Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy for Financial Aid
The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is required to develop and apply consistent and reasonable standards of satisfactory academic progress for all students.. In order to receive and continue to receive most federal, state and institutional financial aid, students must meet the following three components of satisfactory progress:
·Minimum grade point average (2.0)
·Pace (complete 67% of credits attempted)
·Maximum time frame (150% of the credits required for a degree)
These standards are monitored for all periods of attendance, regardless of whether or not student received financial aid while they were enrolled.
Note:Standards of satisfactory progress for financial aid are slightly different from the University's Academic Standing and Progress policy (see Univ. Catalog).Students are expected to understand and meet both policies' standards.
Standard for Grade Point Average
Maintain a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA after the third semester of enrollment (transfer plus resident). Test credits and no-gpa credits (remedial, retro and pass-fail) will be counted as attempted and earned.
Standard for Pace (Minimum Credits Completed)
Successfully complete 67% of total enrolled plus transfer credits. A grade of F, W, XF, U, or IN is not considered successfully completing the class. Test credits and no-gpa credits (remedial, retro and pass-fail) will be counted as attempted and earned.
Standard for Maximum Time Frame
Graduate with no more than 150% of the credits required for a degree.For most undergraduates, this is 180 attempted credits.Monitoring to ensure students will graduate within this timeframe begins when the student has attempted a total of 130 cumulative transfer plus resident credits. Test credits and no-gpa credits (remedial, retro and pass-fail) will be counted as attempted and earned.
·For degree programs that require more than 120 credits, the maximum timeframe is increased proportionately, however these are dealt with individually through the appeal process.
·Undergraduates pursuing a second degree may attempt 90 resident credits.
·Graduate students may attempt 54 resident credits.
Note:All attempted credits (credits enrolled in on the 10th day of the term) are counted for this total.
Evaluation Procedures
These standards are measured once a year at the end of every academic year (spring semester) using the official grade reports from the Registrar's office. Students who fail to meet the minimum GPA or credit standards or have exceeded the maximum number of attempted credits will be denied future aid.
Reestablishing Aid Eligibility
To reestablish eligibility for financial aid, students may:
1)Choose to continue to enroll in classes without financial aid until they earn an academic standing that meets the minimum criteria, i.e. bring the cumulative GPA up to a 2.0 or successfully complete 67% of accumulative attempted credits. Once they have reached the minimum standard, aid can be reinstated, and/or
2)Document the correct information, if an error has been made, and/or
3)Submit an appealthat explains the extenuating circumstances that prevented them from making satisfactory progress.. Extenuating circumstances include - but are not limited to – medical or personal situations that resulted in undue hardship and prevented satisfactory academic progress.
Appeal Procedure
A written letter of appeal may be submitted to the Financial Aid office for review and must be submitted prior to the end of the semester for which the student is appealing to receive financial aid.Appeals should explain:
-The reason(s)in detail for not meeting the standards of academic progress;and
-The measures the student has taken to ensure that the problem does not re-occur.
Additional documentation confirming the appealed situation may be required.
For GPA appeals, in addition to explaining extenuating circumstances, students should meet with their academic advisor and create an academic plan showing how long it will take them to raise their GPA to at least a cumulative 2.0.
For Maximum Time Frame appeals, in addition to explaining extenuating circumstances, students should include a degree audit, anticipated graduation date, and a listing of courses needed to graduate (in a semester by semester outline).This listing should be developed with the assistance of an academic advisor and signed by the advisor.
Appeals will be reviewed through the Financial Aid Appeals Committee appeals process. Students will be notified in writing of the appeal decision.
Approved Appeals
If an appeal is approved, Students will be sent an Academic Progress Plan outlining the required minimum standards per semester that the student must meet.Plans are signed by both the student and the financial aid counselor and maintained in the Financial Aid office.Students on Academic Progress Plans will be monitored every term to ensure the standards of the plan are being met.Once the student has reinstated satisfactory academic progress, s/he will go back to being monitored on an annual basis.
If students encounter unexpected circumstances that prevent them from meeting the standards in the Academic Plan, they should meet with the financial aid counselor to discuss how this may impact their financial aid.
Failed Academic Progress Plans
Students, who fail to meet the terms of the plan at the end of each term, will be denied further aid until all academic deficiencies are corrected. Although students who fail their plan may appeal the reinstatement of their financial aid, their reasons for appeal will be held to a high standard.
Additional Information
Consortium Agreement Credits: Credits taken at other institutions while on consortium agreement at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire will be counted as transfer credits in the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.
Withdrawals: Withdrawals, either from a course or from the University, will have the creditscounted as enrolled credits in the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy and will be used toassess minimum credits earned when determining the student's pace of completion.Withdrawals that occur after the 10th week count as an 'F' will impact GPA.
Repeated Courses: Credits for courses that are repeated will count as enrolled each time itis taken but will count only once in earned units. The new grade will replace the previousgrade in calculating grade point average. Students obtaining special permission to repeat a
course more than once may have their financial aid reduced. Test credits and no-gpa credits (remedial, retro and pass-fail) will be counted as attempted and earned.
Transfer Credits: Credits from other institutions will be added to resident enrolled credits todetermine total number of enrolled credits when calculating Maximum Time Frame, PACE,and GPA for Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Incomplete Courses: Incomplete course work will not be considered as being successfully completed but will be considered as attempted for Pace and Maximum Time frame.Completed courses will be replaced with an official grade and earned credits by the end of the tenth week of the first regular semester following the granting of the incomplete. Courses never completed will then be officially replaced by the grade initially reported with the request for the incomplete by the Registrar's office. In either case, the new official grade wil lbe considered during the next review of student's satisfactory academic progress when determining Pace and Maximum Timeframe. A student, who wants their completed incomplete grade considered sooner than the next review, is required to notify the FinancialAid Office of the new grade.
Remedial Courses: Noncredit remedial courses are allowed and will be funded. These courseswill be subject to review under all aspects of the Satisfactory Progress Policy.
Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Courses: These courses are not counted in GPA requirements,but are included in Maximum Timeframe and Pace determinations.
Audited Courses: Audited courses are not funded by financial aid.
Suspended Students: Students who are suspended will be notified by the institution of theirsuspension. Students who are not allowed to enroll because of their suspension will besystematically prevented from receiving financial aid.
