Satisfactory Academic Progress
Frequently Asked Questions

 

 

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)?

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is the evaluation of students' academic history in order to determine eligibility for Federal Student Aid (FSA) funds. Students must make satisfactory academic progress in an eligible curriculum as a degree seeking student. The student's entire academic history is reviewed for this process regardless if the student received aid for the course work or credit hours attempted, regardless if the work transfers into UNO or towards a change of major, or regardless to how long ago the courses were attempted at UNO or another school.

Why are you required to evaluate Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)?

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is to ensure students are able to complete their academic program in a timely manner while achieving a minimum academic standard. In an age of increasing accountability of the use of Federal Student Aid funds (and other Federal, State, and Institutional funds), institutions and students must demonstrate that financial aid funds are being used to assist students in completing their academic goals in the most efficient way.

What classes or credit hours count in the attempted hours limitation and completion ratio review? Do you count the classes I attempted even if I did not receive Federal Student Aid?

For the purposes of Federal Student Aid, all course work and credit hours are counted in attempted hours regardless if aid was received or how long ago you attempted the course or credit hours. This includes, but is not limited to, UWs, XFs, P, U, S, repeated courses, grade suspended courses, audit courses, remedial course work, CLEP, AP, military course work for degree purpose, graded and non-graded courses, courses that do not apply to change of major or did not transfer into UNO.

How does dropping classes or resigning affect my financial aid eligibility?

The Federal Dept. of Education requires Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) towards the student's degree in order to qualify for Federal Student Aid (grants, loans, and work-study). If a student withdraws, fails, repeats or grade suspends a course it will lower his/her completion ratio. Students must maintain a 70% completion ratio on all work attempted; transfer students must make continual progress towards their degree at UNO and as a result must maintain a 70% completion ratio on UNO work attempted, as well. If a student falls below the require ratio(s), he or she will lose his or her eligibility for Federal Student Aid. We are required to check SAP at the end of each semester, after all grades are posted. We cannot perform mid-semester SAP reviews because grades are still pending and can affect the completion ratio (i.e. grade suspensions, repeated course work, or Fs).

If I do not meet SAP, can I still take out student loans?

When a student does not meet SAP that student cannot receive any type of Federal Student Aid, including Federal grants, Federal Direct Loans, or Federal work-study. The student may, however, apply for Private Loans through a lender of his/her choice, which does not require SAP. Private Loans differ from Federal Direct Loans in that the lender will check the student's credit history and may require a co-signer.

How does Scholastic Amnesty affect my financial aid eligibility?

Scholastic Amnesty hours are reviewed for SAP eligibility and are not excluded from the GPA, Pace, or Maximum Timeframe calculations for the purposes of Federal Student Aid. Students admitted on Scholastic Amnesty do not qualify for a Financial Aid Warning Period, however they may submit a SAP Appeal if they are able to explain and document extenuating circumstances that affected their prior academic performance.

Are graduate students who are seeking a Master's Degree allowed to receive financial aid for research credits?

For financial aid purposes, students may receive aid only for courses or credit hours that apply directly towards the degree attempt. Only six credit hours of research can be applied toward the completion requirements for a Master's degree. If a student has to withdraw from the research hours due to extenuating circumstance, the student may submit a SAP appeal to explain and document the circumstances.

What happens if I don't receive my degree before reaching 180 hours?

If a student cannot successfully complete his/her degree requirements before reaching 180 attempted hours, the student will no longer qualify for Federal Student Aid. However, the student will be allowed to submit an appeal to have his/her eligibility considered for reinstatement.

Why do I have to submit a letter from my College indicating how many hours I have remaining to graduate?

If a student has not graduated from his or her degree attempt by their program requirements, the student will be notified to submit a letter or email from his/her College (academic advisor) indicating how many hours he/she has remaining before completing the degree requirements.

If I am a double or triple major, do you waive the 180 attempted hours limit?

No we do not. Students must officially graduate before reaching 180 attempted hours. Upon officially graduating from the first degree attempt, a student may then be considered for aid as a Post Baccalaureate Student. Federal regulations prohibit a student from receiving grant funds for more than one four-year degree.

What if I am scholastically dropped from the University, but I have been re-admitted to UNO. How do I get my financial aid back?

Students who are scholastically dropped from the University must submit a SAP appeal to the Financial Aid Office to have the aid eligibility considered for reinstatement. Although UNO may allow you to return to school it does not guarantee that your SAP Appeal will automatically be approved.

May I appeal a denial from the Committee?

The SAP committee's decision is final. However, if an appeal is denied due to lack of supporting documentation or because the appeal did not reflect the student's academic history, then the student may submit the appeal once again for the following semester (fall and spring).

How many appeals may a student submit during his/her academic history at UNO?

Students may submit two SAP appeals during their academic history at UNO.

Who may qualify for a SAP warning period?

Continually enrolled students who have not met either the SAP GPA(s) or Pace requirements (or both) may be able to qualify for a Financial Aid Warning Period.

 The warning period will be for one semester only, including the summer sessions, during the student's academic career at UNO. A student will not be eligible for a Financial Aid Warning Period if it is not feasible for the student to meet the SAP Requirements by the end of his/her next enrollment period, or if any of the following occurred during the student's last semester of enrollment at UNO...

       1.Student resigned or did not complete any of his/her courses.

        2.If the student received two or more X/Fs, and/or U/Ws,.

        3. Student was Scholastically Dropped.

 Post Baccalaureate, Graduate students and students who have received Scholastic Amnesty will not qualify for a warning period. Students who have reached the maximum allowable hours or will not be able to complete their degree before reaching the maximum allowable hours cannot qualify for a warning period.

 

How do I submit a SAP appeal? What kind of circumstances can be appealed?

Students may submit appeals for the fall and spring semesters. If the student will be graduating during the summer sessions, the student may submit an appeal with the Financial Aid Director's approval. A student's SAP Appeal must reflect the student's entire academic history. If the student has more than one semester for which he/she failed or dropped two or more courses or fell below a GPA of a 2.0, the student will have to address and document the semester.

Students may submit an appeal for an unexpected medical illness, death in the immediate family, military deployment, life altering event, or exceeding attempted hours limitation. Examples of life altering events are natural disasters, unexpected court proceedings, divorce, or other unforeseen circumstances that had a profound effect on your academic performance.
Once the SAP Appeal is reviewed and a decision is made the student will be contacted via an e-mail to the student's UNO email account.

What happens if I decide not to submit a Financial Aid Appeal?

If the student does not wish to submit a SAP Appeal, the student will not be considered for financial aid for the returning semester. However, the Office of Financial Aid will automatically review the student's eligibility at the end of each enrolled semester to determine re-qualification for aid reinstatement. If the student is able to meet all components of UNO's Federal SAP Policy, then financial aid will be reinstated to the student for SAP eligibility for the following semester of enrollment.

Who is on the SAP Appeals Committee? Can I speak to them in person?

The SAP Committee members are anonymous and are made up of academic professionals from the UNO Colleges and Administrative Offices on campus. Students do not address them in-person; the documentation submitted with the appeal is used to support the statements made by the student in his/her letter of explanation. The committee members do not discuss appeal information outside of the committee meeting and as with all financial aid documents, the student's SAP appeal is kept confidential and secure.

What is the approval rate for SAP Appeals?

SAP appeals are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Approvals are based upon the documentation the student submits with the appeal, the circumstances for which the appeal is being submitted, and the academic history of the student.

What is an Academic Plan (formally known as Conditional Appeal)?

Students who are granted an approved appeal for more than one semester are placed on an Academic Plan to ensure they will continue to meet progress towards graduation. As long as the student continues to meet the requirements (conditions) of his/her plan, then they will be able to receive their eligible Federal Student Aid until they meet UNO's Federal SAP Policy on their own academic merit or for the length of the approved appeal

How does a grade suspension or repeating classes affect my completion ratio?

A grade suspension will lower your completion ratio if you made a D or higher in the repeated course. For the purpose of Federal Student Aid, both classes will count in the attempted hours, but earned credit will only be awarded once towards the degree. For a typical 3-credit course that earned a D or higher, this would mean the student attempted the course twice (6-credit hours), but would earn only 3-credit hours.

How does an incomplete grade ("I") affect my financial aid eligibility?

In order for our office to complete the required Federal SAP eligibility review for the purpose of Federal Aid, an "I" grade will be considered as an "F." Students who continue to meet the minimum SAP requirements will continue to receive their eligible funds. Students who do not meet the minimum SAP requirements will be given an opportunity to submit a SAP Appeal through the allowed published deadline dates.

 If a student resolves the incomplete grade and the grade is posted on WEBSTAR, the student must submit a SAP Re-Calculation Review Form to our office to request a second review. The request must be received by all applicable financial aid processing deadline dates. A second SAP review request is manually processed and may take up to 7-10 business days to complete. The review request will be processed in the date order received by our office.

How long may I sit out of school before I can regain my Federal Student Aid eligibility?

The Federal Dept. of Education does not allow the Financial Aid Office to reinstate eligibility based on the fact a student has not attended for any length of time. If the student does not meet the SAP Policy, then only an approved appeal will allow the student to receive Federal Student Aid. If the appeal is approved for more than one semester, then the student will need to meet his/her Academic Plan requirements to continue to receive Federal Student Aid.

How does a University Appeal or grade change affect my SAP eligibility?

An approved University Appeal (UA) may affect a student's SAP eligibility, but it is usually for future semesters. If a student believes that his/her approved UA or posted grade change has made him/her eligible for aid during the semester, the student will need to submit a SAP Re-calculation Form to our office for a manual review.

If I do not meet the SAP requirements, how long do I lose my financial aid eligibility?

We cannot pre-determine a student's future SAP status because there are too many different variables that could affect the final results, such as failing/dropping courses, repeating courses, or grade suspension. We will automatically review SAP eligibility standings at the end of each payment period and student enrollment at UNO, and reinstate the SAP eligibility for those students who meet the SAP requirements for the following enrollment/payment period.