Satisfactory Academic Progress
| Applies to: | Original Policy Date: | Date of Last Review: | Approved by: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Student Aid | October 25, 2017 | July 31, 2025 | Dr. John Nicklow, President |
Policy Owner: Financial Aid
Policy Purpose
In accordance with 34 CFR § 668.34, this policy establishes standards and processes to ensure federal financial aid recipients maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) in their degree programs.
Policy Scope
This policy applies to all Florida Tech students in all academic programs who receive federal financial aid, as well as Title IV administrators involved in SAP monitoring and appeals processing.
Policy Statement
Students must meet minimum SAP standards to continue receiving Title IV aid. If a student becomes ineligible, they may appeal or continue courses using other payment methods until standards are met, at which point aid can be reinstated.
Procedures/Guidelines
Academic records of first-time degree-seeking students at Florida Tech are considered sufficient for federal financial aid application. To remain eligible, continuing students must meet minimum academic progress standards. Florida Tech applies these standards equally across undergraduate and graduate students in all academic programs. Students with multiple majors are reviewed based on their primary major's requirements. For students earning a second bachelor's or master's degree, transfer and institutional earned hours at that same degree level are used in aid eligibility calculations.
Minimum Academic Progress Standards
Grade point average (GPA):
- Undergraduate students are required to achieve and maintain a cumulative GPA of 0 or higher.
- Master’s-level graduate students are required to achieve and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or
- Doctoral students are required to achieve and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher.
- Cumulative GPA is calculated by dividing total grade points earned at Florida Tech by total credit hours attempted. GPA calculations are not rounded and are truncated at the second decimal.
- Withdrawn, remedial, and pass/no credit courses are not included in GPA calculations.
- Courses with grades of F, I, AU, W, and NR are not considered successfully completed and receive 0 GPA points per credit hour.
- Undergraduate students have five grade forgiveness opportunities to repeat a D or F course, replacing the previous grade in GPA calculation (though not from the transcript).
- In rare cases, approved grade removals due to program changes designated DCM ('D' Change of Major) or FCM ('F' Change of Major) will be excluded from GPA calculation.
Hours completed: All students must satisfactorily complete 75% of their cumulative attempted hours. This is calculated by dividing attempted hours by successfully completed hours.
- Courses with grades of F, I, AU, W, or those without credit under a pass/no credit option, are attempted but not satisfactorily completed.
- Courses taken in a previous program or designated DCM ('D' Change of Major) or FCM ('F' Change of Major) are used in the calculation, with DCM counting as successfully completed and FCM not.
- Accepted transfer credits are included in both total hours earned and total hours attempted for continuing students.
- Graduate students earning a D grade will have the course counted as 0 hours satisfactorily completed.
Maximum time limits: All students must complete their degree program within 150% of the required credit hours. All courses considered in hours completed contribute to maximum time limits. Students become ineligible for Title IV aid if it's mathematically impossible to complete their program within the maximum timeframe.
- Undergraduate programs, generally 120 credit hours, are expected to be completed within 180 attempted credit hours, including transfer credits.
- Graduate program requirements vary from 36-54 credit hours and may include prerequisite coursework. Students are generally expected to complete their graduate program within 80 credit hours, including prerequisites.
- PhD programs, generally 80 credit hours, require completion within 120 attempted credit hours, including transfer hours. An exception is made for doctoral students in the clinical psychology program, allowing 160 credit hours for a minimum of 108 credit hours.
Calculation Frequency
Semester-based students are evaluated for SAP at the end of each semester. This includes students concurrently enrolled in 8-week Florida Tech Online courses. A warning semester is given to improve academic performance. Achieving the minimum standard by the end of the warning term places the student in good standing. Failure to meet the standard results in Title IV aid ineligibility until the standard is met with non-Title IV aid or a successful SAP appeal is submitted. Students with grade changes or academic record updates may request a re-evaluation, at the Financial Aid office's discretion, which must be completed before the end of the payment period of ineligibility and only applies to the current payment period.
Students enrolled in eight-week term programs are evaluated once per borrower-based academic year (BBAY). If a student fails to meet minimum SAP standards at the end of their BBAY, they are ineligible for Title IV aid until the minimum standard is met using non-Title IV aid, or a successful SAP appeal is submitted
Appeals
Students declared ineligible may appeal under certain circumstances, such as sudden severe illness, serious accidents, family tragedy, or loss of a loved one. Students are responsible for providing detailed information, dates, and documentation to the Office of Financial Aid. Notification of appeal ability and instructions are provided in the Satisfactory Academic Progress notification email. Students are notified of the appeal decision via their Florida Tech email.
Successful Appeal Consideration
A successful appeal requires consideration of:
- Mitigating circumstances that led to academic performance falling below SAP standards
- Successful resolution of those circumstances
- Potential to meet minimum academic progress measures and
- Proper appeal documentation.
Disputes with instructors or course materials are not considered extenuating circumstances.
Required Documentation
Proper documentation includes:
- SAP Appeal form
- Third-party corroborating documentation and
- An outline of future steps the student will take to meet SAP requirements (e.g., using campus resources or private tutoring).
Appeal Deadline
All complete appeals must be submitted by the close of business on Friday of the first week of classes. Late or incomplete submissions may be denied.
Approved Appeals and Academic Plan
Approved appeals necessitate adherence to a prescribed Academic Plan. Terms are case-by-case and may require a higher GPA or completion rate than SAP standard, graduation by a specific date, or regular visits to support centers. Academic plans are emailed to students, and students must agree to probationary terms for aid reinstatement.
Subsequent Appeals and Reinstatement
Subsequent appeals for the same circumstances will not be approved. The Financial Aid office may issue a final determination for repeated SAP failures or multiple appeals, preventing further appeals for the current term or remainder of the program. Students on an Academic Plan are evaluated at the end of each payment period; adhering to the plan keeps students in good standing, even if not yet meeting minimum standards. Failure to meet the Academic Plan while not yet meeting minimum standards results in aid ineligibility. Students who decline the academic plan or choose not to appeal can continue without financial aid. Ineligible students are assessed at the end of each payment period and are placed in good standing once minimum SAP standards are met. The Office of Financial Aid reviews appeals and makes final determinations.
Definitions
Borrower Based Academic Year: An academic period that follows a student’s enrollment and progress, dictating when they can receive federal student loans. Under a BBAY, undergraduates must complete 24 credit hours and graduate students 18 credit hours to qualify for their next year's loan funding. BBAYs can exceed 12 months and may not coincide with academic calendars.
Compliance Reference
34 CFR § 668.34
Responsibilities
Students are responsible for making Satisfactory Academic Progress to remain eligible for federal financial aid.
The Office of Financial Aid is responsible for evaluating satisfactory academic progress and reviewing appeals.
Enforcement
Students who fail to make Satisfactory Academic Progress, as described in this policy, risk becoming ineligible for federal financial aid.
Failing to monitor student satisfactory academic progress and/or administer Title IV funds appropriately based on SAP could result in additional oversight from the Department of Education, restrictions on Title IV Participation and/or administrative fines for Florida Tech.