Policies and Procedures
For the purposes of these policies, academic year is defined as Fall, Spring, and Summer terms.
1. Review and Notification
In order to determine continued aid eligibility, the Office of Financial Assistance Services will review the academic progress at the end of each academic semester for all graduate students receiving federal aid, including the Federal Direct PLUS Loan.
Students who fail to meet SAP will be notified in writing by email. If a student is placed on academic probation, they will be eligible for financial aid during that probationary period. A student may receive probationary scholarship assistance only once.
2. 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.
3. SAP Appeal
A student may appeal a SAP determination that results in loss of aid by completing and submitting to the financial aid office an Academic Progress Appeal Form. Appeals may be granted only if the student failed to meet academic progress requirements as a result of an emergency and/or illness, and these circumstances must have occurred within the semester/academic year during which SAP requirements were not met. All appeals should be submitted no later than 30 calendar days from notice of ineligibility. All decisions made by the committee are final.
4. Reinstatement of Aid
Reinstatement of aid may be obtained by earning additional University approved credits, achieving the cumulative GPA and 67% percent completion standard, or successfully appealing.
A student notified of SAP Appeal approval will receive a Financial Aid Academic Plan of Action. The student will be presented with the terms of continued eligibility while on probation. Once the Plan of Action is signed and returned, the student will receive financial aid eligibility on a probationary status for the term in which the appeal is approved.
A student who fails to meet the terms of the Financial Aid Academic Plan of action will have financial aid eligibility suspended.
5. Duration of Eligibility
All work must be completed within six years of the time of admission to a 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.
Graduate students may receive federally funded assistance for the time to completion limits set up by the Graduate School
– six (6) years for those studying for the various master’s degrees and 8 years for those studying for doctoral degrees. Students pursuing dual master’s degrees will receive aid for a maximum of six (6) years. Students in a combined master’s degree/doctoral degree program are eligible for assistance for a maximum of eight (8) years.
