Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards (SAP)

Types of Financial Aid SAP Status

• Warning – Financial aid warning can be granted after a student does not meet SAP standards after one semester. If a student has not met SAP standards for one semester, the student will be placed on a warning semester. The Warning status lasts for one semester, during which the student may continue to receive Title IV Aid. The Warning status gives the student one more semester to reach minimum SAP standards. 
• Financial Aid Loss Probation (after loss)  – Financial aid Probation can be granted only after the student has appealed and eligibility for Title IV aid is reinstated based on that appeal. Students can only be placed on probation for one semester. If a student has a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal approved they will be placed on a Probation Period if it is possible to bring their Completion Rate and GPA up to SAP standards after the next semester.
• Academic Plan – If a student has an SAP Appeal approved, and it is NOT possible for them to maintain the required Completion Rate and GPA after one semester of enrollment; they will be placed on an Academic Plan. An academic plan is tailored to the individualized needs of the student based on the circumstances of their appeal. All students placed on an academic plan may need to maintain a SEMESTER Course Completion Rate of 80% and a 2.0 GPA for undergrad students and Course Completion Rate of 80% and a 3.0 GPA for graduate level students. If a student on an Academic Plan fails to meet the semester goals of their plan, they will be suspended (loss) from their financial aid for the upcoming and subsequent terms until they have met the minimum SAP standards or have an appeal approved based on new extenuating circumstances.
• Maximum Timeframe Plan – If a student’s appeal is approved for Maximum Timeframe, the student will be placed on a Maximum Timeframe Plan. This Maximum Timeframe Plan should consist of the classes and number of hours left to graduate as well as the signature of the student’s advisor. The Graduation Plan will be reviewed at the end of each term. If a student’s appeal for Maximum Time Frame, or exceeding 150%, is approved, they will ONLY be approved for the number of hours indicated on their Graduation Plan, Progress will be checked at the end of each semester until the student graduates.

Standard Academic Progress Standards

Qualitative Standard

Grade Point Average:

To meet this standard, a student must maintain a level of academic performance required to remain at the University as a matriculated student. The minimum level of academic performance parallels the grade point average required to remain in good academic standing and is as follows:

For students currently enrolled in developmental courses, all developmental classes are calculated into the GPA to determine SAP status.

Quantitative Standards

Completion Rate:

Students must earn a cumulative 67% of all hours attempted to remain eligible for financial aid. 

Grades of A, B, C, D, and P count as attempted and earned credit hours. Grades of F, W (withdrawn), WP (withdrawn passing), WF (withdrawn failing), and I (incomplete) do not earn credit hours, but do count as hours attempted towards the quantitative standards of completion rate and maximum time frame for completion of the degree. Hours transferred from other institutions also count as hours attempted and earned. Students who fall below the above completion rates are not making Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Example: a student with 99 cumulative attempted hours must have earned a passing grade in at least 67 hours. Hours and percentage are not rounded up.

Grades earned in developmental courses count in determining the completion rate and cannot exceed 30 hours; this limit cannot be appealed.

Classes dropped prior to the end of the add period at the beginning of each term will not count toward hours attempted. Credits earned through CLEP testing, AP examinations, etc. are not counted as hours attempted for calculation of completion rate.

Repeated courses affect SAP as follows:

GPA – Only the most recent grade counts in the calculation of the GPA.

Completion Rate – Each time a course is repeated, it is counted as hours attempted.

Maximum Time Frame – Each time a course is repeated, it is counted as hours attempted and is counted towards the maximum credit limit.

Courses in which a passing grade has been received may be repeated only once in an effort to increase one’s GPA. If repeated more than once, costs must be at the student’s own expense.

Maximum Time Frame

To remain eligible for financial aid, students must complete their degree requirements within 150% of the published length of their academic program. This means that a student’s attempted and transferred credit hours cannot exceed 150% of the credit hours necessary for completion of their primary degree or certificate. The maximum time frame is not increased for dual-degree or combined degree candidates, but is based on the program length associated with the student’s primary academic program.

Full-time students should attempt to earn at least 30-31 credit hours per academic year in order to graduate in four years. “Full-time” is defined as 12 credit hours per semester. Those who take no more than 12-14 hours per semester may choose summer courses as a way to reach 30 credits per year.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Review

At the end of each semester (Fall, Spring, and Summer), an SAP review is completed. Students who fail to make SAP at the end of a term will be placed on SAP warning and will be given one term to achieve SAP. If at the end of the warning period, they have not met minimum SAP requirements, they will be ineligible to receive further financial aid unless they successfully appeal their financial aid suspension. Those not successful in their appeal become ineligible for further financial aid until all deficiencies are remediated at the student’s expense. If the student has already been awarded federal/state aid for the following semester, that aid will be removed.

Regaining Eligibility for Financial Aid

Students who fail to attain the qualitative and/or quantitative standards for SAP should consult with a financial aid counselor to determine appropriate steps to take to regain financial aid eligibility. Actions to consider for regaining financial aid eligibility include:

• Taking courses during the summer at the student’s expense;

• Repeating failed courses immediately (the quickest way to raise a GPA);

• Removing incomplete (I) grades;

• Reviewing repeated courses to insure that the highest grade has been computed.

A student’s cumulative GPA can be improved only by coursework at The University of Tennessee Southern though credit hour deficiencies can be made up by attendance at UT Southern or at another institution. If enrolling elsewhere, the student must complete a Transfer Credit Request form with the appropriate signatures prior to enrolling at the other institution. Following completion of work elsewhere, the student is responsible for having an academic transcript sent to The University of Tennessee Southern's Registrar’s Office.

Once deficiencies have been remediated, the student must notify the Financial Aid Office and request reinstatement of eligibility. However, once the maximum length of study standard has been exceeded (150% of credit hours needed for graduation), financial aid eligibility ends, even if the student is in compliance with the other two standards.

Appeals Process

Students who fail to meet the minimum requirements for Satisfactory Academic Progress and who lose all financial aid eligibility have the right to appeal this action to the Admissions and Financial Aid Appeals Committee by submitting a Student Appeal Form. An appeal must be based on significant mitigating circumstances that seriously affected academic performance. Examples of such circumstances might be serious illness, severe injury, death of an immediate family member, or other similar situations accompanied by appropriate documentation for the circumstance involved. Contact the Financial Aid Office to obtain a Student Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Financial Aid Appeal Form. This form is also on the UT Southern website under Financial Aid.