Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
You must meet minimum academic standards ― or show what the Financial Aid office calls Satisfactory Academic Progress ― to qualify for and keep federal and state aid. (Your scholarships have their own terms and conditions, which also may include academic requirements.)
Your academic progress will be reviewed annually after grades are posted at the end of the spring semester. For programs that are one year or less, your academic progress will be reviewed at the end of each payment period. You must meet all three of these requirements:
- Stay on pace to graduate.
- Maintain a minimum required grade point average.
- Finish your degree in a required timeframe.
These requirements are explained in greater detail below.
The amended Higher Education Act of 1976 requires UToledo to develop and apply a consistent and reasonable standard of academic progress for all students who receive federal financial aid (Title IV).
This standard must contain all elements specified in the regulations and must be at least as strict as the policy used for all students who do not receive Title IV aid. This standard is applied to all students enrolled at UToledo. All periods of enrollment count toward SAP, including terms when a student does not receive Title IV aid.
The academic year at UToledo includes 15-week fall and spring semesters, and summer sessions. To be eligible to receive Title IV aid, you must:
- Meet criteria for academic programs in both credit hours and weeks of instruction
- Comply with all standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress
The following Title IV and state aid programs require SAP:
- Federal Pell Grant
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
- Federal Work-Study
- Federal TEACH Grant
- Federal Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford Loans
- Federal Parent and Grad PLUS Loan
- Federal Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant
- Ohio College Opportunity Grant
How Satisfactory Academic Progress is measured
All three of these academic measurements must be met to qualify for financial aid:
1. Staying on pace to graduate
You are expected to successfully complete a minimum of 67% of the credit hours you attempt in order to maintain eligibility. The total number of hours attempted will be determined as of the 15th day of class each semester.
2. Cumulative grade point average (GPA)
You must maintain a cumulative grade point average equal to, or higher than, the standards established by the University. These requirements are:
- Undergraduate and Law students — minimum GPA of 2.0
- Graduate students — minimum GPA of 3.0
3. Completing a degree in a maximum time frame
- Undergraduate and medical students must finish their degree in a period no longer than 150% of the published length of the program.
- Graduate/professional students must finish in no longer than 250%.
The maximum allowable time frames (number of attempted credit hours) for undergraduates seeking:
- Bachelor's degree — 186 hours
- Associate’s degree/Undecided — 99 hours
- Certificate — 45 hours
The maximum allowable time frames (number of attempted credit hours) for graduate students seeking:
- Master’s degree — 118 hours
- Doctorate — 210 hours
- Educational Specialist degree — 75 hours
- Certificate — 50 hours
- Law degree — 223 hours
- Medical degree — 353 hours
All level-appropriate hours are reviewed. If you change majors or seek a second degree, all hours at that level (undergraduate, graduate, Law or Med) are included in the review.
If you reach your maximum time frame and haven’t finished your degree, you must submit a Plan of Study (POS) and Plan of Study Certification to ensure you are progressing toward completion.
Transfer credits are included in the calculation of Pace (attempted and earned hours) and Maximum Time Frame. Transfer credits are not included in cumulative GPA.
Federal law does not recognize academic forgiveness.
Failing to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress or Reaching Maximum Time Frame
Your financial aid is suspended if you fail to meet even one of the SAP requirements. You will be notified of the suspension through your Rocket email account.
You are not eligible for financial aid again unless you:
- Submit an appeal and if approved, complete a Plan of Action certification or
- Submit a Plan of Study if you reached your maximum timeframe
Filing an Appeal
Appealable circumstances may include such situations as death of a relative, an injury or illness, or other special circumstance. We include directions for an appeal in the email we send you about your suspension.
In your appeal, you must:
- Explain why you didn’t meet the requirements
- Include documentation, if applicable, supporting your statement
- Indicate how the situation has changed to allow you to meet the requirements
In general, no more than three appeals are considered per student. Exceptions will be considered and reviewed by the SAP committee if you have documented extenuating circumstances.
If your appeal is denied, your federal financial aid eligibility will be terminated until you come back into compliance. You must use other resources to pay your bill for the terms you aren't in compliance. You may submit another appeal when you complete all attempted hours and earn the miniumum cumulative GPA to reinstate federal aid (2.0 for undergraduate and law; 3.0 for graduate).
Deadline
You must submit an appeal by the end of the withdrawal period (approximately 60 days into the semester) to be considered for that semester. (Find withdrawal dates here.) Exceptions will be considered and reviewed by the SAP committee for students with extenuating circumstances.
Appeals are reviewed within 3-5 business days of receipt. If approved, you will be notified by email that you have been placed on financial aid probation.
Financial Aid Probation
While on probation, you can receive financial aid for the next semester after completing a Plan of Action Certification form or a Plan of Study Certification form. These requirements will be listed in your myUT account and can be found here:
Go to myUT → Student tab → My Financial Aid → My Financial Aid Dashboard → Click Award Year and select appropriate enrollment period → See Unsatisfied Requirements listed beneath Student Requirements
Plan of Action
The plan of action certification form states that you understand and will meet the academic progress policy requirements. You must complete this form if you failed to meet GPA or pace requirements.
You must submit the certification form by the end of the withdrawal period (approximately 60 days into the semester) to be considered for that semester. (Find withdrawal dates here.) Exceptions will be considered and reviewed by the SAP committee for students with extenuating circumstances.
After completing the Plan of Action Certification form, you will be eligible for aid.
If you meet the terms of the plan, you don’t need to submit a new certification each semester. Your status will return to good standing when you bring your GPA and/or pace into compliance with the policy.
Failure to meet the terms of your Plan of Action will result in the suspension of future financial aid eligibility. You will then have to submit another appeal or seek other forms of funding.
Plan of Study
The plan of study certification form is required when you are on probation for exceeding maximum timeframe. Your academic advisor completes the plan. You then submit it to the Office of Student Financial Aid. The form states that you understand and will continue to meet the SAP requirements.
You must submit a plan of study by the end of the withdrawal period (approximately 60 days into the semester) to be considered for that semester. (Find withdrawal dates here.) Exceptions will be considered and reviewed by the SAP committee for students with extenuating circumstances.
The plan of study is reviewed and approved each semester that you’re enrolled in the courses and the semesters listed on the plan.
Other SAP Guidelines
- A credit course is completed when a student earns a grade of A, B, C, D, F, PS, NC, or S. However, for the purposes of this policy, grades of AU, F, NC, IN, U, NR, PRU, PRS and W do not indicate a successfully completed credit course.
- A course with an IN grade will change to an F grade if the course is not completed by the end of the following term. The IN grade will not affect GPA unless it turns into an F. An IN grade will count in attempted and earned hours, so will affect Pace and rate of completion.
- If a course is completed and the IN grade is updated, the student must notify the OSFA for a recalculation of SAP.
- Repeated Courses-Grades for all attempts at a course will appear on the student’s transcript and will count toward their GPA and Pace.
- Withdrawn courses do not affect a student’s GPA, but do count in attempted and earned hours so will affect Pace and Maximum timeframe.
- If a student drops, withdraws or fails all their registered courses in a term that they received Title IV aid, a Return of Title IV aid calculation will be made. This includes IN grades that become F grades after the term is over. A federally mandated formula is used to determine how much federal funding was earned up to the time of withdrawal. Review our Return to Title IV policy.
- The University of Toledo does not offer remedial courses.
- Students must successfully complete a minimum of 67% of courses attempted
- The SAP test required for the awarding of Title IV aid may differ from the University's definition of academic good standing. See policy 3364-71-01 Academic standing for additional information.