SUMMARY

• Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) measures a student's cumulative GPA to ensure progress towards completing a degree program.
• Student Resources and Financial Aid monitors SAP following every major term (Fall, Spring, and Summer). Failure to meet SAP standards may result in the loss of financial aid for future semesters.
• Students on SAP termination are ineligible for institutional aid, and private loans require approval from the Director of Financial Aid.
• Students failing to make SAP due to GPA are placed on Financial Aid Warning initially. If their cumulative GPA remains below 2.0 for two or more consecutive terms, they are placed on Financial Aid Termination.
• Students may appeal Financial Aid Termination with supporting documentation, and the appeals committee may create an SAP Academic Plan for regaining eligibility.

OVERVIEW

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) measures a student’s academic progress towards graduation by looking at their cumulative grade point average (GPA). The intent of this policy is to ensure that students who are receiving financial aid are making measurable progress toward completing a degree program within a reasonable time frame.

Student Resources & Financial Aid monitors SAP of all students by reviewing their academic record after grades are posted at the end of each fall, spring, and summer term. Failure to meet SAP standards may result in the loss of financial aid for future semesters.

Students who are on SAP termination are unable to receive institutional financial aid. Additionally, they cannot take out private loans without approval from the Director of Financial Aid.

GUIDELINES

The academic year at SEBTS for financial aid begins in the fall and concludes with the summer term. SAP will be measured at the end of fall, spring, and summer terms.

The first semester a student fails to make SAP, they are placed on Financial Aid Warning (see below).

Remedial courses count in the GPA calculation. When calculating GPA, withdrawals (W, WF, WP), incomplete (I), Transfer (CR), Audit (AU), and passing grades from Pass/Fail courses (P) are not included in the GPA calculation.

Students being re-admitted will have SAP reviewed based on their prior academic records at SEBTS.

Students who have been academically suspended from SEBTS and are readmitted to the school are not automatically eligible for financial aid. If the student is not making SAP, an approved appeal is required to receive aid.

Students who fail to make SAP, are placed on Financial Aid Warning or Financial Aid Termination and want to request a loan will need to schedule a meeting with the Director of Financial Aid or the Associate Director of Financial Aid as part of the pre-loan application process. 

MEASUREMENTS OF SAP

Any student ending a term with a 0.0 GPA is automatically considered to be not making satisfactory academic progress unless they have less than 12 credit hours. Students with less than 12 credit hours completed are always considered to be making SAP for institutional purposes. Students with less than 12 credit hours have their SAP measured normally for any state or federal financial aid.

Cumulative Grade Point Average

According to Southeastern’s academic policies, a student must earn or maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA or higher, otherwise they will be placed on academic probation. The only exception to this rule is for institutional aid for students who have not yet completed 12 credit hours, as described above. Students on academic probation are not necessarily on Financial Aid probation.

SAP STATUS

FINANCIAL AID WARNING

A student who fails to meet the cumulative GPA falls below a 2.0000 at the end of a term or semester will be placed on Financial Aid Warning, not to exceed one term or semester. During this one term or semester, the student may receive financial aid despite not making SAP. However, at the end of the Financial Aid Warning period, the student must make SAP or will be suspended from further financial aid until SAP standards are met.

FINANCIAL AID TERMINATION 

A student is placed on Financial Aid Termination if he or she maintains a cumulative GPA below 2.0000 for two or more consecutive terms of enrollment; an SAP review indicates he or she does not meet one or more of the requirements. 

Students placed on Financial Aid Termination may appeal his or her ineligibility in writing to SRFA.

FINANCIAL AID PROBATION 

The status assigned to a student who fails to make SAP, has appealed, and had the appeal approved. This student may receive financial aid for one enrollment period or meet the terms of the approved appeal at the end of the following enrollment period in order to continue to receive financial aid.

Academic performance of students on Financial Aid Probation is monitored at the end of each term until the student is no longer violating SAP standards. Students who violate their probation status will be placed back in Financial Aid Termination.  See above.

SAP NOTIFICATION

SAP notices for students in Warning and Termination status will be sent via email after grades are posted. Students who submit SAP appeals will also be notified of the Appeal Committee’s decision via email.

APPEAL PROCESS

A student’s academic performance may be influenced by unusual or mitigating circumstances (i.e., illness, accident, death in the family, or hospitalization; or other family emergencies). In these cases, the student may appeal his/her Financial Aid Termination using SRFA’s Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form. SRFA will review for completeness and then forward to the Appeals Committee. The appeal must include why the student failed to make SAP and what has changed in the student’s situation to make it possible for him/her to meet the guidelines in the future. Along with the appeal form, documentation must be provided. The following may be considered acceptable documentation to support the appeal:

• Statement from physician, counselor, etc. concerning the condition, dates of occurrence, and resolution
• Copy of death certificate, obituary, or statement from physician
• Copy of police reports or court records
• Documentation that supports circumstance and resolution

Appeals that are incomplete or lack supporting documentation will not be sent to the Appeals Committee.

The appeals committee always has the discretion to prepare an SAP Academic Plan, which the student must agree to and meet to regain eligibility. In instances where a student would be unable to regain SAP in the course of a single semester, such as Maximum Time Frame Appeals, an SAP Academic Plan will be required. SAP Academic Plans will be created by the SAP Appeals Committee, discussed with the student, and then signed by the student and a Student Success employee. This plan must specify the coursework necessary to regain SAP.

REGAINING ELIGIBILITY

Students not making SAP may re-establish eligibility on their own by taking action that brings them into compliance with standards.

AVAILABILITY OF SAP POLICY

This policy is available to students on the SEBTS website and in the Financial Aid Office. Awareness of this policy is also made as needed, and a link to the policy will be included in all award notification e-mails. It will be updated as necessary or whenever changes in regulations occur.