Review and Notification
To determine continued federal aid eligibility, the Office of Student Financial Assistance and Employment will review the academic progress at the end of each academic semester for all graduate and professional students receiving federal aid.
Students who fail to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) will be notified by email. If a student is placed on academic probation, they may be eligible for financial aid during that probationary period.
SAP Appeal
A student may appeal a SAP determination that results in loss of aid by completing and submitting to the financial aid office the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form. Appeals may be granted only if the student failed to meet academic progress requirements due to a documented emergency and/or illness, and these extenuating circumstances must have occurred within the semester/academic year during which SAP requirements were not met. It is highly recommended that all appeals be submitted within 30 calendar days from notice of loss of eligibility. All decisions made by the committee are final.
Reinstatement of Aid
Reinstatement of aid may be obtained by earning additional University approved credits, achieving the indicated percent completion standard, or successfully appealing.
GPA Requirement
All graduate and doctoral students must maintain a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average (CGPA). Graduate students who fail to meet the minimum credit hour or cumulative grade point average requirements have failed to meet the satisfactory academic progress standards established by the University. Those in violation of the satisfactory academic progress eligibility requirements will be notified in writing of their eligibility status and right to appeal.
A change of program does not reset a student’s SAP standing or SAP calculations.
Treatment of Punitive and Non-punitive Grades and Courses
All courses with a grade of F, I, IP, NG, U, W, and repeated courses will be considered in the calculation of credit hours attempted and will be subject to satisfactory academic progress. Audited courses are not considered in awarding financial aid; therefore, they will not be counted in the determination of satisfactory academic progress. Incomplete (I) grades will be calculated as failing grades in regard to credit hour completion until the course has been satisfactorily completed.
Credit Completion Requirement
Students must earn 67% of the total credit hours attempted during his/her overall academic career. Rounding does not apply.
- A change of program does not reset a student’s SAP standing or SAP calculations.
- All previously attempted graduate credits at the University of Miami will continue to be included in the SAP evaluation for the new program.
- Exceptions may apply for students who have successfully completed and graduated from a prior graduate program before beginning a new graduate program.
- Undergraduate and Graduate credits cannot be combined to meet this standard.
- Withdrawals, incompletes, audits, NG (no grade) and F's are attempted, but not earned hours, and count towards the SAP calculation.
- Transfer credits are counted in the completion rate calculation, but not in the cumulative GPA.
Graduate students must be enrolled at least half-time in courses that work toward the completion of their degree to receive federal financial assistance. A minimum of 5 graduate credit hours constitute at least half-time enrollment during the Fall or Spring terms if on the traditional calendar (3 credit hours constitute half-time if on the Online calendar). The only exception to the minimum half-time requirement is enrollment in an 800-level course.
Time to Completion
Time to completion starts when a student begins any program in the Graduate School. All work must be completed within three (3) years of the start date of the graduate program, for those studying for the various master’s degrees; and within eight years for those studying for doctoral degrees. For those admitted directly into a Ph.D. program without a master’s degree in field, work must be completed within eight years. Individual programs may set a shorter time period.
Exceptions may be granted by the Dean of the Graduate School at the request of the Graduate Program Director. Course availability may vary by program and term; therefore, students who may need to withdraw or take a break from their program should work directly with their Academic Advisor to ensure timely completion within the three (3) year window.
A student is ineligible for financial aid when it becomes mathematically impossible for him/her to complete the program within 150% of the length of the program. The length of the program is the amount of time necessary for a student to complete all requirements for a degree or certificate. Federal aid eligibility is terminated upon completion of all degree requirements.
Each online degree program has a minimum time within which a student may complete the degree if the student takes the courses on a continually enrolled basis. Online degrees are flexible, and the actual time to completion, within the three-year limit, can vary by student.
