Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy
Adult and Graduate Studies
Students must make Satisfactory Academic Progress towards earning a degree as stipulated in the chart below to
receive financial aid at IWU from all federal student aid grants, Work-Study and loan programs. Some additional
grants and scholarships may also use part or all of the SAP standards as minimum criteria for funding eligibility.
| REVISED effective April 2008 |
Undergraduate Programs |
Graduate Programs |
| Academic Programs and Levels |
Associate Nursing and RNBS |
All Other Associate and Baccalaureate |
Master's Degrees |
Doctoral Degree |
| Minimum Cumulative GPA |
2.75 |
2.00 |
3.00 |
3.25 |
| Minimum Pass Rate Percentage of Total Hours Successfully Completed (Measured as Hours Earned ÷
Hours Attempted) |
67% |
67% |
67% |
67% |
| Maximum Total Credit Hours or Time Allowed to Complete Current Primary Degree Requirements |
150% of the specific degree program's published length |
Nursing - 4yrs
Other - 6yrs |
4 years from start of dissertation phase |
SAP Evaluation
- All degree-seeking students SAP will be calculated in batch three times per year, typically after graduation periods in mid to late December, April and August, or at the point of first awarding aid for their academic year. Some additional calculations may be made for students in programs which take less than a year to complete. SAP may be calculated for non-degree students as well due to aid funding rules.
- Quantitative (hours attempted and earned or years of degree pursuit) and qualitative (cumulative GPA) SAP is measured.
- Changes in major may alter the SAP status, which is based upon the declared program of study when SAP is calculated. SAP is calculated based upon the primary major as shown by the IWU Records Office.
- Students meeting the standards listed above when calculated will be in SAP GOOD STANDING.
- SAP PROBATION will be required for students who were previously in SAP GOOD STANDING, but who do not meet the GPA and/or minimum pass rate percentage measures shown above at the time of a SAP calculation. Students retain eligibility for aid during their SAP probation period.
- Students who meet SAP requirements, but are on academic probation will be placed on SAP PROBATION. Such students retain their eligibility for aid during their SAP probation period.
- SAP PROBATION students must meet all SAP measurements within their next two scheduled SAP calculations in order to return to SAP GOOD STANDING and retain aid eligibility.
- SAP SUSPENSION will be required for students on SAP probation who do not meet all SAP measurement requirements within two scheduled SAP calculations.
- SAP SUSPENSION will also be required for students who exceed the maximum total credit hours or time of degree pursuit allowed for their primary program objective and/or if at the point their SAP is calculated it is obvious they mathematically cannot complete their program by the cumulative limit.
- SAP SUSPENSION causes students to be ineligible for the aid programs listed above. (See Appeals)
- Students who are on academic suspension or dismissal will also be placed on SAP SUSPENSION. (See Appeals)
- Eligibility is reestablished after the student improves their academic record to meet the minimum standards or a justifiable SAP Appeal is approved.
- Rules are applied uniformly to all students for all periods of enrollment whether or not aid has been received previously.
- Students are held responsible for knowing SAP eligibility criteria and their SAP status. Students should contact the AGS Financial Aid Office if they have any questions about their SAP status.
Grades
- All courses attempted at IWU and those taken elsewhere, which are recognized by the IWU Records Office as related to the current degree pursuit, are counted as hours attempted regardless of grade assigned. This includes enrollments which end as incompletes, failed or withdrawn grades.
- Only courses for which final grades issued are recognized by the IWU Records Office as passing will be counted as earned. (Example: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, S, CR, etc.)
- Courses shown as failed, incomplete, withdrawn or concluded with no grade submitted count as hours attempted and not earned. Additional courses with non-passing results are counted similarly.
- All courses designated as repeated for grade improvement count as hours attempted, but only count once if passed as hours earned.
- Courses attempted repetitively for credit count as both hours attempted and if passed as hours earned.
- Audit and non-credit classes are ineligible for financial aid and are not counted in SAP calculations.
- The official institutional GPA determined by the IWU Records Office is used for all qualitative measures.
Additional Earned Credits
- Credit hours earned by testing or other non-standard means are counted in the SAP calculations as both hours attempted and earned. This includes hours earned from credit by exam, AP Courses, CLEP, PEP, DANTES, military credits and assessed credits.
- All credit hours applicable to the current degree pursuit attempted through International Student Exchange Program (ISEP), International Baccalaureate, Study Abroad, and through Consortium or Contractual Agreements with other institutions count in both attempted and earned calculations.
- Should remedial or English as a Second Language (ESL) classes be offered, such courses will count in both attempted and earned hours calculations even though credits may not apply toward completion of degree requirements. They may also impact GPA calculations.
Transfer Students
- Transfer students with no grade history at IWU will enter on SAP GOOD STANDING.
- For programs that require complete academic transcripts for work attempted at other institutions, transcripts are expected to be submitted to the Admissions Office or the Office of Student Services at the point of being accepted to the university. A SAP calculation including the transfer hours applicable to the current degree pursuit and IWU hours earned will be run at the next scheduled increment.
Former IWU Students Returning To Complete Their Degree Pursuit and Academic Renewal
- Former students who were not enrolled at IWU during the period covered between the two most recent SAP calculations will re-enter at the SAP status earned at the end of their last IWU enrollment.
- If complete academic transcripts are required for work attempted at other institutions since their last IWU enrollment, they are expected to be submitted to IWU upon readmission. A SAP calculation including the transfer work applicable to the current degree pursuit will be run at the next scheduled increment.
- IWU does not offer an Academic Renewal option for prior course forgiveness. All courses taken at IWU relevant to the current degree pursuit are included in the SAP calculation.
Appeals and Reinstatement
- SAP SUSPENSION may be appealed if unusual and/or mitigating circumstances affected academic progress. Such circumstances may include a severe illness or injury to the student or an immediate family member, the death of a student's relative, student activation into military service or other circumstances as deemed appropriate for consideration by the SAP Appeals Committee.
- To appeal the student must submit a legible letter, a completed SAP Appeal Form and supporting documentation to the IWU Financial Aid Office. These should explain in detail why the student failed to meet the minimum academic standards, what unusual and/or mitigating circumstances contributed to the failure and how their situation has improved.
- Appeals must be received by the AGS Financial Aid Office no later than 15 business days before the end of the academic year for which reinstatement is desired. Early appeal submission is strongly encouraged.
- The SAP Appeals Committee decision result will be sent to the student by mail or electronic means.
- Appeal approvals are not applied retroactively after the end of a semester or payment period for federal grants, Federal Perkins Loans and most state grants. However, Federal Stafford or PLUS Loan eligibility may be reestablished for the entire period of enrollment within an academic year.
- Appeal approvals will give the conditions and timeframe for maintaining aid eligibility.
- SAP Appeals Committee decisions cannot be appealed to another source.
- Students who raise their cumulative standards to equal or exceed the minimum requirements should contact their financial aid counselor to see if they may be reinstated to SAP GOOD STANDING from that point forward.
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