Federal SAP: Academic Recovery Plan

What is it?

Saint Joseph’s University is required, by federal guidelines, to monitor students’ satisfactory academic progress (SAP) toward completion of their degree.  Students cannot receive federal aid for a timeframe greater than 150% of the standard required time it typically takes to complete the degree (example: Maximum of 12 semesters for a four-year bachelor’s degree student attending on a full-time basis.  See chart below). The University has the authority to set its own SAP standards; however, the standards must include both qualitative and quantitative standards. Students must meet both standards. SAP is measured at the end of each academic year, once spring grades are posted, in order for federal financial aid to be renewed the following semester/academic year.  Credits from the preceding summer may count toward SAP. SJU does have the authority to evaluate and grant a reprieve, on a case-by-case basis, to students who are not meeting the standards. Note:  Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards for financial aid purposes vary from the Saint Joseph’s University General Standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress, as well as those standards set by individual academic programs (see University Catalog).

 

The Saint Joseph’s University Title IV SAP Policy for Undergraduates is as follows:

Quantitative Standard

Successful completion of 70% of all attempted credits* for prior academic year.  See definition of Earned Credits and Attempted Credits below.

Example: If a student attempts 30 total credits in an academic year, he/she must minimally successfully pass (no F grades) 21 credits for that given academic year. 21/30=70%

Qualitative Standard

·         Less than 61 credits completed toward degree:  1.8 cumulative GPA

·        61 or more cumulative credits completed toward degree:   2.0 cumulative GPA

Maximum Hours to Earn Degree: To quantify academic progress, a school must set a maximum timeframe in which a student is expected to complete a program. For an undergraduate program, the maximum timeframe cannot exceed 150% of the published length of the program measured in credit hours attempted.

 

The Saint Joseph’s University Title IV SAP Policy for Graduate Degree and Certificate Students is as follows:

Quantitative Standard

·Successful completion of 50% of all attempted credits* for prior academic year.  See definition of Earned Credits and Attempted Credits below.

Example: If a student attempts 18 total credits in an academic year, he/she must minimally successfully pass (no F grades) 9 credits for that given academic year. 9/18=50%

Qualitative Standard

·3.0 cumulative GPA

Maximum Hours to Earn Degree: To quantify academic progress, a school must set a maximum timeframe in which a student is expected to complete a program. For a graduate student, the maximum timeframe cannot exceed 150% of the published length of the program measured in credit hours attempted.

Who can use it?

Federal SAP is reviewed at the end of each academic year for any student that receives federal financial aid at Saint Joseph’s University.  Students who fail to meet either the quantitative or qualitative standard of the Title IV SAP policy will be notified via email by the Financial Aid Office after information on academic progress becomes available at the end of the academic year (typically late May/early June). Students who fail to meet either the quantitative or qualitative standard will not be eligible for Title IV (federal) financial aid until all requirements have been met. This academic progress determination will supersede any financial aid package for the upcoming year which may have been offered to the student at that point. Under no circumstances will financial aid be awarded retroactively to the semester(s) in which the SAP requirements were not met.

If a student has not met Title IV SAP standards and receives Title IV (federal) financial aid, the student must submit an Academic Recovery Plan which should be formulated with input from both the student and his/her academic advisor, Dean or program director.  

The Associate Dean for the respective program will review the submitted form to determine if the Academic Recovery Plan will be approved.  If approved, those students receiving federal financial aid will be placed on federal financial aid “probation” and will be permitted to continue receiving federal financial aid for the upcoming academic year.  Students approved for “federal financial aid probation” will be notified by the Office of Financial Aid via email. Generally, no more than two Academic Recovery Plans are approved in a student’s SJU career, and, generally, subsequent, consecutive academic year appeals are not approved unless highly extenuating circumstances exist.  For a student’s Academic Recovery Plan to be considered, it must be submitted by the first day of classes of the semester for which the student is requesting federal aid.

The Associate Dean for the respective program will review the submitted form to determine if the Academic Recovery Plan will be approved.  Approved appeals/plans, and all supporting documentation, must be sent by the academic advisor, Dean or program director to the Financial Aid Office to be scanned into the student’s permanent record.

Please note: The mere passage of time will not automatically restore Title IV aid eligibility to a student who has lost eligibility for failure to make satisfactory progress.

Also, students who have been academically dismissed from the university but who are subsequently given permission to re-enroll are not automatically eligible to continue to receive Title IV aid. Re-admission decisions are completely separate from Title IV financial aid determinations.

Where can I access this service?

Complete the Academic Recovery Plan via the Request Service button to the right.  Visit www.sju.edu/sap for more detailed information Federal SAP.