Satisfactory Academic Progress

Federal and state regulations governing student financial assistance require that an institution develop standards to measure academic progress toward a degree. Students applying for financial aid will be monitored for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) whether or not financial aid was applied for or received during any academic period in which the student was previously enrolled. You will not be eligible for financial assistance if you do not meet the academic progress requirements. The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships monitors SAP at the end of each term. You must be meeting the minimum standards for SAP by the end of any given enrollment period at UTPB to maintain financial aid eligibility.

Qualitative Requirements

The minimum cumulative UTPB GPA for undergraduate students is 2.0 and 3.0 for graduate students for all semesters. SAP will be measured according to graduate student classification, whether or not a bachelor’s degree has been earned.

Pace of Progression Requirements

You must successfully complete at least 67 percent of the cumulative attempted credit hours. Attempted hours include:

• All hours your enroll in at UTPB or any other college
• Repeated courses
• Courses you may have failed, taken an incomplete, or withdrawn from
• Transfer credit hours

Pace of Progression is measured by dividing the cumulative number of hours successfully completed by the cumulative number of hours attempted.

Maximum Hour Limit

Federal regulations require an institution to establish a maximum number of credit hours to complete a degree or certification while also remaining

eligible for federal, state, or institutional financial assistance. Consideration of eligibility includes all terms of enrollment, whether or not federal, state, or institutional aid is received.

Undergraduate students cannot exceed hours above 150 percent of their required degree plan at any institution of higher education, to include all registered, earned, or attempted hours.

For a graduate program, the maximum timeframe cannot exceed the published length of the program measured by the number of years at UTPB.

Post baccalaureate certificate programs will be monitored for maximum timeframe based on their twelve month or twenty-four month period of aid eligibility.

In addition, university withdrawal, dropped, duplicated or never completed hours are counted as well as hours earned in the Armed Forces. Any hours excluded under the UTPB Admission's Academic Fresh Start option are included as attempted hours for financial aid purposes.

Appeals

If you fail to meet SAP requirements and lose financial aid eligibility, you may submit a written appeal with supporting documentation for reinstatement of financial aid eligibility if you had mitigating circumstances.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form 2021-2022

Repeated Coursework

Per Federal Regulation, a student is not eligible for Title IV (federal) financial aid for any course they repeat more than once if they have previously passed the course.

For example, a student took BIOL 101 in the fall and earned a D. The student can retake the course once and receive financial aid for that course. If the student attempts to retake the course again, no federal financial aid funds can be used to help pay for the class.

Helpful Terms

• Pace of Progression: an ongoing measure that ensures you are on track to complete their program in the maximum timeframe.
• Meets SAP: a status assigned to you if you are in good standing and meeting all SAP requirements.
• Warning: a status assigned to you if you failed to meet SAP requirements (qualitative and/or pace of progression). You will still be allowed to receive financial aid during a warning status.
• Not Meets SAP: a status assigned to you if you are not meeting SAP requirements (qualitative, pace of progression and/or maximum hours). You will not be eligible for financial aid with this status.
• Appeal: the process for failure to meet SAP requirements to petition the school for a reconsideration of financial aid.
• Financial Aid Probation: a status assigned to you if you failed to maintain SAP but successfully appeal, permitting you to receive financial aid for one term.
• Financial Aid Academic Plan: a status assigned to you if an additional appeal is approved while on financial aid probation. This is developed in cooperation and agreement with your academic department/advisor.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policies and Procedures Guide

Satisfactory Academic Progress Recovery Plan