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SAP Policy Details

Detailed information about UWF's Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy.

SAP Policy Details

Federal regulations require all schools participating in Title IV federal financial aid programs to have a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy that establishes and applies uniform standards to academic progress. The SAP Policy conforms to specific grade-based and time-based requirements. All students must adhere to the policy requirements in order to qualify and remain eligible for financial aid.

SAP Components Defined

GPA: Grade-based, qualitative standard. This requirement establishes the minimum cumulative UWF GPA students must maintain based on degree level classification. Grades from prior institutions are not taken into consideration.

Completion Ratio (CR): Pace of completion, quantitative standard. This requirement establishes the expected progression to earn your degree. All attempted and earned credit hours at prior schools are taken into consideration.

  • Students must successfully complete 67% of all attempted coursework.
  • CR is calculated by dividing your earned credit hours by your attempted credit hours.
  • Grades of F, NF, NC, U, I, W, WF, WR, V, G, N, and TR all count as attempted hours, but not earned.

Maximum Time Limit (MTL): Pace of completion, quantitative standard. This requirement establishes the maximum amount of credit hours you may attempt while earning your degree. A student may attempt no more than 150% of the published length of their program. All attempted and earned credit hours at prior schools are taken into consideration.

MTL Based on Standard Published Degree Program Requirements
Degree Level Required MTL
Undergraduate 120 180
Graduate 36 54
Specialist 36 54
Doctorate 66 99

Additional MTL Notes

  • There is not extended eligibility for change in major, multiple majors or minors.
  • Maximum Time Limit is not the same policy as Florida’s Excess Hours legislation.

Determining SAP Status

Initial Review

  • New freshmen are meeting SAP during their first UWF semester. 
  • SAP status will be determined prior to the start of the first UWF semester for the following student classifications:
    • New transfer
    • Readmitted
    • New graduate

Subsequent Reviews

  • SAP statuses are calculated at the conclusion of each semester after the Office of the Registrar officially posts grades to students’ academic history, which is generally two to three business days after the semester ends. The Academic Calendar provides specific dates for Registrar’s end of term processing.
  • Institutional policies, such as Grade Forgiveness, cannot circumvent federal policy. Therefore, GPA and CR are calculated prior to the application of grade forgiveness.
  • An email notification will be forwarded if you need to improve your academic progress (i.e., SAP Warning).
  • An email notification will be forwarded if you become ineligible.

SAP Statuses Defined

  • See Counselor to Determine SAP: The system cannot determine your SAP status. You need to contact our office for resolution.
  • New – No Academic History: You are eligible for financial aid. You do not have any academic history in the degree level being pursued.
  • Maintaining Academic Progress: You are eligible for financial aid since you are meeting all the SAP Policy requirements.
  • SAP Warning: You are eligible for financial aid for your next semester of enrollment, but you have dropped below SAP requirements. You have one semester to improve to minimum requirements, or you will lose financial aid eligibility. There is not a warning period for maximum time limit.
  • Ineligible for Aid: You are not eligible for financial aid due to not meeting GPA and CR requirements for two consecutive semesters.
  • Maximum Time Limit: You are not eligible for financial aid due to exhausting the time-based component.
  • Maximum Time Limit Ineligible: After receiving an approved appeal, you are no longer meeting all components of the SAP Policy, and you are no longer eligible for financial aid.
  • Approved Pending Review: After receiving an appeal approval, the Satisfactory Academic Progress GPA and CR conditions are being reviewed to determine eligibility for the following semester.

Restoring Eligibility for GPA and CR

Students can restore financial aid eligibility by:

  • Raising their GPA or CR to the minimum requirements while utilizing another funding source or self-paying for coursework.
    • Students that successfully restore their GPA or CR through continued coursework must contact our office directly to establish previously cancelled financial aid or determine your eligibility for the aid year. It is not an automated process.
  • Successfully appealing with relevant documentation supporting extenuating circumstances that prevented academic success.

Restoring Eligibility for MTL

Students are no longer eligible for financial aid and cannot restore eligibility unless you meet one of the following:

  • You are working on a second degree at the same level as a previously earned degree (e.g., you have a conferred bachelor’s degree and are pursuing a second bachelor’s degree) Note: Associate degrees are excluded.
    • Submit the Maximum Time Limit Approval Form in your MyUWF. Search and select to locate the electronic form. Once the form is submitted, processing is completed within 3-5 business days.
  • Your published degree program requirements are in excess of the standard credit hour requirements (e.g., your bachelor’s degree requires 130 credit hours to graduate).
    • Our office will automatically update your MTL based on your degree program's published lengths that are in excess of the standard credit hour requirement. 

* Students with a Maximum Time Limit Ineligible status are unable to submit a second appeal.

Note: In limited circumstances, such as military service members, we may review an MTL status. For example, the service member is required to submit all transcripts for admission; however, credit hours earned at foreign schools are not transferable.

The SAP Appeal Process (Excluding MTL)

If you become ineligible for financial aid and are able to appeal your status, you may choose to submit a SAP appeal for committee review. The appeal form is available year-round; however, financial aid eligibility is not consistently reinstated during semesters. Therefore, semester deadlines are enforced. For your appeal to be considered for the approaching/current semester, an appeal with supporting documentation must be on file no later than the Friday at 5:00pm CT before the semester drop/add concludes. Please recall that you are fee liable for coursework once drop/add concludes, so you should take this into consideration when submitting your appeal. If your appeal is received and approved after the semester deadline, financial aid may be reinstated for your next semester of enrollment.

The appeal process and requirements are as follows:

  • You are emailed notification of your ineligibility due to SAP.
  • You are informed of your option to complete the Satisfactory Academic Appeal Form electronically available via your financial aid account, uwf.studentforms.com.
  • The deadline to submit an appeal for the current semester is the Friday at 5:00pm CT before the semester's drop/add concludes.
  • The appeal form is completed online, and you will be required to upload your self-certified Academic Improvement Plan and third-party supporting documentation.
    • A JPG file is an acceptable format to submit documents, but photographic images alone will not be accepted (e.g., a photo of damaged property).
  • To complete the self-certified Academic Improvement Plan, you must first meet with your academic advisor.
  • Once the appeal with supporting documentation is completed, you may submit for processing.
  • The SAP committee will review your appeal at the next available meeting, which occur bi-weekly during peak times (i.e., end of semester processing through the approaching semester's drop/add period). Meetings occur monthly during all other periods. 
  • Please note that, during peak times, we cannot guarantee that a SAP appeal will be approved by the time fees are due for the semester.
  • If the committee approves your SAP appeal to restore financial aid eligibility, there will be additional details forward and compliance standards to follow (i.e., SAP Appeal Agreement Letter).
  • If your appeal is denied, you must raise your GPA and/or CR to the minimum requirements before restoring eligibility.

Note: Late appeals will only be accepted in cases where the academic advisor failed to respond to the student. As the student, it is your responsibility to meet with your academic advisor so you can complete the Academic Improvement Plan. SAP appeal forms received after the deadline date will not be reviewed for the current semester, no exception unless University error or on-campus housing implications. Late appeals will be reviewed for the subsequent semester.

Additional Considerations

  • The committee decision is final; no exceptions.
  • You are allowed one approved appeal per degree program.
    • Limited exceptions may occur depending on unusual circumstances for instances such as, but not limited to, length of time between last date of attendance or University error.
  • You are tuition- and fee-liable for your semester of enrollment.
  • If your SAP appeal is approved, financial aid will be restored based on the current available funding.
  • If you were placed on Academic Suspension, your appeal will not be considered. Your suspension must be resolved, and you must be reinstated to UWF prior to appealing your SAP status.
  • If you are not meeting the conditions of your SAP Appeal Agreement Letter and are not otherwise meeting SAP standards, you are ineligible for financial aid and cannot appeal again.

SAP Appeal Requirements and Documentation for GPA and CR

Requirements

To submit a SAP appeal, you must explain the extenuating circumstances during the specific semesters of enrollment that prevented you from meeting SAP standards. You must also explain what has changed in your situation that will allow you to make the SAP standards moving forward.

Extenuating circumstances are characterized as circumstances beyond your control that impacted your ability to successfully maintain SAP standards. Examples include but are not limited to:

  • Natural disaster
  • Student illness or injury
  • Illness, injury, or death of a student’s family member

Documentation Required

  • Personal statement
  • A self-certified Academic Improvement Plan (template provided within the SAP appeal form)
  • Supporting, third-party documentation. Third-party documentation is provided in a professional capacity by an individual or individuals not related to you. Examples include but are not limited to:
    • Medical records
    • Statements from medical doctors or psychologists
    • Death certificates or obituaries
    • Police reports

Note: Additional details provided within the SAP appeal form. Any appeals received without the above documentation will be automatically denied.