Financial Aid SAP

Florida Memorial University is required by federal regulations to institute standards of satisfactory progress for students receiving Title IV assistance. These standards must be equal or stricter than the standards required of students who are not receiving financial assistance and contain both qualitative (grade-based-CGPA) and quantitative (time-related/PACE) standards.

In order to comply with federal regulations governing SAP, FMU has established, published, and will apply the standards outlined in this document to ensure students are satisfactorily progressing toward their college degree. Florida Memorial University monitors academic progress at the end of each semester. SAP must be maintained in order to remain eligible to continue receiving federal, state and institutional financial aid. SAP progress is determined by measuring the student’s cumulative grade point average (CGPA) and the student’s rate of progress (SAP Pace) toward completion of the degree program. These are outlined below:

CGPA Requirements (Qualitative Component)

All students are expected to meet minimum CGPA requirements in order to be considered making satisfactory academic progress. Undergraduate students must maintain the following minimum CGPA as determined by the cumulative hours attempted throughout their enrollment (including transfer hours):

Classification	Credit Hours Earned	Minimum Required Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA)	Minimum Credit Hours Completed/Earned (PACE)
First Year	0 – 29	2.0	Must complete at least 67% of all credit hours attempted #Hours earned/#Hours attempted
Second Year	30 – 59	2.0	Must complete at least 67% of all credit hours attempted #Hours earned/#Hours attempted
Third Year	60 – 89	2.0	Must complete at least 67% of all credit hours attempted #Hours earned/#Hours attempted
Fourth Year and beyond	90+	2.0	Must complete at least 67% of all credit hours attempted #Hours earned/#Hours attempted

Rate of Progress towards Completion Requirements (Quantitative Component – SAP Pace)

In addition to the CGPA requirements, a full-time student must also successfully complete at least 67% of the overall hours attempted cumulatively (including transfer hours), in order to be considered to be making satisfactory academic progress. PACE calculations are not rounded up. Part time students must successfully complete at least 50% of the overall hours attempted cumulatively (including transfer hours), in order to be considered to be making satisfactory academic progress. SAP pace will be computed by dividing the cumulative number of hours the student has successfully earned by the cumulative number of hours the student has attempted. The cumulative hours attempted are defined as those hours for which students are enrolled in the term and have incurred a financial obligation. As with the determination of CGPA, SAP pace will be reviewed at the end each term after grades have been posted to determine if the student is progressing satisfactorily.

GRADUATE STUDENTS

Graduate students are required to maintain a cumulative grade point average of a 3.0 and successfully complete at least 70% of the semester hours attempted. Failure to meet these requirements will result in immediate suspension of the student’s eligibility for the continued receipt of financial assistance.

MAXIMUM FRAME

The maximum time frame (MTF) for a student to complete his/her degree program is 150% of the published number of hours that are required to complete the program requirements. See chart below for an example:

Student Status	Average Program Hours	Percentage	Maximum Timeframe
Bachelor’s Degree	120	150%	180
Graduate Program	36	150%	45

A student that has reached the MTF, is no longer eligible for financial aid assistance.

Note: Some degree programs may require more than 120 hours for graduation. For those academic areas, the maximum timeframe to complete the degree will be the specific to program requirements x 150%.

Grading System
Grade reports are issued to students at the completion of each course. Grades are based on the quality of work as shown by learning deliverables as indicated on the course syllabus. Earned quality points are calculated for each course by multiplying the grade point value for the grade received for the course by the credit hour value of the course. For example, a 4-credit hour course with a grade of B would earn 12 quality points {credit hour value of course (4) multiplied by quality point value of B (3)}. The cumulative grade point average (CPGA) is calculated by dividing the total earned grade points by the total attempted hours.

Letter Code	Description	Included in Earned Hours	Included in Attempted Hours	Included in CGPA	Quality
A	A	Yes	Yes	Yes	4.00
 A-	 A-	Yes	Yes	Yes	3.70
 B+	 B+	Yes	Yes	Yes	3.30
B	B	Yes	Yes	Yes	3.00
 B-	 B-	Yes	Yes	Yes	2.70
 C+	 C+	Yes	Yes	Yes	2.30
C	C	Yes	Yes	Yes	2.00
 C-	 C-	Yes	Yes	Yes	1.70
 D+	 D+	Yes	Yes	Yes	1.30
D	D	Yes	Yes	Yes	1.00
F	F	No	Yes	Yes	0.00
FN	Failure due to non-attendance	NO	Yes	No	0.00
W/WP/WF	Official Withdrawal from the University/Withdraw Passing / Withdraw Failing	No	Yes	No	n/a
I	Incomplete	No	Yes	No	n/a
P	Pass	Yes	Yes	No	0.00
U	Unsatisfactory	No	Yes	No	0.00
AU	Audit	No	No	No	n/a
P	Pass	Yes	Yes	No	0.00
NC/NR	No Credit Not Reported	No	No	No	n/a

REMEDIAL, INCOMPLETES, TRANSFER CREDITS AND WITHDRAWALS

Transfer students must meet the same satisfactory academic progress requirements and maximum enrollment limits as other students. Only transfer hours needed to complete the declared degree will be accepted. Remedial and non-credit courses, incompletes courses, and courses from which a student have withdrawn after drop and add periods are also included as semester hours attempted. Failing grades (F) are included in the GPA calculation. Withdrawals (W) are not used in the GPA calculations. Incomplete grades (I) are not factored in to the GPA until a letter grade is recorded. Grade changes will be recognized when they occur. Retroactive reinstatement of aid will not be considered unless the grade change is officially posted by the last day of classes and funds are still available.

REPEATED COURSES AND ACADEMIC FORGIVENESS IN MAINTAINING SAP

By definition, satisfactory academic progress is the successful continued movement toward the completion of an educational program. Repeated courses for which a passing grade has already been earned will not be considered in the determination of satisfactory progress as those hours have already been applied.

SAP APPEAL PROCEDURES

Students who fail to meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards may appeal the suspension of their student financial assistance funds. Letters of appeal should be based on some type of mitigating circumstances that impacted negatively upon the student’s ability to meet the required standards.

STEPS TO THE APPEAL PROCESS

1. Students must obtain a copy of the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal Form from the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships (OFAS).
2. In addition to the appeal form, students must submit a typed letter of appeal and attach all necessary documents (grade change, current grade report, doctor’s statement, death certificate, accident report, etc.) to the SAP appeal form obtained from the Office of Financial Aid. Student’s must provide supporting documentation of mitigating circumstances. Applications submitted without the appropriate supporting documentation will not be considered.
3. Submit to appeals to the OFAS.
4. The student’s letter of appeal will be reviewed by the SAP Appeals Committee (SAC).
5. Students will be contacted and notified of the decision made by the SAC whether they are approved or denied.
6. If the students appeal is approved, the student must work with the assigned academic advisor to develop and submit an approved Academic Plan to the OFAS.
7. Once the Academic Plan has been submitted to the OFAS, the student will be reviewed for eligibility and an award letter issued electronically.