Satisfactory Academic Progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress

The Higher Education Act (HEA) requires that a student maintain satisfactory progress in the student's program of study to be eligible to receive Title IV funds. Under the HEA and current federal regulations, a school is required to periodically evaluate if the student is successfully meeting both qualitative and quantitative academic standards specified by the school. SAP evaluations must occur at least as frequently as the end of each academic year or halfway through the student's scheduled program completion timeframe, whichever is less, and a student enrolled in a program longer than two years must have at least a "C" average or academic standing consistent with graduation requirements at the end of the second year of the program.

A student's academic performance must be monitored if they are receiving financial aid. If they do not meet certain standards they lose their eligibility for federal financial aid. One of these standards is a Grade Point Average (qualitative measure), which measures for a minimal academic performance, usually by looking at the student's grades or cumulative grade point average (CGPA). The second standard is the pace of progression (quantitative measure), which is how a school measures to make certain a student is on track to complete their degree in a reasonable amount of time. Because NUHS has both undergraduate and graduate students, there are two SAP policies.

Federal regulations mandate that a student's satisfactory academic progress shall be measured a minimum of once per academic year. It is NUHS' choice to evaluate progress at the conclusion of each trimester.

Types of Financial Aid Covered by SAP

• Federal Stafford Direct Subsidized Loan
• Federal Stafford Direct Unsubsidized Loan
• Federal College Work Study
• Federal Graduate PLUS Loan
• University Scholarships

Pace - Course Work Completion
The student must successfully complete all required coursework, student clinic, and the clinic internship program in no longer than 150% of the standard program length.

The student must successfully complete 50% of all hours attempted each trimester. Successful completion is indicated by grades of A, B, C, D and S.

1. Hours attempted include grades of A, B, C, D, F, S, U, I, or W.
2. Hours attempted include repeated courses.
3. Withdrawals will be included as attempted, except those dropped within allowable add/drop period.
4. Any transferred hours for credit will be included in attempted hours.

Students will be measured for course work completion at the end of each trimester.

GPA - Academic Standing
A student must maintain a minimum CGPA (cumulative grade point average) of 2.0 out of a 4.0 scale for each trimester of enrollment. An overall GPA of at least a "C" (2.0) or its equivalent, or academic standing consistent with graduation requirements, must be achieved by the end of the second year for students in programs greater than two years.

1. Incompletes will be calculated in the GPA.
2. Repetitions will be included in the GPA.

Financial Aid Warning - SAP
A student who fails to meet either the 50% coursework completion or 2.0 CGPA at the end of a trimester will be placed on Financial Aid Warning.

1. A Financial Aid Warning letter will be sent indicating that the student is eligible to receive one more trimester of aid only.
2. Included will be a statement that if SAP is not met in the subsequent trimester (the trimester of Warning), no further federal aid will be allowed until SAP is again achieved--except through appeal.
3. The letter will include the instructions to appeal and the SAP Appeal Form.

Financial Aid Probation - SAP
A student who does not meet either the 50% completion requirement or reach a minimum 2.0 CGPA after the trimester on Warning may appeal and, if the appeal is granted, will be placed on Financial Aid Probation.

1. A Financial Aid Probation letter will be sent indicating that the conditions outlined as a requirement of the successful appeal must be met the end of the probationary period, or the indicated timeframe.
2. Failure to meet these conditions in the timeframe specified will result in loss of financial aid for subsequent trimesters.

Appeals
Students who feel there are extenuating circumstances to their situation may appeal for reconsideration to have federal financial aid re-established through submission of the SAP Appeal Form and supporting documentation.

An appeal may be submitted for any of the following reasons:

1. the death of a relative,
2. an injury or illness of the student, or
3. other special circumstance.

In addition, the appeal must include:

1. an explanation of the reason(s) the student failed to maintain SAP,
2. a statement of the student's personal plan of action, and
3. what has changed in the student's situation to enable the student to demonstrate SAP at either: a) the end of the next trimester, or b) at the end of a specified academic plan designed by the academic department.

Students whose appeal is approved are placed on Financial Aid Probation. Students whose federal aid has been reinstated under the terms of an academic plan will be considered to be making satisfactory progress as long as they continue to fulfill the requirements of the academic plan.

Students who do not make SAP or fulfill the academic plan requirements by the end of the academic remediation plan will lose federal Title IV aid eligibility until SAP is again achieved.

The completed appeal is submitted to the Office of Financial Aid, which will review the appeal in consultation with a representative of the Committee on Academic Standards, Grades and Records and will make a recommendation of action. The Director of Financial Aid, Vice President for Business Services and the Academic Dean or designee shall make the final determination of whether to reinstate Title IV eligibility.

Revised 8/23/2011