Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

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 (including all credit hours transferred to Iowa State University from another school), whether or not financial aid was received for prior terms of enrollment.

*Not all financial aid programs require students to meet the SAP standards outlined in this policy. For example, many scholarships have other eligibility requirements, and the student must contact the scholarship program to determine the specific eligibility requirements.

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

Undergraduate Students | Graduate Students

Undergraduate Students

The Registrar’s records are reviewed at the completion of every semester of enrollment to determine compliance with the SAP policy. There are three components to the SAP policy:

Minimum GPA
Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of a 2.0 or higher to remain eligible for financial aid. Academic records are reviewed at the completion of every term of enrollment (Fall, Spring, Summer) to determine SAP.

Minimum Pace-of-Progression
Students must complete coursework at a cumulative rate of 67%. Completed coursework is defined as any course for which the student receives a passing grade. Academic records are reviewed at the completion of every term of enrollment (Fall, Spring, Summer) to determine SAP.

Use the formula below to determine the pace of progression. The minimum pace requirement is 67%.

Completed Semester Hours (all passing grades)
All credit hours with a passing grade on a student's academic record according to the Office of the Registrar (A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, P, S, T), and all transfer, remedial, English as Second Language, IEOP, and early credit hours taken in high school.

divided by

Attempted Semester Hours
All completed credit hours listed above, and all credit hours with a non-passing grade (F, NP, X, I) on a student's academic record according to the Office of the Registrar

Pace of Progression Examples

(Completed hours and hours with non-passing grades or incompletes)

Example 1
First-year Freshman	Fall Semester	Spring Semester	Cumulative Total
Hours Completed	6	10	16
Hours Attempted	12	12	24
Pace of Progression	50%	83%	67%
Financial Aid Status after Semester	Warning	Met SAP	Eligible for Aid

Example 2
First-year Freshman	Fall Semester	Spring Semester	Cumulative Total
Hours Completed	6	8	14
Hours Attempted	12	12	24
Pace of Progression	50%	67%*	58%
Financial Aid Status after Semester	Warning	Suspension	Not Eligible (needed 67%)

*Student met 67% requirement for the semester, but did not meet the cumulative 67% pace required for financial aid.

Example 3
Continuing Student†	Fall Semester	Cumulative Total
Hours Completed	3	50
Hours Attempted	12	72
Pace of Progression	25%‡	69%
Financial Aid Status after Semester	Met SAP	Eligible for Aid

	Spring Semester	Cumulative Total
Hours Completed	6	56
Hours Attempted	12	84
Pace of Progression	50%‡	67%
Financial Aid Status after Semester	Met SAP	Eligible for Aid

	Summer Semester	Cumulative Total
Hours Completed	3	59
Hours Attempted	6	90
Pace of Progression	50%	65%
Financial Aid Status after Semester	Warning	Remains Eligible (needs 67%)

	Fall Semester	Cumulative Total
Hours Completed	8	67
Hours Attempted	12	102
Pace of Progression	67%	66%
Financial Aid Status after Semester	Suspension	Not Eligible (needed 67%)

†Student already completed 47 credit hours and attempted 60 credit hours going into Fall semester: 78% pace of progression.

‡Student did not meet 67% for the semester, but maintained the cumulative 67% pace required for financial aid.

Maximum Time Frame
Federal regulations limit financial aid eligibility to 150% of the published length of the education program, as measured in attempted credit hours. Transfer credit hours are counted in the calculation of duration of eligibility. When the student has attempted 125% of their education program a letter is mailed to the student and a message is posted to the student’s AccessPlus account as notification that they are approaching the maximum time frame.

Transfer, Remedial, English as Second Language, IEOP, and Early credit hours (taken in high school): All of these credit hours accepted by Iowa State University are counted as both attempted and completed hours in determining Minimum Pace-of-Progression and Maximum Time Frame requirements.

Repeating a course: The credit hours from a repeated course are counted as attempted hours every time the course is repeated. Once the course is passed, then the credit hours are counted as both attempted and completed credit hours.

Incompletes: Counted the same as non-passing grades.

Academic Renewals: All academic renewal credit hours are counted in the Minimum Pace-of-Progression and Maximum Time Frame requirements.

Receive a non-passing grade in ALL semester credit hours: Placed on Financial Aid Warning for the following semester. Also see policy on Unofficial Withdrawal from Classes/Last Date of Attendance.

Withdrawal from all semester courses: Placed on Financial Aid Warning for the following semester. Also see policy on Withdrawal from Classes.

Students seeking an additional undergraduate degree: Financial Aid eligibility for students seeking an additional undergraduate degree is limited to Federal Direct Stafford student loan eligibility for up to 90 credit hours attempted for the additional degree, or 270 total undergraduate credit hours attempted at all institutions, whichever limit is met first.

Financial Aid Warning

Students are placed on Financial Aid Warning for one semester if they do not meet the Minimum GPA and/or Minimum credit hours. A letter is mailed to the student and a message is posted to the student’s AccessPlus account as notification of being placed on Financial Aid Warning.

Financial Aid Suspension

Students are placed on Financial Aid Suspension for one of the following reasons:

Do not meet the SAP requirements after one semester on Financial Aid Warning.
Do not meet the requirements of their Academic Plan.
Meet or exceed the Maximum Time Frame requirement to obtain a degree.
Withdrawal from ALL semester credit hours or receive a non-passing grade or incomplete in ALL semester credit hours while on financial aid warning.
Withdrawal from ALL semester credit hours or receive a non-passing grade or incomplete in ALL semester credit hours in back-to-back semesters.

Students are not eligible for financial aid while on Financial Aid Suspension. A letter is mailed to the student and a message is posted to the student’s AccessPlus account as notification of being placed on Financial Aid Suspension.

To regain financial aid eligibility students may: 1) Meet minimum SAP requirements while not receiving financial aid, or 2) Submit an Academic Intervention Self-Assessment (AISA) in AccessPlus. (refer to Appealing Financial Aid Suspension)

Academic Plan

The Academic Plan is reviewed after one semester of Probation to determine continuation of financial aid eligibility. The maximum length of an Academic Plan cannot exceed one calendar year (e.g., Fall/Spring/Summer, Spring/Summer/Fall, Summer/Fall/Spring) to meet the Minimum Cumulative GPA and/or the Minimum Pace-of-Progression requirements.

After the first semester on the Academic Plan, if the semester GPA is below a 2.0 and/or the 67% Pace-of-Progression requirement is not met, then the student is placed back on Suspension and is not eligible for financial aid.

After the first semester on the Academic Plan, if the semester GPA is a 2.0 or greater and/or the 67% Pace-of-Progression requirement is met, then the student remains eligible for financial aid for a second semester.

Appealing Financial Aid Suspension

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

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

Students not meeting the minimum GPA or Pace of Progression standards must complete an an Academic Intervention Self-Assessment in AccessPlus to appeal for the reinstatment of financial aid.

Students who have reached 150% of the published length of their education program must also complete an AISA in AccessPlus to appeal for the reinstatement of financial aid.

Basis for SAP Appeal: The death of a relative, an injury or illness of the student, or other special circumstances. Attach documentation to support the basis of appeal.

SAP Appeal Process: Completed Academic Intervention Self-Assessment's (AISA's) in AccessPlus will be reviewed within three to five business days. Students will be notified by ISU e-mail as to whether their appeal is approved or denied.
Please note: Per Federal financial aid regulations, appeals are not automatically accepted and may be denied based on failure to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress standards set forth at Iowa State University.

Graduate Students (Maximum Time Frame)

The Registrar’s records are reviewed at the completion of every semester of enrollment to determine compliance with the SAP policy.

Graduate students must review the Graduate College Handbook regarding minimum grade point average requirements. Federal financial aid eligibility for graduate students ends when the total semesters enrolled equal the limits outlined below (Graduate College Handbook, Chapter 4):


Degree	Semesters Enrolled
Master's	10
Ph.D. (began Ph.D. at ISU with Master's earned)	10
Ph.D. (began Ph.D. at ISU without Master's earned)	14

Approaching the Maximum Time Frame

Graduate students approaching the maximum time frame of their degree will be notified by the Office of Student Financial Aid and will remain eligible for financial aid until the limit outlined above is met.

Financial Aid Suspension

Graduate students are placed on Financial Aid Suspension for one of the following reasons:

Meet or exceed the Maximum Time Frame requirement to obtain a degree.
Withdrawal from ALL semester credit hours or receive a non-passing grade or incomplete in ALL semester credit hours in back-to-back semesters.

Students are not eligible for financial aid while on Financial Aid Suspension. A message is posted to the student’s AccessPlus account as notification of being placed on Financial Aid Suspension. See Appealing Financial Aid Suspension.

Appealing Financial Aid Suspension

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

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

Basis for SAP Appeal: The death of a relative, an injury or illness of the student, or other special circumstances. Attach documentation to support the basis of appeal.

SAP Appeal Process: Completed SAP appeals will be reviewed within three to five business days. Students will be notified by ISU e-mail if the appeal is accepted or denied.
Please note: Per Federal financial aid regulations, appeals are not automatically approved and may be denied based on failure to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements set forth at Iowa State University.