Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy

The maximum timeframe in which a student must complete their degree cannot exceed 150% of the published length of the student’s degree program. All undergraduate bachelor’s degree programs have a minimum requirement of 120 credit hours, so students can only attempt 180 credit hours total. Associate degrees have a minimum requirement of 60 credit hours, so students can only attempt 90 credit hours total. Any student who attempts hours beyond this number is ineligible for financial aid. All semesters and credit hours attempted are used toward the maximum time frame allowance regardless of whether the student received financial aid. All repeated courses, failed courses, withdrawals, courses taken from a change in major, bankrupt hours, and transferred hours will count as credit hours attempted toward the maximum time frame.

There are certain exceptions to the maximum timeframe requirement (e.g., a double major). If you are placed on SAP Suspension due to max time frame, please contact the Student Financial Center.

The maximum timeframe in which a student must complete their degree cannot exceed 150% of the published length of the student’s degree program. Graduate programs at Cumberlands have different minimum requirements for completion. To determine your maximum timeframe, you will need to multiply the minimum required hours in the program by 1.5. For example, if the student’s program requires 30 hours the maximum number of hours a student may attempt is 45 (30 x 1.5) for financial aid eligibility. Any student who attempts hours beyond this number is ineligible for financial aid. All semesters and credit hours attempted are used toward the maximum time frame allowance regardless of whether the student received financial aid. All repeated courses, failed courses, withdrawals, and transferred hours will count as credit hours attempted toward the maximum time frame.

If you change programs or begin a new program after completing your initial degree, your SAP will restart. Any courses from your previous program that apply toward your current program will be counted toward your completion rate in your new program

Students must also earn a certain cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) to maintain SAP. All undergraduate students must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least a 2.0 on a 4.0 scale. Repeat coursework may improve your GPA, but these courses will still count toward your completion rate.

Students must also earn a certain cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) to maintain SAP. All graduate students must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least a 2.0 on a 4.0 scale for their first 6 credit hours. Additionally, all students who have completed at least 6 credit hours must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. If you change programs or begin a new program after completing your initial degree, your SAP will restart. Any courses from your previous program that apply toward your current program will be counted toward your SAP in your new program. Repeat coursework may improve your GPA, but these courses will still count toward your completion rate.

Federal regulations require that all students who receive federal or state financial aid make satisfactory progress toward a degree.  Colleges and universities must establish policies that ensure students’ progress successfully towards degree completion both qualitatively (GPA) and quantitatively (hours attempted versus hours earned and max time frame). At Cumberlands, we have established the following Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy for all types of financial aid (federal, state, and institutional). SAP will be reviewed each semester, including the summer term.

QUANTITATIVE

Students are expected to successfully complete at least 95% of all attempted credit hours and must complete their program within 150% of its published length. Students who fall below a 95% completion rate, or who cannot complete their program within 150% of its minimum required hours, can lose federal aid eligibility. 

Grades of W, I, F, and transfer hours are counted as attempted hours; however, grades of W, I, and F will NOT count as earned hours. Repeated coursework can impact the qualitative measurement of SAP, but all repeated courses will count toward attempted hours.

Maximum Timeframe

The maximum timeframe in which a student must complete their degree cannot exceed 150% of the published length of the student’s degree program. The Physician Assistant program has a minimum requirement of 113 credit hours. Any student who attempts hours beyond 169 credit hours is ineligible for financial aid and must contact the Student Financial Center. All semesters and credit hours attempted are used toward the maximum time frame allowance regardless of whether the student received financial aid. All repeated courses, failed courses, withdrawals, and transferred hours will count as credit hours attempted toward the maximum time frame.

If you change programs or begin a new program after completing your initial degree, your SAP will restart. Any courses that apply toward an UC Physician Assistant program will be counted toward completion rate.

QUALITATIVE

Students must also earn a certain cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) to maintain SAP. All students must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. If you change programs or begin a new program after completing your initial degree, your SAP will restart. Any courses that apply toward your Physician Assistant program will be counted toward GPA. Repeat coursework may improve your GPA, but these courses will still count toward your completion rate.

EVALUATION

After each semester, all enrolled students will be evaluated to see if they are meeting the requirements of this SAP policy. If the student fails to meet SAP after one semester, they will be placed on “SAP Suspension.” Students who are on SAP Suspension will be ineligible to receive financial aid. However, students may appeal for financial aid eligibility according to the following sections.

APPEALS

Students placed on Financial Aid Suspension who wish to regain eligibility for Federal, State, and institutional aid have the option to submit a SAP appeal. We understand that there are unforeseen circumstances that could contribute to a student not meeting SAP.  Examples of acceptable circumstances include the death of a relative, an injury or illness of the student, and other unusual circumstances. Circumstances that CANNOT be used in a SAP appeal include need for financial aid, work-related issues, problems with web-based classes, and improper advising. Please refer to the SAP Appeal Outline linked above for a full list of acceptable and unacceptable extenuating circumstances.

 Your SAP appeal letter should include information that will explain why you failed to make SAP. In the appeal, you must also tell us what has changed that will allow you to make SAP in the next evaluation. Please submit supporting documentation with your SAP appeal. Once you have submitted your appeal letter and all supporting documentation, please allow our SAP Committee up to 14 business days to review your appeal. The SAP Committee reviews appeals on a first come first serve basis using the information submitted through Guardian. While previous appeals will also be reviewed to compare information during review.

Approved Appeals

If the student can make SAP within one semester, they will be placed in “Financial Aid Probation.” Probation lasts for one semester. If the student fails to make SAP by the end of the probationary period, they will be placed back on Suspension. If a student needs multiple semesters to make SAP, they may be placed on a SAP Academic Plan. 

Once an Academic Plan has been created, the student will be placed on Probation and evaluated each semester to ensure they are meeting the conditions of their Academic Plan. If a student fails to meet the conditions of their plan, they will be placed back on SAP suspension. The student will remain on an Academic Plan until they are once again making SAP. 

Denied Appeals

The SAP Committee has the right to deny any appeal. Reasons for denial can include the inability of the student to make SAP within their maximum timeframe, insufficient documentation, insufficient information in your appeal letter, and ineligible circumstances that led to failure to make SAP. The SAP Committee reviews appeals on a case-by-case basis using the information submitted through Guardian. Previous appeals will also be reviewed to compare information.

If your appeal is denied, you have the option to re-submit your appeal with the required information. There is no limit to the number of SAP appeals that may be submitted. However, if you submit the same extenuating circumstance twice, your appeal will be denied. If your SAP appeal is denied and the decision is final, you have the option of paying out of pocket or pursuing a private loan until you are making SAP.

Appeal Timeframes

Because federal loans cannot be disbursed once a student’s period of enrollment has ended, we advise students to complete their appeals within the first six to ten weeks of classes to give our committee ample time to evaluate the appeal and reinstate aid should the appeal be approved.

Academic Suspension

If you are on Academic Suspension, you must submit an Academic Appeal through the Registrar’s Office before you are able to submit a SAP Appeal to reinstate your financial aid.

SAP Definitions

Earned Hours: A, B, C, P (pass), IP (In Progress), and TR (transfer)

Attempted Hours: Earned Hours plus F, W (withdrawal), I (incomplete), repeat coursework.

Maximum Timeframe: 150% the published length of your program

Quantitative Pace: The minimum number of Earned vs Attempted Hours (95%)

Qualitative pace: The minimum GPA requirement (3.0)

SAP Suspension: If a student is placed on SAP Suspension, they are ineligible to receive aid.

SAP Appeal: A letter and documentation outlining why a student failed to make SAP, how they will make SAP in the future, and why they should regain financial aid eligibility.

SAP Probation: If a student on SAP Suspension has an approved appeal, they will be given an Academic Plan and placed on SAP Probation.

Academic Plan: If a student is on SAP Suspension, they may be placed on an academic plan after an approved appeal. Eligibility for financial aid depends on the student’s ability to meet the conditions of this academic plan.

Federal regulations require that all students who receive federal or state financial aid make satisfactory progress toward a degree.  Colleges and universities must establish policies that ensure students’ progress successfully towards degree completion both qualitatively (GPA) and quantitatively (hours attempted versus hours earned and max time frame). At Cumberlands, we have established the following Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy for all types of financial aid (federal, state, and institutional). SAP will be reviewed each semester, including the summer term.

QUANTITATIVE

Students are expected to successfully complete at least 95% of all attempted credit hours and must complete their program within 100% of its published length. Students who fall below a 100% completion rate, or who cannot complete their program within 100% of its minimum required hours, can lose federal aid eligibility.

Grades of W, I, F, and transfer hours are counted as attempted hours; however, grades of W, I, and F will NOT count as earned hours. Repeated coursework can impact the qualitative measurement of SAP, but all repeated courses will count toward attempted hours.

Maximum Timeframe

The maximum timeframe in which a student must complete their degree cannot exceed 100% of the published length of the student’s degree program. The Doctor of Physical Therapy program has a minimum requirement of 115 credit hours. Any student who attempts hours beyond this number is ineligible for financial aid and will need to contact the Student Financial Center. All semesters and credit hours attempted are used toward the maximum time frame allowance regardless of whether the student received financial aid. All repeated courses, failed courses, withdrawals, and transferred hours will count as credit hours attempted toward the maximum time frame.

If you change programs or begin a new program after completing your initial degree, your SAP will restart. Any courses from your previous program that apply toward your current program will be counted toward your completion rate in your new program.

QUALITATIVE

Students must also earn a certain cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) to maintain SAP. All Doctor of Physical Therapy students must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. If you change programs or begin a new program after completing your initial degree, your SAP will restart. Any courses from your previous program that apply toward your current program will be counted toward your SAP in your new program. Repeat coursework may improve your GPA, but these courses will still count toward your completion rate.

EVALUATION

After each semester, all enrolled students will be evaluated to see if they are meeting the requirements of our SAP policy. If the student fails to meet SAP after one semester, they will be automatically placed on “SAP Warning”. The student will be eligible to receive aid for one (1) semester. At the end of the warning semester, the student will be reevaluated. If the student is meeting SAP at this time, no further action is required, and the student will remain eligible for financial aid. If a student is not making SAP at the end of the Warning period, they will be placed on “SAP Suspension.” Students who are on SAP Suspension will be ineligible to receive financial aid. 

APPEALS

Students placed on Financial Aid Suspension who wish to regain eligibility for Federal, State and institutional aid have the option to submit a SAP appeal. We understand that there are unforeseen circumstances that could contribute to a student not meeting SAP.  Examples of acceptable circumstances include the death of a relative, an injury or illness of the student, and other special circumstances. Circumstances that CANNOT be used in a SAP appeal include need for financial aid, work-related issues, problems with web-based classes, and improper advising. Please refer to the SAP Appeal Outline linked above for a full list of acceptable and unacceptable extenuating circumstances.

 Your SAP appeal letter should include information that will tell us why you failed to make SAP. In the appeal, you must also tell us what has changed that will allow you to make SAP in the next evaluation. Please submit supporting documentation with your SAP appeal. Once you have submitted your appeal letter and all supporting documentation, please allow our SAP Committee up to 14 business days to review your appeal. The SAP Committee reviews appeals on a case-by-case basis using the information submitted through Guardian. Previous appeals will also be reviewed to compare information.

Approved Appeals

If the student can make SAP within one semester, they will be placed in “Financial Aid Probation.” Probation lasts for one semester. If the student fails to make SAP by the end of the probationary period, they will be placed back on Suspension. If a student needs multiple semesters to make SAP, they may be placed on a SAP Academic Plan.

Once an Academic Plan has been created, the student will be placed on Probation and evaluated each semester to ensure they are meeting the conditions of their Academic Plan. If a student fails to meet the conditions of their plan, they will be placed back on SAP suspension. The student will remain on an Academic Plan until they are once again making SAP.

Denied Appeals

The SAP Committee has the right to deny any appeal. Reasons for denial can include the inability of the student to make SAP within their maximum timeframe, insufficient documentation, insufficient information in your appeal letter, and ineligible circumstances that led to failure to make SAP. The SAP Committee reviews appeals on a case-by-case basis using the information submitted through Guardian. Previous appeals will also be reviewed to compare information.

If your appeal is denied, you have the option to re-submit your appeal with the required information. There is no limit to the number of SAP appeals that may be submitted. However, if you submit the same extenuating circumstance twice, your appeal will be denied. If your SAP appeal is denied and the decision is final, you have the option of paying out of pocket or pursuing a private loan until you are making SAP.

Appeal Timeframes

Because federal loans cannot be disbursed once a student’s period of enrollment has ended, we advise students to complete their appeals within the first six to ten weeks of classes to give our committee ample time to evaluate the appeal and reinstate aid should the appeal be approved.

ACADEMIC SUSPENSION

If you are on Academic Suspension, you must submit an Academic Appeal through the Registrar’s Office before you are able to submit a SAP Appeal to reinstate your financial aid.

SAP DEFINITIONS

• Earned Hours: A, B, C, P (pass), IP (In Progress), and TR (transfer)
• Attempted Hours: Earned Hours plus F, W (withdrawal), I (incomplete), repeat coursework.
• Maximum Timeframe: 100% the published length of your program
• Quantitative Pace: The minimum number of Earned vs Attempted Hours (100%)
• Qualitative pace: The minimum GPA requirement (3.0)
• SAP Warning: As soon as a student fails to make SAP, they are placed on “SAP Warning” and have one (1) semester to begin making SAP. A student is eligible for financial aid while on SAP Warning.
• SAP Suspension: If a student on SAP Warning fails to make SAP after one (1) semester, they will be placed on SAP Suspension and be ineligible to receive aid.
• SAP Appeal: A letter and documentation outlining why a student failed to make SAP, how they will make SAP in the future, and why they should regain financial aid eligibility.
• SAP Probation: If a student on SAP Suspension has an approved appeal, they will be given an Academic Plan and placed on SAP Probation.
• Academic Plan: If a student is on SAP Suspension, they may be placed on an academic plan after an approved appeal. Eligibility for financial aid depends on the student’s ability to meet the conditions of this academic plan.