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Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy - Graduate /Professional Students

(Effective Fall 2011)

Federal regulations require that all students make satisfactory academic progress in a program of study to maintain eligibility for financial aid. The following measurements are monitored at the end of every semester: GPA, completion rate, and maximum timeframe.

GPA Requirement

Students must maintain a University GPA consistent with their academic program requirement. The University GPA is the official GPA on the student transcript. It is a cumulative GPA from all the campuses of the University of Colorado.

Type of Program	GPA
Law	2.00
Graduate	3.00
Doctorate	3.00

Completion Rate

All students must pass at least 67% of all attempted credit hours with a grade of Pass, or D- or better. Attempted credit hours will include all CU hours (all campuses and continuing education) and transfer hours accepted by any other college or university. Repeated and non-passing grades will also count as attempted credit hours even if the grade is no longer calculated in the GPA.

The following grades are not considered passing: F, I and W. IP (in progress) grades are considered satisfactory and will not affect the completion rate.

Maximum Timeframe

Students are given a certain amount of time or credit hours to complete their degree before they become ineligible to receive financial aid (including federal student loans). Students will receive notification when they get close to meeting their maximum timeframe.

Refer to the charts below to review the maximum timeframe allowed by degree type:

Degree Type	Maximum Credit Hours
Law	133

Degree Type	Maximum Semesters
Master's	10
Doctorate	18

Note: For dual degree programs, students will be allowed to complete both degrees based on the program with the highest maximum timeframe allowed. For example, if a student is enrolled in a Master's and PhD program, they will be given a total of 18 semesters to complete both degrees.

Non-Degree Students

Non-degree students enrolled through the Division of Continuing Education and Professional Studies must adhere to a separate set of academic standards:

Complete a minimum of 6 credit hours each term
Must have a minimum GPA of 2.00 (cumulative and semester)
Complete all courses attempted

Scholarships

Scholarship recipients are also expected to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress. In the event a student fails to meet the SAP requirements, Scholarship Services will contact either the private scholarship donor or the university department to notify them. It is then their decision to determine if the student is still eligible for the scholarship. If the scholarship is cancelled, the student may appeal directly to the donor or department.

Loss of Financial Aid Eligibility

SAP will be evaluated at the end of every semester, including summer. The first violation will result in the student receiving a warning. The second violation will result in loss of financial aid eligibility. All notifications will be sent to the student's official university email address.

Students will lose financial aid eligibility if they do not complete all of their undergraduate coursework before the maximum timeframe allotted. Students will receive a notification when they get close to their limit.

Students are only given one warning for their entire undergraduate career at CU-Boulder, even if they did not receive financial aid during the semester they did not meet the minimum academic requirements.

Appeal Process

If a student has extenuating circumstances that prevented them from making academic progress toward a degree, an appeal may be submitted to the Office of Financial Aid as soon as the student receives official notification or no later than 3 weeks before the end of the semester.

A complete appeal will include the following:

SAP appeal form
Personal statement explaining the circumstances that prevented academic progress toward a degree/certificate and a plan to ensure future academic success
Supporting documentation (Examples: letters from professors, medical documentation, etc.)
Degree Audit Form for students who have exceeded the maximum timeframe requirement

NOTE: To expedite your appeal, submit all documents together and be as detailed as possible in your personal statement.

Each appeal will be reviewed by a committee. If the appeal is approved, the student will be placed on probation and will be eligible to receive financial aid for a period of one term after a contract has been signed. The contract will provide conditions the student is required to meet for that term.

If the student is not meeting SAP at the end of their probationary semester, but they are meeting the terms of their contract, their contract can be rolled over to the next semester and the student will be aid eligible for that semester as well.
If the student is on probation and does not meet the SAP requirements or the terms of their contract, they will be suspended from receiving financial aid in future semesters.

If a decision is made to deny the appeal, the student may request a second review by the committee only if the student can provide new information and documentation that may have been omitted from the initial appeal.

A student can regain financial aid eligibility by meeting the SAP standards or the conditions set forth in their contract.

Not all scholarships are subject to the same process. Contact the scholarship donor for specific requirements.

Definitions

The following definitions apply to the terms used in this section:

Warning: A warning semester is given to every student the first time they violate one of the SAP requirements. Students are still eligible to receive financial aid while in warning status.
Probation: If a student has received their warning semester and is still in violation of the SAP requirements, the student will be suspended from receiving financial aid. The student may appeal this decision and if the appeal is approved, the student will be placed on a probation semester and will be eligible to receive financial aid for this semester.
Appeal: Personal statement and supporting documentation asking for financial aid to be reinstated based on an extenuating circumstance that prevented the student from meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress. Appeals that are approved will allow a student a probationary semester and require that the student sign a contract.
Academic Plan: If a student appeals their financial aid suspension and is approved they will be assigned an academic plan detailing the academic performance and necessary measures required to maintain financial aid eligibility until meeting SAP.
Completion Rate: All students must complete at least 67% of the credit hours they attempt. The rate is calculated by dividing the number of successfully completed credits by the number of attempted credits.

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