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Satisfactory Academic Progress

Federal regulations require the Office of Student Financial Aid to monitor the academic progress of students. (Note: SAP is strictly a financial aid policy. Your academic advisor and/or college are monitoring your academic progress under the University's Academic Probation Policy.)

SAP standards apply to undergraduate and graduate students who wish to establish or maintain financial aid eligibility. These standards apply to a student’s entire academic record at Iowa State University, whether or not financial aid was received for prior terms of enrollment.

College of Veterinary Medicine: Academic progress is monitored by the College of Veterinary Medicine.

All other graduate students: Refer to the duration of eligibility section of this SAP policy

Academic Requirements and Review Process

The Registrar’s records are reviewed at the end of each term to determine compliance with the SAP Standards for the prior year. There are three components to the standards:

1. Minimum cumulative grade-point average

Undergraduate students are required to maintain a 2.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA).

Graduate students must review the Graduate College Handbook regarding the minimum grade point average requirements.

Some scholarships may require a higher GPA than the minimum GPA required for SAP. Please check with the scholarship donor regarding the minimum GPA requirements for each scholarship received.

2. Minimum semester credit hour requirements

Undergraduate students are required to earn the following number of semester credit hours per year (fall, spring, and summer terms combined). This is not a requirement for graduate students.

Years Completed	Hours
First year	15
Second year	30
Third year	51
Fourth year	72
Fifth year	96
Sixth year	120

Students who enroll for only one term of the academic year are required to earn half the hours listed above.

Courses successfully completed (grade of D or better, S, or P) at Iowa State University (ISU), or at another institution that fulfill a degree requirement at ISU count toward the minimum semester credit hour requirements. Courses that are not successfully completed (grades of F, NP, X, or I) do not count toward the minimum semester hour requirements.

Some undergraduate aid programs may require a minimum semester enrollment of 12 credit hours.

3. Duration of eligibility

Students are considered for financial aid for a limited time. Withdrawal semesters are included in the duration of eligibility.

Students who are approaching the duration of eligibility limits are notified by the Office of Student Financial Aid and remain eligible for financial aid. Students who meet or exceed the duration of eligibility limits become ineligible for financial aid consideration.

Undergraduate students: Eligibility ends when the total semesters enrolled equals 12 or the total semester hours earned equals the limits outlined below. (Exception: Architecture and Landscape Architecture may receive aid for 15 semesters.) These limits are in accordance with the federal regulations which allow aid eligibility for 150% of the intended degree program.

College	Hours Earned	Semesters Enrolled
Agriculture	180-193	12
Business	186	12
Design	180-224	15
Engineering	180-194	12
Human Sciences	202	12
Liberal Arts	186	12

Graduate students: Eligibility ends when the total years of attendance and/or total semesters enrolled equal the limits outlined below (Graduate College Handbook, Chapter 4):

Degree	Years of Attendance	Semesters Enrolled
Master's	5	10
Ph.D. (began Ph.D. at ISU with Master's earned)	5	10
Ph.D. (began Ph.D. at ISU without Master's earned)	7	14

SAP Probation

Students who do not meet the minimum grade point average or semester hour requirements will be placed on SAP probation status for the upcoming academic year and will remain eligible for financial aid. Students must increase the GPA to good standing and/or earn sufficient hours to make up the deficit hours from the prior year in addition to the semester hours required for the academic year.

Students who approach the duration of eligibility limits will be placed on SAP probation status and will remain eligible for financial aid until the duration of eligibility limits are met or exceeded.

If a student is notified by the Office of Student Financial Aid that they are on SAP Probation or are approaching the duration of eligibility limits, then this is just a warning. No response to the financial aid office is required at that time.

Students who comply with the probation requirements remain eligible for financial aid. Students who do not meet the requirements during the probation status are placed on SAP suspension status and are ineligible for financial aid.

SAP Suspension

If a student is notified by the Office of Student Financial Aid that they are on SAP Suspension, the student will not be eligible for financial aid. See Regaining Eligibility and Appealing Suspension of Aid Eligibility below.

Regaining Eligibility

Students have three options to regain financial aid eligibility.

1. Earn the necessary GPA and/or semester hours to meet the minimum requirements while not receiving financial aid.
2. Submit an appeal documenting individual circumstances.
3. Choose not to register for classes at Iowa State University for at least one year and then return as a reenrollment student to the University. An appeal must still be submitted and approved to regain aid eligibility.

Appealing Suspension of Aid Eligibility

Students on SAP Suspension may submit an appeal to the Office of Student Financial Aid if extenuating circumstances prevented them from meeting the SAP standards.

The deadline to submit an appeal for consideration of reinstatement of aid eligibility for a semester is the midterm of that semester.

1. Undergraduate SAP Appeal Form (PDF): If approved, undergraduate students are sent an email with specific requirements to maintain aid eligibility (e.g., obtain semester GPA of 2.0 or higher, meet with the Academic Success Center, etc.).
2. Graduate Student SAP Appeal Form (Available Spring 2010): Complete this appeal and attach a Program of Study if not meeting the duration of eligibility limits for graduate students. If approved, students are sent an email with specific requirements and aid eligibility is extended.

If the appeal is not approved, students are sent an email. They may discuss their options to regain aid eligibility with the Office of Student Financial Aid (also see Regaining Eligibility).

Withdrawal from the University

Students who enroll for both semesters of an academic year but withdraw during one of the semesters must still fulfill the minimum semester hour requirements of the SAP policy.

Students who withdraw in two consecutive terms attended are placed on SAP suspension status and are ineligible for financial aid. Students who withdraw during the SAP probation year are placed on SAP suspension status and are ineligible for financial aid.

Unofficial Withdrawal from the University

Indicators of an unofficial withdrawal would include, but not be limited to, a grade point average of 0.00 at the end of an enrolled term, all F grades, or a combination of F and Incompletes at the end of an enrolled term.

Learn more about the Unofficial Withdrawal from Classes (PDF) policy.

Forms

For a complete list of forms associated with Satisfactory Academic Progress, visit the forms page.

Ames, IA 50011-2028, (515) 294-2223
Published by: Office of Student Financial Aid, financialaid@iastate.edu.
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