SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS
Policy
Federal regulations, HEA Sec. 484(c), §668.16, 668.34, require all schools participating in Title IV federal financial aid programs to have a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy that conforms to the requirements detailed below. These requirements apply to all students as one determinant of eligibility for financial aid.
● SAP is calculated at the end of each academic year after grades have been posted to academic history by the Records Office.
● If your SAP status is Failure after the check is performed, you will not qualify for financial aid for the following term.
● If your SAP status is Failure and you cannot mathematically attain SAP requirements, an appeal will not be permissible. Documented mitigating circumstances may allow continued eligibility on a case-by-case basis and will require an academic plan.
● A student may appeal their SAP Failure status, but approval is on a case by case basis, as determined by the Director of Financial Aid. If an appeal is denied, then the decision is final and cannot be changed. Documented mitigating circumstances may allow additional appeals on a case-by-case basis if a student regains eligibility only to lose it again.
● A student that fails SAP and either does not appeal or the appeal is denied, will be ineligible for any federal financial aid until such time as they meet the SAP requirements.
● Specific SAP information, as well as appeal instructions, can be found by visiting: Satisfactory Academic Progress | Chaminade University – Chaminade University of Honolulu
Quantitative and Qualitative Requirements
1. Quantitative Requirement
The quantitative requirement has two parts:
● A maximum time frame
● A required completion ratio
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
Maximum time frame (maximum attempted credit hours) – You must earn your degree before reaching 180 attempted credit hours, which includes transferrable credits attempted at any school prior to and while enrolled at Chaminade University of Honolulu (CUH). Students who are seeking a second undergraduate degree different from their first degree at CUH can appeal the maximum time frame requirement.
Once you reach the maximum attempted credit hours, you are no longer eligible for financial aid as an undergraduate student.
Completion Ratio – You must complete and pass at least 67% of all credits you attempt. Courses earned include grades of A, B, C, D, or CR (credit/pass). Courses attempted include any course in which grades of A, B, C, D, F, W, I, IP, or NC (no credit) are given. If a student receives an incomplete grade, SAP may be recalculated if the incomplete changes to a letter grade.
GRADUATE STUDENTS
Maximum time frame – Graduate students must complete the academic program within a maximum timeframe that cannot exceed 200% of the total credits needed to complete the academic program. Total credits attempted cannot exceed 200% of the published number of credits needed to earn the degree.
Once you reach the maximum attempted credit hours, you are no longer eligible for financial aid as a graduate student.
Completion Ratio – You must earn at least 50% of all attempted credit hours. Courses earned include grades of A, B, C, D, or CR (credit/pass). Courses attempted include any course in which grades of A, B, C, D, F, W, I, IP, or NC (no credit) are given. If a student receives an incomplete grade, SAP may be recalculated if the incomplete changes to a letter grade.
2. Qualitative Requirement
The qualitative requirements set a minimum cumulative Grade Point Average for all students. The cumulative GPA includes grades of A, B, C, D, and F. The cumulative GPA will be checked each academic year for SAP.
Undergraduate Students – The cumulative GPA requirement is 2.00 for each term. Exception: Undergraduate NUR students must meet a minimum GPA requirement of 2.5
Graduate Students – The cumulative GPA requirement is 3.00 for each term.
The cumulative GPA is evaluated at the institutional level. Students not meeting the minimum GPA requirements at the end of the academic year will be subject to SAP failure status, as applicable.
POLICY DETAILS
When is SAP determined?
● Initial Review – You are considered to be meeting SAP during your first CUH term.
● End of Every Academic Year Review- Your SAP status is calculated at the end of each academic year,, after grades are posted to your academic history by the Record's Office.
What happens when you do not meet the requirements?
● You are no longer eligible for federal financial aid – including federal FAFSA work study, loans, grants, or scholarships.
● Because you do not qualify for financial aid, you must pay your tuition and fees by the payment deadline or your registration may be subject to cancellation for the term.
● You are notified via the Self-Service Portal when you have failed SAP and you can appeal by either following the link for instructions, or by contacting the Financial Aid Office.
Maximum Time Frame (maximum attempted credit hours) – When you have attempted the maximum credit hours, you are no longer eligible to receive financial aid.
Is there extended eligibility for a 2nd bachelor’s degree? – Yes. Students pursuing a 2nd bachelor's degree are granted additional eligibility for maximum timeframe.
Is there extended eligibility for a 2nd master’s/graduate degree? - Yes. Eligibility is based on the degree level being pursued.
Low Completion Ratio –
● Failure Status – If you do not meet the required completion ratio, your status becomes Failure Status. You are no longer eligible to receive financial aid until the required standards are met. You must successfully appeal to regain eligibility. Appeals are not guaranteed and reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
● Probation Status – After being placed on a Failure Status, AND a student has successfully appealed and financial aid has been reinstated, the student is eligible to receive financial aid. This status is only for one term and quite often will carry conditions and/or stipulations for continued eligibility. An agreement for conditions will be signed between the student and the Director. If the student fails to meet the conditions, then they will be put back on Failure Status, ineligible for appeal. In this situation, with very rare exceptions, a student may appeal again, but the mitigating circumstances must warrant as determined by the Director of Financial Aid.
How do you regain eligibility?
● SAP Appeal – If mitigating circumstances during a specific term of enrollment prevented you from meeting the requirements, you may file an SAP Appeal.
Appeal Requirements:
● A typed or written explanation of mitigating circumstances associated with Failure Status. Indicate how these circumstances have changed so that you can comply with regulations in the future. Attach supporting documents to corroborate mitigating circumstances mentioned in the letter.
● Include a “student plan of action” for academic improvement. This requires that you meet with your academic advisor and create a plan for getting back in good academic standing.
● Attach at least one letter of support from someone that can substantiate the mitigating circumstances. This individual should not be a family member. Examples would include a medical doctor, clergy, professional, professor, etc.
● The appeal form must be submitted to the Financial Aid Office within the prescribed dates as noted on the SAP Appeal Form. Failure to provide these within the prescribed dates will result in a delayed determination.
● The Director of Financial Aid reviews all appeals and makes a decision based on the documents received. The decision of the Director is final and cannot be appealed further.
Appeal Denials or Non-appeals – If you are denied an appeal, or you decide not to appeal, you must complete the necessary hours and earn the appropriate grades. Once you have reached the prescribed standards you become eligible to receive financial aid.
You change from undergraduate to graduate – If you reach Failure Status as an undergraduate, and then are admitted to a graduate degree program, you will be eligible to receive financial aid as a graduate student. You must be in a degree-seeking status and fully accepted into the graduate program.
Academic Circumstances that Affect Your Status:
● Changes in major, double majors or minors – may cause you to reach your maximum attempted hours, and lose your eligibility before earning a degree.
● Incomplete grades, missing grades, failing grades, course withdrawals all reduce your completion ratio, because they are counted as attempted, but not earned credits. They also count against your maximum attempted hours.
● Repeated courses – count as attempted credit hours each time you register for them. They also count against the allowed maximum. This can also reduce your completion ratio because repeated credits count as earned credits only once. NOTE: The U. S. Dept. of Education allows only one retake for Title IV credit.
● Academic Renewal – count against your maximum attempted credits, and also lower your completion ratio because the credits count as attempted but not earned.
● Transfer credits, credits taken while cross-registered, enrolled in study abroad, transient study – in some instances may be included toward your maximum attempted credits and your completion ratio.
● Remedial courses – count as attempted and earned credits and are included in the GPA calculation.
● Late posted grades or grade changes - Once notification is received from the Record’s Office of grade changes, the SAP status will be recalculated.
● Dismissal and Return – students who are suspended academically or choose not to attend because of SAP Failure will not be automatically eligible for financial aid upon their return. Students must meet both qualitative and quantitative standards of SAP. If not meeting standards, a student must appeal or use means other than federal financial aid for educational expenses. Absence does not restore eligibility for financial aid. It remains the responsibility of the student to be knowledgeable of their SAP standard when returning to school after dismissal or choosing not to return because of SAP Failure.
● Summer Term Courses – all hours attempted and completed in the summer sessions are treated as any other semester credits in determining SAP status. SAP will be checked at the end of the academic year including the summer sessions as well.
● Audit Courses – students are not eligible to receive financial aid for audit courses. Audited courses are not included in hours attempted or earned for SAP determination.
● Students pursuing dual bachelor's/master's degrees - Students who are pursuing dual degrees are subject to the maximum time frame rules but may be reviewed on a case by case basis by the Financial Aid Office.
The Financial Aid Office reserves the right to review denied appeals, cumulative GPAs, and completion rates on a case by case basis.
RETAKING COURSEWORK
Federal regulations define how financial aid can be used for classes taken more than once.
You CAN receive federal financial aid:
● To repeat a course that has already been passed (D- or higher) only one additional time, unless the second attempt results in a W. Then a third attempt can receive payment of financial aid.
● To repeat a course that you have failed a first time. If the course is failed (F) a second time, then no aid can be paid out for retaking it a third time.
● If the repeat course is not a true repeat as it is a one of the few ‘Special Topics’ classes, which are different classes under the same course code.
All courses previously taken, even if financial aid was not used, are compared against the current semester to determine if it is a repeated class and whether it can be paid for using financial aid. Your financial aid may be recalculated if you take a class that is not eligible for financial aid. This policy does not provide exceptions if the repeat courses are taken to meet plan of study grade requirements, i.e. a grade of C or higher must be earned to count towards your major.
The repeat coursework rules only apply to undergraduate students. Repeating a course can also impact your Satisfactory Academic Progress status (SAP). All grades count for SAP and all hours attempted and earned count as well. PLEASE NOTE: If you have questions regarding your courses and repeat coursework, please contact the Financial Aid Office. The rules for repeat coursework are quite complex and your individual situation will need to be reviewed.
PRORATION
Per federal regulation CUH is required to prorate a dependent or independent undergraduate student's annual Stafford loan limits, when they are enrolled for less than a full academic year and will graduate in the same academic year. This mostly will affect students that will graduate from their program of study at the end of the fall term.
Loan Proration Formula:
● Number of credits the student has enrolled in / number of credits in an academic year (24) X annual Stafford loan limit
EX:
Student enrolls in the Fall semester for 15 credits before completing their degree.
18 credits / 24 credits in a year = 0.75 or 75%
75% x $5,500 annual loan limit = $4,125 loan eligibility
OVER/UNDER AWARDS
Students at CUH are awarded based on estimated full-time enrollment (12 credit hours). Once drop/add ends, the Financial Aid Office will adjust any enrollment dependent aid if the student’s enrollment changed from when aid was first disbursed. The resulting change can create an over or under award situation and aid is adjusted accordingly. These changes may result in an increase or decrease to the student’s balance with the Business Office.
COURSE PROGRAM OF STUDY
The Department of Education requires schools to identify the courses that may be included in the calculation of enrollment (Full-time, 3/4-time, 1/2-time, and less than half-time) for award and disbursement of Federal Funds.
● To summarize, these regulations include the following key points:
o Courses must count towards the student's degree or certificate
o Eligible remedial courses may be included conditionally
o ESL courses may be included conditionally
o Only one repeat of a previously passed course maybe included
o A withdrawal from a course does not count as an attempt of a previously passed course
o Courses that must be repeated due to failure of another course cannot be included in enrollment calculation.
o ESL courses may be included if part of an eligible program
o Courses do not need to be at secondary school level
o Do not count towards the one academic year's worth of Remedial/Developmental courses
The Financial Aid Office will review these items prior to payment of federal aid.
PRE/POST-SCREENING
Students at CUH are awarded based on their current NSLDS record, which reflects their federal loan borrowing history at the time of receipt. However, the records may not always be accurate due to timing. Therefore, Chaminade will conduct a pre-screening process to capture students who may potentially be approaching or exceeding their aggregate loan borrowing limit. The intent is to capture any overawards prior to the disbursement of aid to prevent any unnecessary return of funds. In addition, a post-screening process is conducted to capture any student who may have inadvertently exceeded their aggregate borrowing limit. These students are identified as a result of updated NSLDS records pushed to the institution by the Department of Education. The resulting change in a student’s loan borrowing history can create an overaward and aid will be adjusted accordingly.