Maintaining Your Eligibility
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
In order to be eligible for federal aid or HOPE, a student must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Three standards are used to measure Satisfactory Academic Progress:
- Students must maintain a 2.0 or above cumulative grade point average. Learning support classes are included in the GPA calculation for financial aid purposes.
- Students must complete at least 67% of courses attempted. The system does not "round-up" completed hours. If a student attempts 12 hours but only completes 8, the completion rate is 66.6%. That student would not be meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy. Learning support classes are included in the completion ratio calculation for financial aid purposes.
- Students must complete their program of study in a reasonable time frame. The maximum time frame allowed for a student to complete their program of study is 150% of the total credit hours required for the program. All transfer credit hours accepted by CSU are included in the total credit hours regardless of whether the courses are required for the student’s course of study.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) will be evaluated at the end of each semester. Students who do not meet the SAP policy will be notified by email and regular mail of their ineligibility. Although SAP is evaluated at the end of each semester, the process includes all course work previously attempted at ALL institutions including Clayton State University.
Appeal Process
If there are extenuating circumstances that prevented a student from meeting the SAP policy, a written financial aid appeal can be submitted to the Financial Aid Office. Students cannot appeal if they have exceeded the maximum time frame for their program of study (#3).
Appeals can be submitted in person, by mail, or by email (FinancialAid@clayton.edu). Students should submit their written appeals to the Financial Aid Office and must address both of the following items:
- The extenuating circumstances that contributed to the student not meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy.
- The actions that have been taken to change the circumstances and to improve academic status.
All appeals are reviewed at the end of semester after final grades are posted. It can take up to 7 business days after grades are posted for an appeal to be reviewed. During peak times such as registration and the first week of classes, the process can take longer than the normal 7 days. Once the review is complete, the student will be notified by email and by mail.
Approved Appeals
If the appeal is approved, all students must adhere to the conditions stated in their appeal approval letter. There will be no exceptions.
In all cases the continuance of a student’s financial aid is contingent upon completing and submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by the established deadlines. Students must apply for financial aid for each academic year, which begins with Fall Semester.
Students who violate their appeal will have their financial aid cancelled, and the appeal will be revoked. These students will not be eligible to receive financial aid again until all terms of the Standards of Academic Progress (SAP) Policy are being met.
Denied or Revoked Appeals
If the appeal is denied or revoked, students are not eligible to receive financial aid until all terms of the Standards of Academic Progress (SAP) Policy are being met. Once a student is meeting the SAP guidelines, he or she will be removed from appeal status. Students who have a revoked or denied appeal may appeal to the Director of Financial Aid.
Receiving All F's
The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) requires all colleges/universities participating in the Federal Title IV program to verify the attendance of all students receiving financial aid that receive the grade "F" in all classes enrolled for a term. DOE makes the assumption that students receiving "F's" in all their classes are really "no show" students at the school and therefore not eligible to receive financial aid.
In the effort to be in compliance with DOE, if a student received “Fs” in all their classes for a term, the Office of Financial Aid at the end of the term will contact the instructors to get either the last date of attendance or the last date of activity for that student. If a student actually earned all ‘Fs’, no action will be taken. However, if a student actually attended classes and did not officially withdraw, thus earning all ‘Fs’, the Office of Financial Aid will perform a Return to Title IV (R2T4) calculation to determine how much money, if any, the student owes.