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Satisfactory Academic Progress: Financial Aid Warning, Probation and Appeals

Federal student aid depends on making satisfactory academic progress (SAP) under your school's policy, as required by 34 CFR 668.34. A bad term does not always end aid immediately, and this page explains the statuses and appeal steps the regulation allows.

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Financial aid warning and probation

At a school that checks progress at the end of each payment period, a student who falls short may be placed on financial aid warning. Warning lets the student keep receiving aid for one payment period and can be assigned without an appeal.

If the student still does not meet the standards, the school may place them on financial aid probation after a successful appeal. Probation also covers one payment period, and the school may set conditions such as a reduced course load.

To keep aid after probation, the student must meet the SAP standards or follow the academic plan developed with the school.

What a SAP policy must measure

The policy combines a grade measure and a pace measure. For programs longer than two academic years, the student must have at least a C average, or equivalent academic standing, at the end of the second academic year.

Pace means progressing fast enough to finish within the maximum timeframe, which for undergraduate programs is no longer than 150% of the published program length. Transfer credits accepted toward the program count as both attempted and completed hours.

Probation after a warning period

After a payment period on warning, the school evaluates the student again. If progress is still insufficient, the student can receive aid on probation only if they appeal and the school either finds they should meet the standards by the end of the next payment period, or develops an academic plan that leads them back to the standards by a specific point in time.

At the end of the probation period, aid continues only if the student meets the SAP standards or the school determines that the requirements of the academic plan were met. Otherwise, the student is no longer eligible for federal aid under the policy.

Frequently asked questions

What can justify a SAP appeal?

The regulation lists the death of a relative, an injury or illness of the student, or other special circumstances. The student must explain why they failed to make progress and what has changed that will allow them to succeed at the next evaluation.

Does every school allow SAP appeals?

No. Appeals are optional for schools. A school that does not allow appeals must explain in its policy how a student can reestablish eligibility for federal aid.

Is SAP always checked every term?

Some schools evaluate progress at the end of each payment period, others annually or less often. Schools that evaluate less often than each payment period cannot use warning status, but may place a student on probation after an appeal.

Do withdrawals and repeated courses count in the SAP review?

The school's SAP policy must describe how incompletes, withdrawals, course repetitions and transfer credits affect the GPA and pace of completion. Check your school's written policy for the exact treatment.

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