Satisfactory Academic Progress

Per federal regulations from the Department of Education, all students are required to maintain satisfactory academic progress in order to remain eligible for financial aid. The financial aid programs affected include, but are not limited to, all federal, state, and institutional aid, and private education loans. To comply with this federal regulation, the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) has established requirements of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), as detailed below.

Financial Aid SAP is reviewed annually at the end of each spring semester. If you don’t meet the SAP requirements listed below at the time of review, you will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension and must appeal to have your financial aid reinstated for upcoming semesters at UNI.

Please note: The Financial Aid SAP policy is separate from the Office of the Registrar Academic Standing Policy. If you’re on Academic Probation or Suspension, contact the Office of the Registrar with questions. Students on Academic Suspension may need to appeal their SAP standing upon re-admission to UNI.

‌SAP Appeal Form

‌SAP Plan of Study (PDF)

SAP Frequently Asked Questions

SAP Requirements

GPA

Minimum GPA

Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA. Transfer GPA is included.

Undergraduate and 2nd BA students: 2.0 cumulative GPA
Graduate students: 3.0 cumulative GPA

Pace

Pace of Progression

Students must complete at least 67% of all credit hours attempted at UNI (pace of progression is rounded up when calculating, so the actual required percentage is 66.49%).

Only grades of A, B, C, D, X, CR, P, or RC are counted as completed.
Failed classes, withdrawn classes, incompletes, and no credit count as attempted but not completed and negatively impact the SAP calculation.
Most transfer credits are not included in the pace calculation, with the exception of Study Abroad, National Student Exchange, and credits transferred under a consortium agreement.
The credit hours from a repeated course are included in the calculation every time the class is taken.

Two students sitting in class. One looking at laptop, one writing in notebook.

Maximum Timeframe

Maximum Time to Complete a Degree

Students must complete their degree within 150% of the credit hours required for the degree per the academic catalog.

This calculation includes all attempted credits hours, including transfer credits.

Maximum Time Example: If your degree requires 120 credits to graduate, 150% of your degree requirements is 180 (120 X 150% = 180). For this example, your financial aid would be suspended if you did not complete your degree before attempting 180 credits.

Graduation ceremony; we can see the top of a students graduation cap that says and off she went to change the world

Reinstatement of Financial Aid

If you’re placed on Financial Aid Suspension, you have the opportunity to complete an SAP Appeal and/or have your previous grades reviewed by the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships. Below are the options for aid reinstatement:

Option 1: Complete an SAP Appeal

Financial Aid SAP Appeals must demonstrate extenuating circumstances that impeded your ability to make progress academically. All appeals must be accompanied by third party documentation of the circumstances encountered, as well as a signed academic plan of study. Please see below for more information on the appeal process.

Option 2: Meet All SAP Requirements

If you do not wish to complete the appeal, you may wait until you've improved your academic progress and contact our office to review your academic record. You will not be reinstated under this condition until following the completion of an entire semester of coursework. MBA students must complete module 1.

‌Option 3: Review of Grade Changes

If you’ve experienced grade changes that may reinstate your aid eligibility, contact the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships to have your academic progress reviewed. Review of grade changes must occur before the end of the semester/academic year in which you are appealing for aid.

SAP Appeal

If your financial aid has been suspended due to not meeting the SAP requirements, we strongly encourage you to complete an appeal. To avoid processing delays, submit your appeal as soon as possible. Appeals must be submitted by Oct. 1 for the fall semester and March 1 for the spring semester. Late appeals may not be accepted. No appeals will be accepted after the semester has ended.

Appeals are evaluated on an individual basis. While there is no limit on the number of times you can complete an appeal, multiple appeals may be difficult to approve. In these cases, significant documentation of extenuating circumstances should be submitted for evaluation. Reinstatement of financial aid is contingent upon the availability of the funds at the time the appeal is approved.

‌SAP Appeal Documents:

SAP Appeal Form
Plan of Study
Appeal essay
Third party documentation

Recommendations for Appeal

While there is no length requirement for the appeal essay, your essay should include enough detail to explain the extenuating circumstances, as well as what steps you have taken to allow for future academic success (e.g., working with a doctor or counselor, changing work hours, meeting with an academic advisor or success coach, attending tutoring/academic support sessions, etc.).
The Plan of Study should be completed with your academic advisor and your advisor must sign the plan. If your advisor is unable to sign the Plan of Study, they may email the plan to our office using their UNI email address.
Third party documentation is not always required, but you are strongly encouraged to submit supporting documentation with your appeal. Lack of documentation may cause your appeal to be delayed or denied.
Contact the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships with questions or concerns about the appeal process.

Third Party Documentation Examples

Documentation is an important piece of the SAP Appeal process and can help support what you discuss in your essay and strengthen your overall appeal. Examples include, but are not limited to:

Serious injury/illness of the student and/or immediate family:

Letter from physician
Copies of medical records confirming injury/illness and time period

Mental or emotional stress:

Letter from a counselor or physician
Copies of medical records

Death in the family:

Copy of death certificate
Complete funeral program
Obituary

Legal Issues:

Court documents
Police reports

Extreme financial issues:

Layoff notices
Foreclosure notices
Court documents
Other legal documents

Other:

Documentation from someone familiar with your circumstances (e.g., academic advisor, support services staff, success coach, etc.)

Appeal Process

Once our office receives all of your appeal documents, it may take between 3-7 business days to review and process your appeal. You will receive an email from our office with our decision regarding your appeal once your appeal has been processed.

If your appeal is approved, your financial aid will be reinstated and you will be placed on financial aid probation status. You are eligible for financial aid while on probation status.

Financial Aid Probation

Financial Aid Probation is available for a maximum of one semester if your SAP Appeal has been approved. While on probation status, you must continue to adhere to the Financial Aid SAP Policy and any other conditions listed on the appeal approval notice.

Students on probation status are reviewed at the end of each semester and must meet the SAP requirements during that semester. This means you must complete at least 67% of the credits you attempted that semester and your semester GPA must meet the SAP standard (2.0 for undergraduates or 3.0 for graduate students). If you do not meet these semester requirements (and your cumulative GPA and pace of progression are also below the standards), your financial aid will be suspended and you must complete another SAP appeal to request to have your financial aid reinstated for the next semester.

Financial Aid Academic Plan

If you are not able to achieve minimum SAP standards within one semester after being placed on probation status, you will be placed on an Academic Plan status. While on the Academic Plan status, you must meet all SAP standards each semester. We will continue to check your academic record each semester until you have met the minimum cumulative standards or you fail to meet the semester requirements. If you fail to meet the appeal conditions, you will revert to Financial Aid Suspension status and must appeal to have your aid reinstated.

Once you have reached the minimum cumulative standards and are meeting all SAP requirements, you will only be reviewed at the conclusion of each spring semester, along with all other current students.

Denied Appeals

If your SAP appeal is denied, you may continue attending UNI by paying out-of-pocket or by exploring alternative private education loan options. You must check with private lenders to determine if they offer loans to students not meeting SAP requirements. You may also use our historical lender tool and use the filter to find private loan lenders that do not require Satisfactory Academic Progress. If you meet all of the SAP standards in the future, you must contact the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships to request a review of your financial aid status.

SAP Frequently Asked Questions

How do I submit my appeal documents?

There are multiple options for submitting appeal documents. The SAP Appeal is an online appeal form and you may upload the Plan of Study and third party documentation directly into the form. You may also submit documents via email, fax, mail, or dropping them off at the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships.

Email: jennifer.sullivan@uni.edu
Fax: 319-273-6950
Mail: 105 Gilchrist Hall, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0024

Does financial aid suspension prevent me from registering or attending for classes?

No, financial aid suspension does not prevent you from registering for or attending classes. However, there may be other holds on your account that would prevent enrollment, such as academic suspension or a past due bill hold.

Does the SAP policy relate to my academic standing (academic probation/suspension)?

No. The SAP Policy is separate from the Office of the Registrar Academic Standing Policy. SAP determines financial aid eligibility and is unrelated to academic standing.

How does academic forgiveness impact SAP?

SAP is not reset because of academic forgiveness. Per federal regulations, total enrollment history is taken into account and all previously attempted credits and grades are included when SAP is evaluated.

How do my transfer credits affect my SAP standing?

Transfer credits are included in your total cumulative GPA, and count toward the maximum time to complete a degree. Most transfer credits do not count toward the pace of progression requirement, with the exception of credits earned through Study Abroad, National Student Exchange, and credits transferred under a consortium agreement.

How are repeated courses evaluated for SAP?

Repeated courses are included in the SAP calculation each time you take the course. Repeated course hours are counted as completed the first time the course is passed. Other times the course is taken, the hours are counted as attempted but not completed, which negatively affects your pace of progression.

Am I eligible for a Private Education Loan if I'm not meeting SAP standards?

It depends. Financial aid suspension applies to all types of financial aid, including private education loans. However, if you complete an appeal and your appeal is denied, you may explore private education loan options to pay your university bill, as long as the private loan lender allows students to receive loans while not meeting SAP.

How is SAP impacted if I've changed my major or completed a degree?

SAP calculations include all semesters of enrollment and are only reset when you officially complete a degree. If you change your major, it does not reset the calculations and courses from your previous major will still be included. If you complete a degree and start a new degree, your SAP calculation will be reset and will restart the first semester of your new degree.

Examples:

An undergraduate student starts at UNI in the Fall 2018 semester as a biology major. However, they decide to switch their major to Interior Design starting with the Spring 2021 semester. Although this student has switched majors, their SAP calculations will not reset because they have not completed a degree.
A student completes an undergraduate degree at UNI and graduates in the spring semester. This student then starts a graduate program at UNI the following fall semester. Their SAP calculation will be reset once they graduate and will start again with the first semester of their new program.

How do I complete the Plan of Study?

You must meet with your academic advisor to complete the Plan of Study. This is a tentative plan for each semester until graduation to ensure you will be able to complete degree requirements. If you are a deciding major or changing majors, you may meet with an advisor in the Office of Academic Advising.

The Plan of Study must be signed by an academic advisor (or emailed from the advisor’s email address) and must include an expected graduation date.

If you are within 30 credit hours of graduating, you may meet with a record analyst in the Office of the Registrar. The record analyst may submit a signed copy of your advisement report and confirm your expected graduation date.

What if I’m waiting for an incomplete grade to be updated? Do I still need to appeal?

If you are waiting on a grade change, you may contact our office once the grade has been updated and we can review your account to determine if you are now meeting the SAP requirements. We are not notified of grade changes, so you must contact us if you would like us to review your account.

However, it is generally recommended to submit an SAP Appeal instead of waiting for a grade change as the appeal process is usually quicker.

Is there a limit on how many times I can complete an SAP appeal?

No, there is no limit to the number of appeals you can submit. However, multiple appeals may be more difficult to approve and third party documentation should be included to help strengthen your appeal.