What is Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)?
Federal regulations require that Pratt Munson monitor the qualitative (cumulative GPA) or quantitative (completion of credits required) standards of academic progress for students who apply for and/or receive federal financial aid. To remain eligible for financial aid at Pratt Munson, recipients are required to show Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) toward a degree according to the guidelines listed in the Satisfactory Academic Progress Chart below.
Students who fall behind in their coursework or fail to achieve minimum standards for qualitative and quantitative measures may lose their eligibility for all types of federal and state aid and institutional aid administered.
Qualitative Measure
Each student receiving financial aid is expected to successfully complete all of their classes with good grades to continue receiving financial aid payments. A student must maintain at least the minimum cumulative GPA for their particular degree of study to be consistent with the requirements for graduation.
Quantitative Measure
In order to maintain financial aid eligibility, the maximum number of attempted credits for completion of a degree is 150 percent of the required credits for that particular degree. Pratt Munson will review each student’s eligibility at the end of each year. If the student has exceeded the maximum number of attempted credits for their degree program, they will no longer be eligible for financial aid (grants or loans) during any future semesters.
- The maximum number of “attempted credits” for completion of a four-year undergraduate degree is 201 credits.
How does SAP work?
The Financial Aid Office determines this eligibility after the submission of spring semester grades (once a year). Undergraduate students who do not meet the minimum requirements for continuance on federal aid according to this policy will be notified of their status by the Financial Aid Office during the month of June.
What are the statuses if a student fails to meet the SAP requirements?
Probation
A student will receive this flag the first time they fail to meet the minimum requirements for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and will remain eligible for financial aid with this status during the next semester of enrollment. At the end of the probationary semester, the student is expected to meet the SAP requirements to remain eligible for financial aid in future semesters.
Unsatisfactory
A student will receive this flag if the SAP requirements are not met after one semester of probation, making them ineligible for financial aid. Please note that a student must meet all SAP criteria (GPA, completed credits, and maximum time frame) to regain eligibility for aid once they are flagged as unsatisfactory.
How can a student regain financial aid eligibility after failing to meet SAP requirements?
Students who fail to meet the qualitative and/or quantitative standards outlined in the Satisfactory Academic Progress Chart can enroll in a summer session, in order to complete the necessary credits and/or improve the GPA needed to meet the SAP requirements, without receiving financial aid, in a subsequent semester.
- Progress standards for part-time students are prorated based upon the criteria above.
- Qualifying transfer credits are counted as both attempted and earned credits but have no effect on the GPA.
- Grades of W (Withdrawal), WD (Unofficial Withdrawal), and INC (Incomplete) are counted as credits attempted but not completed and do not affect the GPA.
- Repeated classes will count only once towards credits completed. A student may receive aid for a repeated class that has been successfully completed once.
- Students may not receive Federal aid for classwork that exceeds 150% of their degree requirements.
- Any departmental requirements that exceed these standards must be adhered to for the purposes of evaluating SAP.
- The College will recalculate SAP continuously throughout the year to account for late grade submittals, grade changes, etc.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Charts - Undergraduate Students
Standards for Federal Financial Aid Programs
| SAP Completion Requirements | SAP GPA Requirements | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Credits Attempted | Number of Credits Earned | Total Credits Earned | Cumulative GPA Required |
| 0-29 | 50% | 0-29 | 1.8 |
| 30 or more | 67% | 30 or more | 2.0 |
New York State Education Department Standards
To receive financial aid awards from New York State, including undergraduate Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) funding, students must meet the academic standing requirements as defined by the New York State Education Department. These requirements are different from those set forth by the Federal government and are applicable only to New York State awards.
The basic measures for good academic standing for TAP Awards include the following:
Pursuit of Program
A student must receive a passing or failing grade (A-F) in a certain percentage of courses each term.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
A student must accumulate a specified number of credits and achieve a specified cumulative GPA.
The requirements for meeting these standards increase as the student progresses and is based upon the number of State awards that the student has already received. Students failing to meet the required criteria are eligible to request a one-time waiver of the academic and/or “C” average requirement(s) if extenuating circumstances played a factor in their academics. Examples of such circumstances could include an illness, accident, separation or divorce, or the death of a relative. An appeal must be made in writing to the College and include an explanation of the circumstance(s) that may have adversely affected the student’s ability to meet the academic requirements and the changes that have occurred which will allow them to make SAP in the future. All appeals must be accompanied by supporting documentation, such as a letter from a doctor or attorney. If a waiver is granted, the student will be eligible for the State award for the semester for which they were granted the waiver. The student must be meeting the academic progress and pursuit of program requirements to receive further awards.
The charts below outline the progress that is required for an undergraduate student to be considered in good standing:
| Before Being Certified for this Semester Payment | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A student must have accrued at least this many credits | 0 | 6 | 15 | 27 | 39 | 51 |
| With at least this GPA | 0 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
- All students must be registered for a minimum of 12 credits per semester.
- A student may not receive a New York State award for repeating a class that they have already successfully completed (i.e. the credits for a repeated class for which the student has already received a satisfactory grade will not count towards the full-time requirement).
- The standards that a student must meet are dependent upon when a student first received an award from New York State, as well as their remedial status.
- A student is placed on the charts above based upon their total TAP points received, including any award(s) received at a previous institution(s).
- To continue to receive TAP funding, a minimum number of credits must be completed each term, as well as on a cumulative basis.
- Students who have accrued 64 credits are required to declare a major to maintain their TAP eligibility.
- A student must maintain a minimum GPA prior to being certified for a TAP payment. This average increases as the student progresses in payment points.
- All students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 (a “C” average) or better after accumulating 24 or more payment points (e.g., four full-time semesters).
- A student who is not making progress, and/or is not meeting the “C” average requirement, may request a one-time waiver if extenuating circumstances affected their academic performance. A student may only receive this waiver once for New York State awards.
