Saint Leo University

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy

Effective May 1, 2013

All students receiving Federal Title IV financial aid, state aid or Saint Leo institutional aid must adhere to the university’s published policy on satisfactory academic progress. The Higher Education Act as amended by Congress mandates that higher education institutions establish minimum standards of “satisfactory academic progress” for students receiving financial aid.

Satisfactory academic progress standards are evaluated at the end of each payment period (semester). Students receive a warning when not meeting all or part of the standard and are given one additional semester to meet the standard. Those that do not meet the standard after the warning period are not eligible for financial aid. Ineligible students may be able to appeal the decision.

Requirements to meet the satisfactory academic progress standards include:

1. Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of:
   

   Undergraduate Students:

   Total Number of Credits Attempted	Minimum Cumulative GPA
   1-44	1.50
   45-59	1.70
   60 or more	2.0

   Graduate Students: A minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA is required at all times.

2. Successfully meet pace of completion rate by completing at least 67% of all attempted credit hours.
3. Complete program of study within the maximum timeframe of 150% (see academic catalog for published program lengths).

Treatment of courses:

• Successful completion of a class is defined as earning a grade of A, B, C, D, or P (Pass). Unsuccessful grades are F, FA (Failure to attend) or W. Incomplete grade (I) is not included in the calculation until the course is completed and grade is assigned.
• Repeated courses: The highest grade earned is counted in GPA calculation. All repeated course credit hours count toward pace of completion and maximum timeframe.
• Audit courses: Courses taken on an audit basis are not counted when determining the pace of completion or for purposes of determining your cumulative GPA or for maximum timeframe.
• Remedial courses: Remedial courses are counted when determining the pace of completion and maximum timeframe and for determining your cumulative GPA.
• Transfer credit: All hours accepted by Saint Leo that count toward the degree will be used to determine pace of completion rate and maximum timeframe. Transfer credit is not assigned quality points (grades for GPA).

Satisfactory academic progress is evaluated at the end of each academic semester (i.e., fall, spring, and summer semesters). The following financial aid eligibility statuses are assigned after the review:

• Eligible: Student is meeting the minimum SAP standards or has no academic history.
• Warning: Student did not meet minimum SAP standards in the previous evaluation period. Student is still eligible for financial aid, but must reach all minimum standards by the end of the next evaluation period to maintain eligibility.
• Probation: Student appeal approved; placed on an academic plan. Eligible for financial aid.
• Ineligible: Student has had two consecutive evaluation periods below minimum standards for cumulative GPA and/or 67% completion rate; or student has exceeded the maximum timeframe of 150% (see academic catalog for published program lengths); or student did not meet the requirements of their academic plan. Students in ineligible status may not receive financial aid.

How to Re-establish Eligibility

A student must bring his/her GPA and completion rate (67% successfully completed) up to the minimum standards of the required cumulative GPA, per matrix, and 67% completion rate. A student will be ineligible for financial aid and cannot be reimbursed during this time. A student MUST request to have financial aid re-instated when he/she has met eligibility requirements. Upon receipt of the request a review of their academic progress will be performed.

Special Circumstances

If a student has experienced special circumstances (illness, job related, family illness; or for timeframe, change of major) during the most recent evaluation period, they may submit an appeal to reinstate financial aid eligibility. Appeal forms are available on the SLU Financial Aid website. The student must also submit supporting documentation and a completed SAP Academic Plan form when submitting the appeal form. If the request is granted, the student will be placed on financial aid probation for a minimum of one semester.

• One Semester Probation - The student is expected to improve to minimum standards by the end of the next evaluation period. The student is eligible for financial aid, but must meet minimum standards by the next evaluation period.
• SAP Academic Plan – A student who cannot meet the minimum standards by the next evaluation period is placed on a SAP academic plan. The student and Saint Leo agree to a plan designed to allow the student to meet minimum standards within a fixed number of evaluation periods (generally two semesters). If at any time the student stops following the SAP academic plan, and they are not meeting minimum standards, the student will become ineligible for financial aid. If a student meets minimum standards at any time while on an academic plan their financial aid eligibility status can be updated to eligible upon request.

If the request is not granted, the student will remain ineligible for financial aid until they meet all minimum standards.

Students may not submit an appeal for two consecutive review periods and may only submit two appeals during the length of their program for undergraduate students and for graduate students, one appeal during the length of their program.

Deadlines

Appeals must be submitted by week 5 of the semester when the student became ineligible in order to be applicable to the current semester.

• Appeals received and approved by week 5 will allow the student to regain financial aid eligibility for the current semester of enrollment.
• Appeals received and approved after week 5 will be effective for the next period of enrollment. Student will regain eligibility in the next semester of enrollment.

Notifications are sent via email to the student Saint Leo email address within 30 days of the university receiving a complete appeal.

NOTICE TO APPLICANTS

Student Financial Assistance Programs Disclosure of Social Security Account Number

Section 7(a) of the Privacy Act of 1974 (5U.S.C.552a) requires that when any federal, state, or local government agency requests an individual to disclose his or her Social Security Account Number, that individual must also be advised whether that disclosure is mandatory or voluntary, by what statutory or other authority the number is solicited, and what use will be made of it. Accordingly, applicants are advised that disclosure of the applicant’s Social Security Account Number (SSAN) is required as a condition for participation in student financial assistance programs sponsored by the federal government, state, or the local government, in view of the practical administrative difficulties that would be encountered in maintaining adequate program records without the continued use of the SSAN. The SSAN will be used to verify the identity of the applicant and as an account number (identifier) throughout the life of the loan or other type of assistance in order to report necessary data accurately. As an identifier, the SSAN is used in such program activities as determining program eligibility, certifying school attendance and student status, determining eligibility for deferment or repayment of student loans, and for tracing and collecting in cases of defaulted loans. Authority for requiring the disclosure of an applicant’s SSAN is grounded on Section 7(a)(2) of the Privacy Act, which provides that an agency may continue to require disclosure of an individual’s SSAN as a condition for the granting of a right, benefit, or privilege provided by law where the agency required this disclosure under statute or regulation prior to Jan. 1, 1975, in order to verify the identity of an individual.