Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (SAP)

Federal and state regulations require the Student Administrative Services (SAS) Office to monitor the academic progress of potential and current financial aid recipients. Applicants must comply with the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy as a condition of initial or continuing eligibility. Beginning with the 2007-2008 academic year, Satisfactory Academic Progress will be reviewed at the end of the spring semester only.

Financial Aid programs affected by the SAP Policy include Federal Pell Grant, Federal SEOG Grant, Federal Work-Study, Federal Perkins Loan, the Federal Family Education Loan Programs (Stafford and PLUS), Guaranteed Access Grants, and Education Excellence Awards, House of Delegates, Senatorial Scholarships, and Goucher Grants.

Satisfactory Academic Progress for undergraduates is measured in two areas:

• Maintaining minimum GPA;

• Meeting the maximum timeframe requirements.

1. Minimum Grade Point Average (GPA)
   Once an undergraduate student at Goucher College reaches the end of their second year (regardless of how many credits the student has accrued, they must maintain the required cumulative GPA of 2.0 to receive federal financial aid.)
2. Maximum Time Frame
   Federal regulations state that in order to maintain eligibility, students receiving federal financial aid must be making satisfactory progress toward the degree. The maximum time for the completion of the undergraduate degree requirements is four years. "Students who take longer than four years to graduate will be considered for federal financial aid for one additional year only."

The criteria for continued eligibility for these federal funds are as follows for students entering Goucher in fall 2000 and thereafter:

Grades:

Credits are defined as credits toward graduation (graded + P/NP credits). Satisfactory progress with respect to quality of work is defined by the Academic Standards listed above. The 2.0 GPA minimum is required for "good academic standing." Goucher is not obligated to replace lost federal funds with a Goucher Grant.

Probation

The Office of Financial Aid and the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies will check students’ records for Satisfactory Academic Progress at the end of each semester. Students who fail to maintain satisfactory academic progress at the end of any semester for the first time will be placed on financial aid probation. Students will remain on probation until the end of the next semester. Students will be eligible to receive federal financial aid during this time, if they are registered as a full-time student.

Mitigating circumstances

The Satisfactory Academic Progress policy can be set aside for individual students under certain mitigating circumstances; for instance, if a student becomes very ill or is severely injured, or if a student’s relative dies. The student must submit documentation from a doctor or other health care provider stating that the student’s illness prevented him or her from attending school for at least a month.

Completion of degree requirements

 A student who has completed all the coursework for his or her degree but has not yet received the degree cannot receive further federal financial aid for that program. Exceptions are made if the student enrolls in another program (seeking a different degree). Appeal Process: Any student who has been put on probation, or who has been terminated from financial aid due to not meeting satisfactory academic progress, may appeal in writing within two weeks from receiving notification. The appeal will be reviewed, and the student shall be notified of the review results in writing.

Re-Establishing Student Aid Eligibility

 In order to re-establish student aid eligibility, a student must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 and above in any given semester. If the student’s cumulative grade point average drops below 2.0 again, they will be ineligible for federal financial aid.