Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid
In order to be eligible for financial aid, students must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) toward their degrees. This page describes the standards which Gallaudet students must meet in order to receive federal financial aid (Pell Grant, SEOG, Stafford Loans, PLUS Loans, Perkins Loans, and Federal Work Study).
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards are measured at the end of each semester of attendance (including summer) and they include two parts: 1) Qualitative standard: Grade Point Average (GPA), and 2) Quantitative standard: percentage of cumulative earned hours to cumulative attempted hours within a maximum timeframe. These two parts are explained in detail below:
Qualitative Standard: Cumulative GPA
The GPA standards for financial aid are the same as those required by Gallaudet as its minimum standards of scholarship (see Gallaudet Catalog). Undergraduate students must maintain a cumulative GPA* of 2.00 to be considered in "good standing". *The cumulative GPA that is reviewed for this standard includes all degree credit courses and remedial/conditional courses if applicable.
Quantitative Standard: Percentage of degree credits earned and Maximum timeframe
In order to meet the quantitative standard each semester of attendance, students must successfully earn a minimum degree credit completion rate each time SAP is assessed and complete their degree program within the maximum timeframe outlined below.
At the end of each semester of attendance the ratio of cumulative degree credit earned hours to cumulative degree credit attempted hours* (student pace) must be at least 70%. *Attempted hours are those hours for which students are still officially registered at the conclusion of each semester’s Add/Drop period.
To quantify overall academic progress the FAO has set a maximum timeframe in which students are expected to complete a program. For undergraduate programs, the maximum timeframe cannot exceed 150% of the published length of the program measured in credit hours attempted.
The majority of undergraduate programs at the University require that students earn a minimum of 120 degree credit hours. The maximum timeframe for these programs is 180 attempted hours (120 x 150%). Institutional scholarship funding is extremely limited.
Failure to meet SAP standards: Students who do not meet the SAP requirements (explained above) will be placed on financial aid warning for one semester, during which aid may be received. If, at the end of the warning semester, a student once again does not meet the SAP requirements, they will be ineligible for federal financial aid unless they successfully appeal (see Appeals below) for reinstatement of federal aid at which point the student will be placed on financial aid probation for one semester.
Appeals: Students who do not meet the required standards and who are ineligible for financial aid (except in the scenarios of ineligibility outlined below) may file a written appeal with the Financial Aid Office if there were circumstances which affected academic progress and which were beyond the student's control (such as illness, death in the family, or other mitigating factors). Course failures or unsuccessful attempts to complete condition courses are NOT valid reasons for appeal. Appeals must include the circumstances under which the student did not meet the SAP requirements and what has changed in the student’s situation that would allow the student to meet SAP standards by the next evaluation. If an appeal is approved, but it is not mathematically possible to meet SAP standards after one semester, the student will have to submit an appeal for each semester until they are once again making SAP.
SAP Ineligibility
1. Students on probation who continue to not meet the SAP requirements in a subsequent semester OR students who have been granted probationary status two times during their academic career and again do not meet the SAP requirements cannot receive federal financial aid. In this scenario, no further warning/probationary semesters will be granted and the student will be considered ineligible for financial aid until such time as the student once again meets the established standards for at least one full semester of attendance. Students may still be eligible for institutional aid if they otherwise meet the criteria (GPA, enrollment level, demonstrated need, etc).
2. Students who have completed all degree requirements but choose not to graduate OR students who have attempted more than 180 degree credits but have not yet completed their degree requirements will be ineligible for all future federal financial aid.
Students cannot receive institutional aid if they are not making SAP for quantitative reasons, after all of their degree requirements have been met, or five cumulative years (10 semesters) of receiving institutional aid.
Course Withdrawals (WD, WP, WF): Courses from which a student withdraws after Add/Drop will be counted toward enrollment, attempted hours, and maximum timeframe.
Incomplete Grades (INC): Incomplete grades will be counted toward enrollment, attempted hours, and maximum timeframe. Students who end a semester with incomplete grades will be re-evaluated for financial aid eligibility at the University deadline for INC grades. If the incomplete grades are not completed within the University published deadline the student will automatically be placed on the appropriate SAP status (warning or ineligible) based on prior SAP performance and the student is responsible for notifying the Financial Aid Office to have financial aid eligibility re-evaluated again once the incomplete grades are updated. If a student is placed on warning for INC grades at the University deadline and then the final grades become WD or all F’s at a later date, any federal aid released for the subsequent semester will be rescinded (including loans).
No Grade (NG): Courses receiving NG will be treated similar to INC grades and will be counted toward enrollment, attempted hours, and maximum timeframe. Students who end a semester with NG will be re-evaluated for financial aid eligibility at the University published deadline for INC grades. If a grade is not posted within the University deadline the student will automatically be placed on the appropriate SAP status (warning or ineligible) based on prior SAP performance and the student is responsible for notifying the Financial Aid Office to have financial aid eligibility re-evaluated again once the NG is updated. If a student is placed on warning for NG at the University deadline and then the final grades become WD or all F’s at a later date, any federal aid released for the subsequent semester will be rescinded (including loans).
Transfer Credits: Course credits transferred from other institutions will be considered hours earned and attempted for the purpose of determining the 70% earned credits completion rate (student pace) and maximum timeframe. Transfer students are permitted to drop excessive transfer credits once, after meeting with an Academic Advisor to evaluate transcripts and determine degree requirements at Gallaudet University. Transfer students are NOT permitted to drop excessive transfer credits in an attempt to extend their financial aid eligibility.
Repeated Courses: Students may repeat courses, to attempt to achieve a higher passing grade, one time without penalty. Any course, in this scenario, repeated more than once will not count toward enrollment. Students receiving a failing grade (F) may repeat the course as many times as necessary until it is passed. Repeated courses will be considered hours attempted for the purpose of determining the 70% earned credits completion rate and maximum timeframe.
Audited Courses: Students do not earn any academic credit for audited courses. They do not count toward enrollment, in the calculation of student pace, or toward maximum timeframe unless a course was changed to Audit status after Add/Drop. In this case they will be treated the same as WD courses.
Double Majors and/or Minors: Students pursuing a double major/minor will be expected to complete all degree requirements before reaching maximum timeframe.
Change of Major/Degree Program: Students who change their major and/or degree program will be expected to complete all degree requirements before reaching maximum timeframe.