while on financial aid suspension.  Aid eligibility may be reinstated for the semester during which your petition is approved, but not for prior semester(s) that you may have attended while on financial aid suspension.

Appeal Process:

You must submit a written petition to appeal any financial aid suspension if you believe your failure to make satisfactory progress (SAP) was due to special circumstances. The petition should be one legible page and address the following:

• • Explain why you failed to meet the SAP requirements: You must list the special circumstances that impacted your ability to be academically successful.  If it is due to an illness, accident, or death for a family member then provide documentation such as death certificate of an immediate family member, proof of a personal illness or injury, or documents that prove some special circumstance that was beyond your control.
  • Explain what has changed: You must include a self-evaluation explaining what steps you are taking to ensure your own academic success in future semesters.  If necessary, you should provide documentation from a service provider supporting your ability to be academically successful.

A student should submit a petition at least 30 calendar days before the start of the term and no later than 30 calendar days before the end of the semester that the financial aid is desired.  Failure to adhere to this timeline will result in the student losing their right to appeal their suspension.

Appeals with mitigating circumstances must be approved by the Director of Financial Aid Office.  Financial Aid advisors must prepare a briefing for the Director with recommendations for the student’s appeal.

All appeals should be reviewed and forwarded for approval to the Director within 30 working days of the student’s submission of their appeal.  A response on the status of the appeal to the student will be given within 45 working days after submission of the appeal.

QUESTIONS

Students who have questions about the SAP policy should contact the Financial Aid Office

Students who have questions about their grades or credits earned should contact the Admissions and Records Office.