Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Forms
Please contact our office to inquire about submitting an appeal for Summer 2012
Federal regulations require that Indiana University Bloomington establishes a policy to monitor the academic progress of students who apply for and/or receive federal, state, and institutional aid. Students must be making satisfactory academic progress (SAP) towards their academic objective in order to maintain their eligibility for financial aid.
Satisfactory academic progress standards apply to all students enrolled at IU Bloomington. SAP is reviewed at least once a year and takes into consideration all previous terms (including those in which a student completely withdrew from classes), regardless of a student's receipt of financial aid for those enrollment periods.
A student that has been determined to not be making satisfactory academic progress will have their aid suspended; we will be unable to award federal, state, or certain forms of institutional aid, or to certify a Federal Parent/Graduate PLUS Loan.
Students in this situation may submit a SAP appeal (see SAP appeal tab below), and if the appeal is approved, students will be placed on a Financial Aid Contract for one semester with financial aid reinstated for that one semester. In order to be eligible for aid beyond that semester the student must successfully meet the terms and conditions of Financial Aid Contract each semester.
Students should check their “To-Do List” on OneStart (Self-Service) to see if they have been flagged for making unsatisfactory academic progress.
Satisfactory Academic Progress: Undergraduate Students
Undergraduate students must meet the following requirements in order to maintain satisfactory academic progress:
GPA: A cumulative program GPA of no less than 2.0.
Completion rate: Completion of no less than 75% of cumulative, attempted coursework. Classes in which a student has received grades of W, F, FX, I, R, or NC are not considered to have been successfully completed.
Credit hours for degree objective:
- Bachelor’s degree students must complete their degree in no more than 180 credit hours of enrollment.
- Associate degree students must complete their degree in no more than 80 credit hours of enrollment.
Second Bachelor's Degree: Students working on a second bachelor's degree must submit an appeal detailing their degree and employment plans along with a timeline for degree completion.
Notes:
- Transfer hours appearing on a student’s academic transcript are calculated as hours successfully attempted and completed.
- When appeals for satisfactory academic progress are reviewed, our office considers the effect of all course incompletes, withdrawals, repetitions, and noncredit remedial courses on the student's academic performance.
- Students working on a second bachelor's degree are eligible only for loans, Federal Work-Study, and CVO (Child of Certain Veterans and Public Safety Officers Supplemental Grant Program).
Satisfactory Academic Progress: Graduate Students
Graduate students must meet the following requirements in order to maintain satisfactory academic progress:
Completion rate: Completion of no less than 75% of cumulative, attempted coursework. Classes in which a student has received grades of W, F, FX, I, or NC are not considered to have been successfully completed.
Credit hours for degree objective:
- Master’s degree students must complete their degree in no more than 60 credit hours of enrollment.
- Doctoral degree students must complete their degree in no more than 125 credit hours of enrollment.
Notes:
- Graduate transfer hours appearing on a student’s academic transcript are calculated as hours successfully attempted and completed.
- When appeals for satisfactory academic progress are reviewed, our office considers the effect of all course incompletes, withdrawals, repetitions, and noncredit remedial courses on the student's academic performance.
Satisfactory Academic Progress: Nondegree Students
In general, if a student is not in a degree-seeking, IU Bloomington program, they are ineligible to receive financial aid. Two exceptions follow:
Teacher’s Certificate Students
Although teacher’s certificate students are not receiving a degree from IU Bloomington, federal regulations grant an exception allowing them to receive loans at the fifth-year undergraduate level.
- The School of Education will provide OSFA with a list of any such students. If a student is not currently listed as in a valid certificate program and believes they should be, they should contact the School of Education to have their records updated.
- Teacher’s certificate students must follow the same satisfactory academic progress requirements as undergraduate students.
Students Enrolled in Preparatory Coursework Required for Admission to an IU Bloomington Graduate Degree Program
Students who have received a bachelor’s degree and are taking preparatory coursework in order to gain admission to an IUB graduate program are permitted, if approved, to receive federal Stafford loans and/or a Parent PLUS loan (Dependent students only) for up to a twelve-month period.
Subsidized and Unsubsidized |
$5,500 |
|---|---|
Additional Unsubsidized for independent students and dependent undergrads whose parents can’t get PLUS |
$7,000 |
- Such students must list all the classes they will be taking over the next twelve months as prerequisites for admission to their IU Bloomington graduate program of choice.
- The IU Bloomington graduate program that the student wishes to enter must affirm that once the preparatory coursework is successfully completed, the student will, in fact, be admitted to the program.
- Preparatory coursework students must follow the same satisfactory academic progress requirements as undergraduate students.
Satisfactory Academic Progress: Appeal Process
Students not meeting SAP but wishing to appeal for aid must submit a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal. We have separate undergraduate and graduate appeals, which can be completed online or by receiving a paper copy from our office.
Specific instructions for each SAP category are provided on the appeal forms. The forms should be read carefully and completed thoroughly, including all signatures, explanations, and documentation required.
Completed appeals should be provided to our office no later than thirty days prior to the end of the enrollment period in which the student seeks aid restoration; incomplete or late submissions may jeopardize a student’s financial aid.
SAP appeals are reviewed within fourteen working days, although processing time may be longer during peak office periods. No deferments of IU charges will be granted during the review. Once a decision has been reached, the student will be e-mailed with the outcome of their appeal. Any supporting documents turned in with the appeal become the property of Indiana University and will not be returned.
Students whose SAP appeals are denied are free to re-appeal, given they can provide additional information/documentation not provided in their initial appeal. Students unable to gain SAP approval may be aid-eligible in future academic terms if they can subsequently meet the academic standards required for satisfactory academic progress.
