Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for Financial Aid Eligibility: Crookston

Satisfactory academic progress (SAP) is used to define successful completion of coursework to maintain eligibility for student financial aid.  

Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards

Students who have financial aid must meet the qualitative and quantitative standards listed below to maintain eligibility as well as the related requirements specified in the Crookston Campus Academic Progress Policy.  Students are required to meet both the campus and SAP standards specified here to be eligible for federal, state and institutional aid.

1. GPA - Maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 or above (qualitative standard)
2. Credit completion ratio - Successfully complete a required percentage of the credits attempted (credit completion ratio)
   • Students must earn at least 67% of the credits attempted to maintain satisfactory academic progress.
   • At the end of each term, academic progress will be determined by comparing the number of credits attempted to the number of credits earned.
   • Credits earned include grades of A, B, C, D, and S. Credits attempted include the previously listed grades plus F, N, I, K, X, W and blank.
   • Audit credits are not considered in either attempted or earned credits. If the credit completion ratio falls below 67%, a financial aid warning or suspension will be issued.
3. Completion within maximum timeframe - Complete the degree program within a maximum timeframe as determined by the program
   • Students are eligible to receive financial aid for a maximum timeframe of 150% of the published credits required to complete their degree program. Example: if the undergraduate degree program requires 120 credits; the student is eligible to receive aid for up to 180 attempted credits.  
   • Once the attempted credits reach 150 credits, the student will be placed on financial aid timeframe warning and will still be eligible for financial aid.
   • Once the student reaches 180 attempted credits, they will be placed on financial aid suspension and will not be eligible for financial aid.  
   • Credits attempted include A, B, C, D, and S grades plus F, N, I, K, X, W and blank.
   • Audit credits are not considered in attempted credits.

Review of Student GPAs and Credits

The Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships (OFAS) reviews student GPAs at the end of each term, including summer, after grades are posted. Once the review is completed, students will be notified of their SAP status via their university email account.

OFAS uses the following when calculating credit completion.

• Attempted credits include grades of A, B, C, D, F, K, I, N, NG, NR, P, Q, R, S, T, U, W, X, and blank.
• Earned (completed) credits include grades of A, B, C, D, K, NG, P, Q, R, S, T, and X.
• At the time an incomplete is changed to an actual letter grade, the SAP process will recalculate and change the SAP statistics, and status if necessary. Students are responsible for notifying the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships at the time an incomplete is changed to a letter grade.
• If a course is repeated, credits for each time that a student registers will be added to their attempted/earned credit totals. However, only the most recent grade received in the course will be used in the calculation of the cumulative GPA.
• Remedial and ESL (English as Second Language) credit equivalences are included in the calculation of both attempted and earned hours and in determining if the SAP GPA requirements are met.
• Transfer and consortium credits accepted by the University of Minnesota Crookston, will be included when calculating cumulative completed credits percentage and maximum attempted credits, but not GPA. This includes credits earned from non-U of M study abroad programs.
• All credits attempted and earned at another University of Minnesota campus will be included when calculating the maximum time frame, GPA, and credit completion ratio.
• Credits earned while a Post-Secondary Education Options (PSEO) student at the University of Minnesota will be included in GPA, credit completion and the maximum timeframe calculation. Credits earned while a Post-Secondary Education Options (PSEO) student at another institution will be considered transfer credits and will be treated like other transfer credits.

Warnings, Suspensions, and Financial Aid Eligibility

Financial Aid Warning

Students who fail to meet one or more of the SAP standards for the first time are placed on financial aid warning during their next term of enrollment. Students are still eligible for financial aid while on financial aid warning.

To be removed from financial aid warning, students must meet all of the SAP standards by the end of the warning term. Students who are not meeting all of the SAP standards at the end of the warning term will be placed on financial aid suspension. Students are not eligible to receive financial aid while on financial aid suspension.

Financial Aid Timeframe Warning 

Students are placed on financial aid timeframe warning once their academic record shows that they have attempted more than 125% of the published degree credit requirement. Students should plan their coursework to complete their degree within the maximum timeframe. Students are eligible for financial aid while on financial aid timeframe warning. If a student has attempted 150% of their degree requirement without completing their program(s), the student will be placed on financial aid suspension and will not be eligible for financial aid.

• If a student is enrolled in a dual degree program, is a student seeking a 2nd degree, or has changed majors, they may request an extension of the maximum timeframe provision of this policy by completing a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal form which is listed under the Financial Aid section of the Crookston Onestop website. Such requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and must have an academic course plan signed by the appropriate academic advisor listing the classes required to complete their degree.

Financial Aid Suspension

Students are placed on financial aid suspension if they are:

• dismissed from the University, and/or
• not meeting the minimum SAP standards (GPA, credit completion ratio and/or timeframe) by the end of their warning term.

While on financial aid suspension students are not eligible for most financial aid programs (the exceptions include some alternative loan programs and outside assistance not subject to SAP). Students may continue their education at the University but will be responsible for all education expenses incurred; they may pursue funding through outside loan programs that do not require meeting SAP standards.

Academic Suspension

Students who are suspended from the University are no longer eligible for any financial aid. If a student is readmitted by the Registrar’s Office, they must complete the 

Reinstatement of Financial Aid after Termination Due to SAP Standards Not Being Met

If a student does not submit an appeal or the appeal was denied, the student remains ineligible for financial aid as long as they remain below the minimum requirements for meeting SAP standards.  The student will continue to be evaluated at the end of each term for which they are enrolled.  Students will become eligible to receive financial aid funds based upon meeting SAP standards once both qualitative and quantitative SAP standards are met.  If a student has had a recent grade change or have questions regarding SAP standards contact the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships.  Students are responsible for informing the Financial Aid Office of any grade changes, once it is posted to their academic record.  

Appeals

Student who are placed on financial aid suspension have the right to submit an appeal (see the Appealing a Financial Aid Decision procedures provided below.)