Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) – Graduate Students

In order to be eligible for financial aid, students must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) toward their degrees. This policy applies to all financial aid programs, including federal, state, and institutional awards.

SAP is assessed at the end of each semester, including summer, and includes two components:

Qualitative Standard: Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA)
Quantitative Standard: Percentage of cumulative earned hours to cumulative attempted hours (student pace) and completion within the maximum timeframe

Qualitative Standard: Cumulative GPA

Graduate students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 to be considered in good standing. This standard includes all degree credit courses and any remedial or conditional courses if applicable. These GPA requirements align with the minimum standards of scholarship outlined in the Gallaudet University Catalog.

If a graduate program determines that a student is on academic probation or dismissal under University policy, that same status will be used for SAP purposes. Financial aid eligibility will be reflected accordingly.

Quantitative Standard: Student Pace and Maximum Timeframe

To meet the quantitative standard, students must:

Successfully earn at least 70% of cumulative attempted degree credits at each SAP assessment.
Complete their program within the maximum timeframe, which is 150% of the published length of the program, measured in attempted credit hours.

For example, if a graduate program is designed to be completed in 2 years, the maximum timeframe is 3 years. Institutional scholarship funding is limited and subject to these standards.

SAP Status and Consequences

Warning:
Students who fail to meet SAP standards will be placed on financial aid warning for one semester, during which financial aid may continue.

Probation and Appeal:
If SAP standards are not met at the end of the warning semester, students will be ineligible for financial aid unless they submit a written appeal to the Financial Aid Office. Appeals must demonstrate circumstances beyond the student’s control (e.g., illness, death in the family). Course failures or unsuccessful attempts at conditional courses are not valid reasons. Approved appeals may place a student on financial aid probation for one semester.

Ineligibility:

Students on probation who fail to meet SAP in a subsequent semester, or who have received probation twice during their academic career and again fail, will be ineligible for financial aid.
Students who have completed all degree requirements but have not graduated, or who exceed 150% of the published program length, are ineligible for financial aid.
Institutional aid may still be available if other criteria (GPA, enrollment, demonstrated need) are met.
Students cannot receive institutional aid for quantitative SAP failures after degree completion or after the maximum period of eligibility defined for their program.

Academic Considerations

Course Withdrawals (WD, WP, WF): Withdrawn courses after the Add/Drop period count toward enrollment, attempted hours, and maximum timeframe.
Incomplete Grades (INC) and No Grade (NG): INC or NG grades count toward enrollment, attempted hours, and maximum timeframe. SAP is re-evaluated at the University’s published deadlines. Failure to complete INC or NG grades by the deadline may result in warning or ineligibility, and aid may be rescinded if grades later convert to WD or F.
Transfer Credits: Transfer credits are included in earned and attempted hours for student pace and maximum timeframe calculations. Students may drop excessive transfer credits once, after advising, but cannot do so to extend aid eligibility.
Repeated Courses:
- Courses repeated once to improve a grade count toward SAP.
- Courses repeated multiple times for failing grades count toward attempted hours.
Audited Courses: Audited courses do not earn credit and generally do not count toward SAP unless changed to audit after Add/Drop; in this case, they are treated like withdrawn courses.
Change of Program: Graduate students who change programs are expected to complete all degree requirements within the maximum timeframe.