Satisfactory Academic Progress for Federal Financial Aid Programs
Federal Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Standards for Title IV Financial Aid
Deadline:
- October 18, 2018 - Last day to submit a Federal Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form for the Fall 2018 semester.
- March 15, 2019 - Last day to submit a Federal Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form for the Spring 2019 semester.
Complete your appeal online at Federal Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards for Title IV Financial Aid at:
Complete SAP Appeal
Hunter College students must satisfy the following qualitative and quantitative federal financial aid satisfactory academic progress (SAP) standards, as defined by the U.S. Department of Education in order to remain eligible for federal financial aid ( §CFR668.34). All students who submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as well as those who receive any type of financial assistance are evaluated for SAP. Financial aid recipients and applicants (upon submission of the FAFSA) who are not found to be in satisfactory academic standing will be notified.
Title IV Financial Aid programs governed by these regulations are:
- Federal Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS)
- Federal Direct Subsidized Stafford Loan
- Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan
- Federal Pell Grant
- Federal Perkins Loan
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
- Federal Teach Grant
- Federal Work-Study
There are three standards measured to determine whether a student meets SAP requirements:
- GRADE POINT AVERAGE
- PACE OF PROGRESSION (CREDITS ATTEMPTED VS. CREDITS EARNED)
- MAXIMUM TIME FRAME
A student failing to meet one or more of these criteria will be ineligible for all forms of Title IV aid and will need to submit an appeal, as mentioned above, in order to attempt to regain eligibility.
GRADE POINT AVERAGE:
Undergraduate students must achieve the following grade point averages:
| Cumulative Attempted Credits From | Cumulative Attempted To | Minimum Cumulative GPA |
| 1 | 12 | 1.5 |
| 13 | 24 | 1.75 |
| 25 or more | 2.0 |
The regulations also stipulate that, if enrolled in an educational program of more than two academic years, a students must have a GPA of at least 2.00 or the equivalent at the end of the second academic year. This means that a student must maintain a minimum 2.00 GPA after being at the school for four semesters or 6 quarters without regard to enrollment status and superseding the above table.
Graduate students must achieve a grade point average of at least 3.00.
PACE OF PROGRESSION
You must successfully complete a certain percentage of the total number of credits that you attempt according to the following:
| UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS | |||||||||||
| Attempted Credits | |||||||||||
| 15 | 30 | 45 | 60 | 75 | 90 | 105 | 120 | 135 | 150 | 165 | 180 |
| Minimum Earned Credits | |||||||||||
| 0 | 5 | 16 | 27 | 42 | 50 | 63 | 72 | 84 | 95 | 110 | 120 |
| GRADUATE STUDENTS |
| Graduate students must earn 2/3 of the credit hours that they attempt. |
MAXIMUM TIME FRAME:
Students may not attempt more than 150 percent of the credits normally required for completion of the degree.
For SAP purposes, "Attempted Credits" includes official withdrawals, grades of F, NC, WU, WN, IN, and FIN.
Students who choose to remain enrolled without receipt of federal financial aid may request a review of their academic records after the Fall term. A determination of eligibility will be made at that time. If the standards are met, eligibility is regained for the following Spring semester.
For more information on eligibility for Federal Aid programs, see:
https://studentaid.ed.gov/eligibility/staying-eligible#meet-basic-criteria
