Satisfactory Academic Progress
Overview
Arkansas State University-Newport's goal is to support students along their academic journey. One of the ways that we support our students is to ensure that students are making Satisfactory Academic Progress. Maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress ensures that students remain on good Academic and Financial Aid standings. The information provided in the sections below outline the processes ASUN follows to ensure students maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress for Academics and Financial Aid.
If you have questions, please email .
Why monitor Academic Progress?
Federal regulations require all recipients of student financial aid to make Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) towards an eligible degree or certificate program.
Title IV Aid includes the following programs:
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Federal Pell Grants
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Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
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Federal Work-Study (FWS)
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Federal Direct Subsidized Loans
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Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans
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Federal PLUS Loans
Satisfactory Academic Progress will be reviewed at the end of Fall, Spring, Summer, and during the application process.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy
Satisfactory Academic Progress is based on the following:
How Progress is Measured
Qualitative Progress (GPA)
- Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0.
- Grades of A, B, C, D, and S are considered as attempted courses that are successfully completed (passing), and grades of F, W, I, and U are considered as attempted courses that are not successfully completed (not passing).
Quantitative Progress (PACE)
- Students must successfully complete at least 67% of cumulative hours attempted
- Attempted hours include:
- Developmental/Remedial Hours
- Repeat/Incomplete Hours
- Incomplete coursework will be evaluated as unearned hours until the course has been satisfactorily completed
- Incomplete coursework must be completed by the designated date agreed upon on the Incomplete Request Form.
- Transfer Hours/Concurrent (High School) Enrollment
- All hours regardless of whether a student received Financial Aid
- Attempted hours include:
- Students must complete their program within 150% of the published timeframe of their current academic degree program
- Example: Degree program requires 60 hours. 60 X 150% = 90 hours maximum
Eligibility
ASUN Student Eligibility
- Student eligibility will be reviewed at the end of each semester (including summer terms) as well as during the application process.
- A student must be admitted and enrolled in an eligible ASUN academic degree program.
- A student must complete at least 67% of cumulative hours attempted and maintain a cumulative 2.0 GPA.
- A student may not exceed 150% of the published length of their current ASUN academic degree program.
Transfer and Re-Admitted Student Eligibility
- Transfer and Re-admitted student eligibility will be reviewed upon admission to the university.
- A transfer student must submit an official transcript from the last college attended and submit to the Office of Admissions before eligibility can be determined.
- Unofficial transcripts will not be used to determine eligibility.
- Eligibility will be based on the hours accepted by ASUN.
- A transfer student that earned 0 hours in the last term at enrollment at their previous college will be placed on Financial Aid and Academic Suspension.
- A transfer and re-admitted student must meet the following requirements:
- A transfer and re-admitted student must complete at least 67% of cumulative hours attempted and maintain a 2.0 cumulative grade point average.
- A transfer and re-admitted student may not exceed 150% of the published length of their current academic degree program.
Failure to Meet SAP Requirements
- Students who do not meet cumulative GPA requirements will be placed on Financial Aid Warning and Academic Probation for their next term of enrollment.
- Students who do not successfully complete 67% of their cumulative attempted hours will be placed on Financial Aid Warning and Academic Probation for their next term of enrollment.
- Students who do not complete their current academic program within 150% of the published timeframe will be placed on Financial Aid and Academic Suspension.
- If at any point it is clear that a student will not be able to complete their degree within the allotted timeframe, they will immediately be placed on Financial Aid Suspension and Academic Suspension.
- Students receiving all “F’s or W’s” for a semester may be required to return a portion of the Federal Financial Aid funds they received during that term of enrollment.
Financial Aid Warning and Academic Probation
- Students who are placed on Financial Aid Warning and Academic Probation will be allowed to receive federal financial aid for the next term of enrollment. No action is required by the student.
- Students placed on Financial Aid Warning and Academic Probation are notified by ASUN student email and the personal email on file.
- Students must have a 2.0 minimum cumulative grade point average and complete at least 67% of their cumulative hours attempted by the end of the semester.
- Failure to meet these requirements by the end of the Financial Aid Warning and Academic Probation period will be placed on Financial Aid and Academic Suspension.
Financial Aid and Academic Suspension
- Students placed on Financial Aid and Academic Suspension are not eligible for Federal Financial Aid until they meet cumulative grade point requirements or are approved through the appeals process.
- There are two ways to regain Federal Financial Aid and Academic eligibility:
- If there were no extenuating circumstances, the student must submit a Petition for Academic Readmission Form to reestablish academic standing and be allowed to enroll in courses. If the Petition for Academic Readmission is approved, the student will only be able to enroll in courses and not be eligible for Federal Financial Aid. Click here to access the Academic Readmission Form.
NOTE: In order to regain financial aid eligibility, the student completes coursework until they have a 2.0 cumulative grade point average and complete 67% of the cumulative hours attempted.
- If there were extenuating circumstances that affected their academic performance, students must submit an SAP appeal to attempt to have eligibility restored. Click here to access the current SAP Appeal.
Financial Aid and Academic Probation
- Students who have an approved SAP Appeal will be placed on Financial Aid and Academic Probation and will be allowed to receive Financial Aid for one term and enroll in courses.
- If it is determined that a student will be unable to meet the terms of the SAP Policy in one term, the student will be placed on a Student Success Plan Parts I and II (includes an Academic Plan).
- At the end of the student’s term of Financial Aid Probation, the student must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements. Students who do not meet SAP requirements will be placed on Financial Aid and Academic Suspension.
Reestablishing Academic and Financial Aid Eligibility
- Students may submit a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) appeal to have their eligibility restored if there are extenuating circumstances that affected their academic performance.
- Extenuating circumstances may be defined as situations beyond the student’s control that do not allow them to maintain SAP requirements.
- Examples include prolonged illness, accidents that require hospitalizations of the student or immediate family member, death of an immediate family member, or divorce of the student or the student’s parents, etc.
- Extenuating circumstances may be defined as situations beyond the student’s control that do not allow them to maintain SAP requirements.
- Students must appeal to have their eligibility restored once they have brought their academic record back in line with the cumulative SAP Policy.
- Sitting out for a semester or an extended period of time does not restore eligibility to a student who failed to make Satisfactory Academic Progress or had their appeal denied.
- If hours were completed at another institution, the student must submit official transcripts to the Office of the Registrar for evaluation.
- SAP Appeals must include:
- An appeal request can be submitted at the following links based on the terms you are submitting it for SAP Appeal Form using your ASUN email address
- A letter explaining the circumstances that affected the student’s academic performance, as well as an explanation as to what has changed that will allow the student to make Satisfactory Academic Progress.
- Supporting documentation that validates the student’s situation must be submitted with the appeal.
- Documentation may include medical records, police reports, court records, professional letters on letterhead, etc.
- The submission of an appeal does not guarantee that financial aid and academic eligibility will be restored.
- If you need assistance in formatting the SAP Appeal, you can utilize the resources from Swift Student.
Student Success Plans and Academic Plans
A student who cannot meet the minimum SAP requirements by the end of the next term of enrollment is placed on a Student Success Plan Parts I and II (Part II includes the Academic Plan). Academic Plans are designed to determine benchmarks that the student must meet within a certain number of terms. In order to be placed on an Academic Plan, it must be mathematically possible for a student to be making SAP by the end of the student’s program of study.
- Progress is measured at the end of each term and evaluated based on the terms of the Academic Plan.
- Students who fail to meet the requirements of the plan will again be placed on Financial Aid and Academic Suspension for the next term and will be ineligible to receive Financial Aid and enroll in courses.
- Students placed on Financial Aid and Academic Suspension for violating the terms of an Academic Plan are not eligible to appeal unless there are different (new) reasons than the original appeal.
- Students who meet the SAP requirements while on the Academic Plan will then be in good standing for the next term of enrollment.
Petition for Academic Readmission Process
This process is for students who have been suspended (academically and financial aid) at the end of an evaluation period (i.e. Fall, Spring, or Summer) and wish to re-enroll in the next term of enrollment without sitting out a 16-week term.
How to Apply for Academic Readmission
1. Complete the SAP Appeal Form for Academic Only Readmission. Click here to access the form.
2. Wait on an outcome of the SAP Appeal Process. Usually, this takes one to two weeks.
- There are two outcomes of the SAP Appeal Process that apply to Academic Readmission. Please see the list below.
- Outcome: SAP Approved (SAP ACADEMIC ONLY)
- Academic and Financial Aid Standing: SAP ACADEMIC-Academic Warning and Financial Aid Suspension
- Explanation: Student who is a returning ASUN or transfer student who appeals the immediate previous semester’s SAP suspension status who has appealed and was denied financial aid (due to appeal incomplete, missing documentation, not an extenuating circumstance) but they want to enroll at ASUN in the upcoming term. The SAP review committee determined they had a viable reason in their appeal, but it was not enough to regain FA eligibility.
- Eligibility: The student is eligible to enroll in courses and is NOT eligible for financial aid (i.e. pell, direct loans, and other financial aid). The student will self-pay. After the first successful term of enrollment, the student will be encouraged to meet with the Office of Financial Aid to discuss their options.
- Outcome: SAP Denied
- Academic and Financial Aid Standing: SAP Suspension-Academic and Financial Aid Suspension
- Explanation: The student’s appeal was denied because their sap appeal and/or documentation did not show an extenuating circumstance.
- Eligibility: They are not eligible to re-enroll this next term nor are they eligible for financial aid.
- Requirements to be completed by the Student: Completion of three-hour ASUN Prep Course.
- NOTE: Successful completion of the success course is a method to re-establish financial aid and academic eligibility for the next term of enrollment.
*NOTE-This outcome replaces the previous academic readmission process.
Eligibility
- The student is eligible to enroll in courses and is NOT eligible for financial aid.
Requirements to be completed by the Student
- Student Success Plan (Parts 1 and 2) and Three-Hour Non-Credit ASUN Success Course.
Things to Know
- Petitions for academic readmission will only be considered until the Monday prior to the beginning of each term of enrollment (or as needed due to extenuating circumstances).
- When a decision has been made regarding your Academic Readmission Appeal, you will be notified by ASUN email.
Questions? Email .
Conditional Admission Process
This process is for students who meet one of the qualifications listed below.
Conditions related to pre-college experience:
- a high school diploma is from a school that is not
- accredited by a state
- no high school diploma or GED
Conditions related to past college performance:
- transfer applicant whose cumulative GPA is less than 2.00 at the last college attended before ASUN
Conditions related to past college performance:
- transfer applicant whose cumulative GPA is less than 2.00 at the last college attended before ASUN
How to Apply for Conditional Admission
1. Complete the SAP Appeal Form for Conditional Admission. Click here to access the form.
- When a decision has been made regarding your conditional admission appeal, you will be notified by ASUN email.
2. Wait on an outcome of the SAP Appeal Process. On average, the review process takes one to two weeks.
- There are two outcomes of the SAP Appeal Process. Please see the list below.
- Outcome: SAP Approved (Conditionally Admitted)
- Academic and Financial Aid Standing: Academic Warning and Financial Aid Warning
- Explanation: The student has been separated from a post-secondary institution for 1 calendar year and/or meets one or more of the conditional admission categories listed below.
- Outcome: SAP Denied
- Academic and Financial Aid Standing: SAP Suspension-Academic and Financial Aid Suspension
- Explanation: The student’s appeal was denied because their sap appeal and/or documentation did not show an extenuating circumstance.
- Eligibility: They are not eligible to re-enroll this next term nor are they eligible for financial aid.
- Requirements to be completed by the Student: Completion of three-hour ASUN Prep Course.
- NOTE: Successful completion of the success course is a method to re-establish financial aid and academic eligibility for the next term of enrollment.
- Outcome: SAP Approved (Conditionally Admitted)
Eligibility
- The student is eligible to enroll in courses and eligible for financial aid.
Requirements to be completed by the Student
- Student Success Plan (Parts 1 and 2) and Three-Hour Non-Credit ASUN Success Course
- NOTE-This outcome replaces the previous conditional admit process.
Things to Know
- Petitions for Conditional Admission will only be considered until the Monday prior to the beginning of each term of enrollment (or as needed due to extenuating circumstances).
- When a decision has been made regarding your Conditional Admission Appeal, you will be notified by ASUN email.
Questions? Email