Satisfactory Academic Progress

A student's earned hours must be equal to, or exceed, 67% of all cumulative attempted hours since beginning classes. Pace is calculated by dividing the total number of overall earned credit hours by the total number of overall attempted credit hours. Example: If a student has earned 45 credits and attempted 60 credits, their pace is 45 ÷ 60 = 0.75 (75%) which meets the 67% minimum requirement.

• Qualifying Grades: Courses that receive a grade of A, B, C, D, or S are considered both attempted and earned hours, including those taken through Study Abroad and/or a Consortium Agreement.
• Disqualifying Grades: Courses that are Failed, Withdrawn, Unsatisfactory, or Incomplete (F, W, U, or I) are considered attempted but not earned hours. Audit, correspondence, credit by exam, remedial, and enrichment courses also do not count as attempted or earned hours.
  • For Incomplete grades, once a final grade is issued, the student's SAP standing will be re-evaluated at the next scheduled review after the then-current semester ends.
• Institutional Policy Status: Academic amnesty or "fresh start" provisions granted by the University of Wyoming do not apply to SAP calculations. All attempted credits, including those excluded from GPA under institutional policy, are included in the Pace calculation.
• Note: Credits earned while a student is not receiving federal aid, as well as experiential learning credits, are all counted as attempted and earned hours.

A student is eligible for financial aid until they have attempted 150% of the minimum credit hours required to earn a specific degree. UW sets the following maximum timeframe for student degrees:

• Undergraduate: 180 credit hours (150% of 120)
• Masters: 45 credit hours (150% of 30)
• Doctorate: 108 credit hours (150% of 72)
• Law: 135 credit hours (150% of 90)
• Pharmacy: 213 credit hours (150% of 142)
• Second Bachelors: 225 credit hours (150% of 125)

UW Credits: All coursework attempted at UW is included in the Maximum Timeframe calculation, regardless of whether the student received Title IV aid during those terms.

Transfer Credits: Accepted transfer credits count as attempted credits in the Maximum Timeframe calculation. Courses taken through a Consortium Agreement that are accepted towards the student's program are included in the calculation.

Institutional Policy Status: Academic amnesty or "fresh start" provisions granted by UW do not apply to any SAP calculations. All attempted credits, including those excluded from GPA under institutional policy, are included in the Maximum Timeframe calculation.

Financial Aid Warning

• Students who have not met the minimum standards for the previous semester will be placed on a 'Warning' status. Students on this status are eligible for financial aid for one (1) additional semester. Students who do not meet minimum standards at the end of their warning semester will be 'Not Eligible' for the next semester.

Not Eligible

• Students will have a 'Not Eligible' status if they:
  • do not meet SAP standards at the end of the warning semester,
  • have a denied SAP appeal,
  • did not fulfill the requirements of their approved Academic Plan, or
  • have met their Maximum Timeframe.

Financial Aid Probation

• Students who have successfully appealed the status of 'Not Eligible' are placed on probation and are eligible to receive financial aid for at least one (1) more semester.
• Students on Probation status may continue receiving financial aid beyond that one semester if they are following an approved Academic Plan and are meeting the plan's terms. Academic Plans are reviewed at the end of each semester. Any deviations to the plan must be communicated to our office and approved before the end of the semester that was impacted. Otherwise, the Academic Plan will be failed and the student will not meet SAP standards again.

When not meeting SAP standards, or when their SAP appeal is denied, students can potentially reinstate their eligibility to receive federal aid by submitting a SAP appeal (see the next section) or by either of the following methods:

• They may enroll in coursework but will be responsible for payment of their university bill until they are once again meeting SAP standards, or
• They may take a minimum of 2 courses for a semester on their own that equal at least 6 credit hours and receive grades of "C" or better with no fails/withdrawals. If successful, they can appeal for the next semester.

Note: Payment plans are available each semester. Students can potentially secure a private loan, but some lenders may require them to meet SAP standards to qualify for a loan.

A student who is "Not Eligible" for federal financial aid has the option to appeal if an extenuating circumstance* contributed to them not meeting SAP standards. The student must submit an appeal form, Academic Plan, and accompanying documentation** to the Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid by the end of the add/drop period of the semester in which they are appealing. Appeals will not be heard in person.

The submitted forms and all supporting documentation will be presented to the SAP Appeal Committee for review. The review time for appeals may take 7-10 business days. Students will be notified of the results by UWYO email.

• Advisor signature and certification are required on any Academic Plan. Additionally, any SAP appeal form submitted without an Academic Plan will not be reviewed by the committee.
• If the appeal is granted, the notification will explain the terms of the approval. To continue with an approved Academic Plan, students must pass all their courses each semester with grades of "C" or better with no fails/withdrawals. Any necessary changes or deviations to an Academic Plan must be communicated to our office and approved before the end of the semester that was impacted.
• If the appeal is denied, students may request an additional review by the Director of Scholarships & Financial Aid if they have something to submit that was not included in the original appeal. The Director's decision will be final.

*Examples of extenuating circumstances include, but are not limited to, serious illness or injury, death of an immediate family member, mental health challenges diagnosed by a medical professional, or other significant personal hardship.

**Documentation may include medical records, death certificates, court documents, or letters from licensed professionals.

Under federal financial aid regulations, a student may receive aid for one repeat of a previously passed course. On the third attempt, federal aid will not cover that course. All repeated courses are included in a student's attempted credit hours, which may negatively affect the Pace component of SAP.

Being declared "Not Eligible" for federal financial aid does not mean a student has been academically dismissed from UW.

 

Some scholarships and grants require a student to meet SAP standards. Even if you do not accept federal aid, you may not be eligible to receive that aid without improving your SAP status or successfully appealing.

 

Many scholarship recipients are required to maintain a higher credit hour level or grade point average than outlined in this policy. Guidelines on the minimum acceptable credits/GPA for scholarships are outlined on our Renewing Your Financial Aid page and are contained within the Terms & Conditions each student is directed to through their offer letter they received initially.

No. You cannot receive federal financial aid if your status is 'Not Eligible'. The SAP Policy explains how you can become eligible again.

All financial aid applicants are subject to the standards of the SAP Policy, regardless of whether or not aid was received in the past.

A complete SAP appeal is one that:

• has no blanks (is fully filled out),
• explains clearly what happened and what you have done/are doing to resolve that in the future,
• includes the second page (Academic Plan) that is also fully filled out,
• has your advisor's signature on the Academic Plan
• includes any necessary documentation to substantiate the claim of your extenuating circumstance, and
• is submitted by the semester's deadline (noted in the email you received).

Yes. You must file a spring appeal for consideration of spring aid, unless your fall semester puts you back in good SAP standing.

Processing times can vary, depending upon the time of year, but we ask that you allow 7-10 business days for the committee to review and respond.

You may drop it off in person to our office in Knight Hall (Rm 174), email it to finaidappeal@uwyo.edu from your own UWYO email address, or mail it to us at Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid, University of Wyoming, 1000 E University Ave Dept 3335, Laramie WY 82071

If your SAP appeal is denied, you may:

• enroll in coursework but you will be responsible for payment of your university bill until you are once again meeting SAP standards, or
• take a minimum of 2 courses for a semester on their own that equal at least 6 credit hours and receive grades of "C" or better with no fails/withdrawals. If successful, then you can appeal for the next semester.

Note: Payment plans are available each semester. Students can potentially secure a private loan, but some lenders may require you to be meeting SAP standards to qualify for a loan.

If you have an approved Academic Plan and are on SAP probation, withdrawing from a class will result in a "W" grade. When we review your SAP status at the end of that semester, you will no longer be meeting the requirements of your approved appeal or SAP standards, and you will not be eligible to receive financial aid again.

The hours you attempted during the term you withdraw will still be included in the calculation to determine your Pace (earned hours divided by attempted hours). Those hours will also be included in the calculation for Maximum Timeframe. Therefore, withdrawing from the University could negatively impact both and result in you not meeting SAP standards when you return to college.

Yes. Your academic record follows you through your lifetime, so any courses attempted and earned/not earned will be a part of your record at UW. Remember, students can appeal and provide information and documentation about their specific academic journey that has caused them to not meet SAP standards.

No. Since that is a type of federal loan, the student must be meeting SAP standards in order for their parents to possibly qualify for a PLUS Loan.

Take your time to compose your statement and complete your appeal form and Academic Plan as this is your opportunity to describe your situation for consideration!

 

Be sure to include details on what steps you will take in the future to meet the SAP standards in the future.

Provide documentation to substantiate your reason for the SAP appeal. Uploading your transcript is unnecessary as we have access to those records. 

 

IMPORTANT: If your appeal is approved, you must complete each semester as documented in your Academic Plan and receiving at least a "C" grade with no withdrawals/fails. Any changes to an Academic Plan must be submitted to, and approved by, our office before the end of that semester or you will again not be meeting SAP standards.

Several factors are considered in the review of SAP appeals. Below are the most common and important questions the committee may consider in evaluating the merits of the appeal.

• Does the appeal thoroughly explain and detail the student's extenuating circumstances?
• Are the circumstances presented in the appeal beyond the student's control?
• Does the appeal explain the changes the student has made to address the circumstances and allow him/her to meet the SAP standards at the next evaluation or at a specific point in time? What resources has the student used or will the student use in the future?
• Is the student's explanation consistent with their transcript and other academic records?
• For students not meeting the GPA standard, what trend has their GPA followed?
• For students not meeting the Pace standard, does their transcript demonstrate consistency in credit hour completion?
• Is the academic plan realistic considering the student's circumstances and past academic performance?
• How many times has the student appealed for SAP? If the student's appeal was approved, why did they not meet the SAP standards or follow their Academic Plan? Are the circumstances of the current appeal similar to the circumstances of a prior appeal?
• If the student appealed in the past, did they implement the changes stated on the prior appeal? If not, why?