Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
Federal and state regulations governing student financial assistance programs require an institution to develop a standard measure of a student’s reasonable progress towards a degree objective. To remain eligible for federal, state and institutional financial aid students must comply with Texas Southern University standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress.
The standards apply to state and federal financial aid programs, including Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Work Study, Federal Direct Stafford Loan, Federal Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students, Graduate PLUS Loans, and Federal TEACH Grant.
These financial aid standards of academic progress are separate from, and in addition to, academic standards required by the student’s college for continued enrollment. The criteria used to determine academic progress are cumulative grade point average, cumulative completion rate, and maximum time frame to complete the degree.
To maintain SAP, a student must:
| Total Hours | Cumulative GPA | Quantitative Ratio | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 2.0 | 67% | 180 |
| Post-Baccalaureate | 2.0 | 67% | 180 |
| Graduate – beyond Bachelor’s | 3.0 | 67% |
63 |
| Law – beyond Bachelor’s | 2.0 | 67% | 135 |
| Doctoral | 3.0 | 67% | 108 |
SAP Guidelines
1. Increments of Evaluation – The academic progress of financial aid recipients will be evaluated on a yearly basis at the end of the last term enrolled. Students will be awarded based on the academic year; however, eligibility will be evaluated based on the prior academic year’s grades. Students on an approved appeal will be evaluated each term, failing or withdrawing from a course will result in the loss of financial aid eligibility.
2. Incomplete's (“I”) – A grade of “I” indicates that a student has not finished all course work required for a grade and is included in the cumulative credits attempted. An incomplete grade will not count as hours successfully completed until a final grade is posted.
3. Withdrawals (“W”) – A grade of “W” indicates the student withdrew from the course after the last day to drop. Courses with a grade of “W” will not be calculated in the GPA; however, the “W” will impact a student’s completion rate calculation.
4. Repeated Courses – Student aid guidelines permit a student to repeat a course as many times as necessary to receive a passing grade. A passing grade is anything above an F. Once the student has received a passing grade, the student may repeat the course only one additional time to earn a higher grade and receive financial aid.
5. Transfer Courses – Courses accepted from another institution are counted in the total credits attempted and completed.
6. Change of Major – Students who change majors are still expected to maintain satisfactory academic progress and complete the coursework within the time frame.
Procedures
1. SAP Notifications – The Office of Student Financial Assistance will notify students at risk of losing their financial aid eligibility via their MyTSU portal.
2. Financial Aid Suspension – Students who are placed on financial aid suspension are not eligible for Title IV funding; however, students can submit an appeal to reinstate eligibility.
3. SAP Appeal Documentation - Students who are placed on financial aid suspension may submit an appeal to reinstate eligibility. A financial aid SAP Appeal consists of the SAP Appeal Application and supporting documentation; students may also be required to complete a SAP Supplemental form if requested by the review committee. Financial aid SAP Appeals must be submitted by the required deadline to be considered for the current semester.
4. SAP Appeal Deadline – Students must submit SAP Appeal by the 12th class day of Fall/Spring and 4th class day of Summer. Students who do not meet both deadlines will not have their financial aid SAP Appeals considered for the current term.
5. SAP Decision – All SAP Appeals will be submitted to a committee for review.
- Appeal Approved – Students who appeal may be granted a probationary period. At the end of a probationary period, students must be meeting the satisfactory academic progress requirements or must be successfully meeting requirements of an academic plan in order to continue to receive financial assistance.
- Conditionally Approved – Students who appeal may be conditionally approved pending the submission of a supplemental form signed by their advisor indicating that an academic success plan has been established.
o Supplemental forms must be submitted no later than a week after requested by the committee.
- Appeal Denied – Students who choose to attend TSU while on suspension, at their own expense, will not be automatically eligible for financial aid upon seeking reinstatement. Students must be meeting the academic progress standards in order to regain eligibility for subsequent enrollment periods. A minimum of six hours earned must be completed in order to be considered for reinstatement.
6. Granted SAP Appeal per term – Students must meet all stipulations within academic plan.
- Must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA (Undergraduate & Law) or 3.0 GPA (Graduate) at the end of the term.
- Students cannot receive a grade of F, I, W or U during the current term.
If conditions of the approval are not met and the continued appeal is denied:
The student must meet the conditions below:
Student must earn 6 or more hours, earn a GPA of 2.0 or higher as an undergraduate student, 3.0 as graduate student without the assistance of Title IV aid; before re-appealing.
The student also has the option to attend a community college to assist with coursework to increase their GPA/ratio. The alternative payment options are private alternative loans or payment arrangements with student accounting.
