Mar 29, 2024  
2012-2013 Undergraduate Academic Catalog | Expires Aug. 2019 
    
2012-2013 Undergraduate Academic Catalog | Expires Aug. 2019 THIS CATALOG IS ARCHIVED. BE SURE YOU ARE ACCESSING THE MOST ACCURATE CATALOG FOR YOU.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (SAP) For Scholarships and Financial Aid


Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) must be maintained while receiving federal, state and institutional financial aid at Saginaw Valley State University. There are three measurements for Satisfactory Academic Progress: SVSU cumulative grade point average (GPA), percentage of attempted courses completed, and maximum credit hours needed in which to complete a degree. Students must meet all three measurements. Students are reviewed at the end of EACH SEMESTER. Students who fail to meet satisfactory academic standards after a semester will receive one subsequent semester of aid while in Financial Aid Warning status. Students who are on financial aid warning can receive federal, state and institutional aid as long as they meet all eligibility requirements.

At the end of the warning period, a student who still has not met the standards will lose their eligibility for federal, state and institutional aid.

Policy

Undergraduate student requirements (Must meet all requirements):

  • GPA requirements: Maintain a 2.00 cumulative grade point average. Students who fail to meet this requirement will be placed on financial aid warning for one semester. Failure to meet requirement after a financial aid warning is given, will result in loss of federal, state and institutional aid after the warning period
  • Completion rate: Pass 67% of credits attempted throughout your academic career (transfer credits are included) Attempted courses are credits you are enrolled in after the refund period. Students who fail to meet this requirement will be placed on financial aid warning for one semester. Failure to meet this requirement after a financial aid warning is given, will result in a loss of federal, state and institutional aid after the warning period
  • PROGRAM COMPLETION: Program completion must be by 186 credit hours.

Graduate student requirements (Must meet all requirements):

  • GPA requirements: *Maintain a 2.00 cumulative grade point average. Students who fail to meet this requirement will be placed on financial aid warning for one semester. Failure to meet this requirement after a financial aid warning is given, will result in loss of federal, state and institutional aid after the warning period
  • Completion rate: Pass 67% of credits attempted throughout your academic career (transfer credits are included). Attempted courses are credits you are enrolled in after the refund period. Students who fail to meet this requirement will be placed on financial aid warning for one semester. Failure to meet this requirement after a financial aid warning is given, will result in a loss of federal, state and institutional aid after the warning period.
  • PROGRAM COMPLETION: Program completion must be by 54 credit hours.

* Graduate students must maintain a 2.00 GPA or meet the academic standards required by departments, whichever is higher.

The program completion requirements are mandatory and have no warning period. Program completion for undergraduate students is 186 completed credit hours; program completion for graduate students is 54 completed credit hours.

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Financial Aid Cancellation

A student will not be eligible for financial aid if any of the following has occurred:

  • If the student does not meet the SAP requirements at the end of their warning or probation period.
  • If a student has met the maximum number of credit hours for program completion.

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Repeat Courses

All courses repeated and passed, will count toward the completion rate (67%). Courses repeated and failed, will count as an attempted course and will affect a student’s completion rate (67%).

Non-Credit Courses and Non-Degree Courses

Students enrolled in non-credit courses or non-degree courses in which the full tuition rate is charged, may use the credit hours for determination of full-time or part-time enrollment status. Non-credit courses numbered below 100 level of the basic skills requirements (ENGL 080 , ENGL 082 , MATH 081 , MATH 082 ) will be used to meet the credit hour requirement of this policy. Non-degree courses cannot be used to meet the credit hour requirement.

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Incomplete Courses

Incomplete courses will not be counted as courses completed, but will count as an attempted course toward your completion rate. A student’s GPA is not affected by an incomplete grade.

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Course Withdrawals

Course(s) withdrawn after the refund period will be counted as attempted courses and will count toward your completion rate (67%). Grades of “W” and “WP” does not affect a student’s GPA. A grade of “WF” (failing grade) will affect a student’s GPA.

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Transfer Credit

Transfer credit from other institutions will be counted towards your program completion rate and program completion.

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Academic Program Changes

Students who change their academic program may appeal to have previous program requirements excluded from their program completion requirements.

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Appeal Process

Students may appeal the decision to cancel financial aid based on the following circumstances:

  1. The student became very ill or severely injured.
  2. A death of a relative.
  3. Other special circumstances.

Students must submit a financial aid reinstatement form and supportive documentation. Students must explain their failure to meet SAP and what has changed to allow them now to regain their aid. A reinstatement form is available from the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid. Applications for reinstatement must be received in the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid by the deadline of the Late Registration and Add/Drop period for the semester in which the appeal or reinstatement is requested. Refer to the course schedule for a specific semester date. Decisions are made within 10 business days after receipt. Students will be notified in writing.

If the student files a successful appeal, the status will be changed to Financial Aid Probation and the student will have one subsequent semester to meet SAP requirements to continue receiving aid.

The student will be monitored at the end of their probation semester. If the student meets the SAP requirements after their probation semester, then they will regain their aid for the next semester of attendance. If the student does not meet the SAP requirements after their probation semester, the student will lose eligibility for federal, state and institutional aid until the student meets the GPA and completion rate requirements above. Students who are on financial aid probation can receive federal, state and institutional aid as long as they meet all eligibility requirements.

Some students may be required to set up a Progress Plan with a financial aid advisor for their probationary period, which will consist of multiple semesters. Students must meet the plan requirements each semester to receive aid in remaining semester(s) of the plan. Students must meet the following requirements of the Progress Plan: Obtain a semester grade point average of 2.5 and pass 75% of courses attempted after the refund period for each semester. At the completion on the Progress Plan, the student must have a cumulative grade point average of at least a 2.00, have passed 67% of credits attempted after the refund period in their academic career (including transfer credits) and have not exceeded their program completion credits.

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Reinstatement of Scholarship and Financial Aid Eligibility

If a student does not appeal their denial of federal, state and institutional aid, a student may regain eligibility when Satisfactory Academic Progress standards are met. The student must complete a Financial Aid Reinstatement Form. Retroactive payments will not be made for semesters in which a student was not eligible for financial aid. Contact an SVSU academic advisor if you plan to attend another institution and transfer credits back to SVSU.

Students who have questions concerning the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy are advised to see the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid.

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Contact Information

Saginaw Valley State University
Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid
Telephone: (989) 964-4103
E-mail: financial-aid@svsu.edu
141 Wickes Hall
7400 Bay Rd.
University Center, MI 48710
www.svsu.edu/financialaid/home.html

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