The Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid (Undergraduate students)

Federal regulations require the university to establish Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), involving both qualitative (cumulative grade point average) and quantitative (hours earned compared to hours attempted, and a maximum time limit) elements. This requirement applies to all applicants for any federal assistance, including: Federal Pell, FSEOG, ACG and SMART Grants; Federal Work-Study; Federal Perkins Loans; the William D. Ford Direct and Federal Family Education (FFELP) Loan Programs, which includes the Federal Stafford Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans for students and Federal PLUS Loans for parents of undergraduate students. The same standards may apply to all assistance from the State of North Carolina and all other aid that is determined by the Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid (OSFA). These standards do not apply to campus employment that is not based on "financial need." If students have obtained a scholarship, grant, or loan from any other source, they are encouraged to contact that source regarding their academic progress requirements. It is the student's responsibility to stay informed of the university's SAP standards and to monitor their own progress.

To be eligible for financial aid at UNCW, whether or not aid was received in the past, students must be in compliance with all three of the following areas: cumulative GPA, hours earned and maximum time limit.

I. Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) (Undergraduate)
Students must maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average established by UNCW for satisfactory progress toward graduation requirements. This is specified on the University Retention Chart in the Undergraduate Catalog. These standards are consistent with academic standards required for graduation.

II. Hours Earned (Compared to Hours Attempted) (Undergraduate)
We recommend students attempt to earn at least 31 hours per academic year in order to graduate in four years. To remain eligible for financial aid, students must earn at least 75% of total cumulative hours attempted.

• For financial aid purposes, the following definitions and conditions apply:
  To earn hours at UNCW, one must receive a grade of A, B, C, or D (including "+" or "-"). All other grades, including F, I, W, WP, WF, AU, or Z, do not earn hours.
• Classes from which a student withdraws after the drop/add period count as attempted but not earned hours. Therefore, withdrawing from classes after the drop/add period negatively affects students' ability to satisfy the hours earned standard.
• Audited courses (AU) do not count as attempted or earned hours. Therefore, students may not receive financial aid for audited classes.
• When a student repeats a course, the total attempted hours increases with each repeat, but the student may only earn hours for a successfully completed course once. Therefore, repeating courses may negatively affect students' ability to satisfy
  the hours earned standard. (75% of attempted hours).
• Math 100/English100 - When students enroll in these courses, the credit hours count as attempted but not earned. However, these courses do not negatively affect students' ability to satisfy the hours earned standard.
• Accepted transfer credit counts as both attempted and earned hours.

III. Maximum Time Limit (Undergraduate)
To remain eligible for financial aid, undergraduate students must complete their degree requirements for the first baccalaureate degree within 150 percent of the published length of their academic program. At UNCW, this means that students in programs whose published length requires 124 hours for graduation are eligible for financial aid during the first 186 attempted hours as an undergraduate student. All attempted hours are counted, including transfer hours, whether or not financial aid was received, or the course work successfully completed. This also applies to students admitted under the five-year rule, since their attempted hours include hours attempted during prior enrollment. Students who do not graduate with a baccalaureate degree after attempting 186 hours are no longer eligible for federal or state aid. Students who are attempting a double major are still required to
complete one of the degrees within 186 hours.

Annual SAP Reviews
At the end of the spring semester, a year-end review is completed, and students who are out of compliance with one or more of the SAP standards become ineligible for further financial aid until all deficiencies are remedied, beginning with summer I session.

The OSFA sends written notification of ineligibility to students at their permanent addresses as well as e-mail notification as listed in official university records in the Registrar's Office.

SAP Warning
Students in their first year at UNCW, who are not meeting SAP, are given an automatic warning and do not need to appeal. Financial aid funds disburse to the student's account as usual, assuming the student has met all other eligibility requirements. If financial aid is subsequently suspended for future semesters, the student must appeal to continue receiving federal, state and institutional aid. See section on appeals below. In the event that the appeal is denied, the student is responsible for institutional charges.

Regaining Eligibility for Financial Aid
To regain eligibility for financial aid, a student must consult with a financial aid counselor to determine the appropriate alternatives. Cumulative GPA's may only be improved by course work at UNCW. Hours earned deficiencies may be made up by attendance at UNCW or another institution. However, if enrolling elsewhere, the student must complete the appropriate transient study forms and have the course work pre approved by UNCW prior to enrolling at the other institution. Following completion of course work elsewhere, the student must request that an academic transcript be sent to the UNCW Registrar's
Office. Once deficiencies have been remedied, the student must notify the OSFA and request reinstatement of eligibility. This process begins when all grades and credit hours are officially recorded at UNCW.

Once the maximum time limit standard has been exceeded, financial aid eligibility ends, even if the student is in compliance with the other two standards.

Appeals
Federal regulations allow for certain cases in which the school may waive the standards. Specifically, if a student's failure to be in compliance with one or more areas of satisfactory academic progress is due to events beyond the student's control, such as a student's extended illness, serious illness or death in the immediate family or other significant trauma, and if such mitigating circumstances can be appropriately documented for the specific term(s) in which the deficiency occurred, the student may appeal to the OSFA. Eligibility may be regained by appeal. Contact the OSFA to obtain a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Appeal form. (There is no appeal for the maximum time limit category.)

 

 

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for Graduate Students

Federal regulations require that students receiving financial aid maintain satisfactory academic progress from both qualitative and quantitative measures--cumulative GPA, hours earned compared to hours attempted and maximum time limit. For graduate students, Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards regarding GPA are the same as the standards established by the UNCW Graduate School (see Retention Policy under Academic Regulations) for continued enrollment. To remain eligible for financial aid, graduate students must earn at least 75% of all attempted hours.

Satisfactory Academic Progress and eligibility for financial aid are determined
each academic year after spring semester grades are available.

Appeals
Federal regulations allow for certain cases wherein, the school may waive the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards. Specifically, if a student's failure to be in compliance with one or more areas of Satisfactory Academic Progress is due to events beyond the student's control, the student may appeal to the Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid (OSFA). These events may include a student's extended illness, serious illness or death in the immediate family, or other significant trauma. These mitigating circumstances must be appropriately documented for specific term(s) in which the deficiency occurred. Eligibility may be regained by appeal. Contact the OSFA to obtain a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal form.