Satisfactory Academic Progress for the School of Health Professions

What is academic progress for financial aid?

Satisfactory academic progress (SAP) is a requirement for all students receiving federal, state, or university assistance while enrolled at Rutgers. Financial aid recipients must meet both a qualitative and a quantitative standard to maintain eligibility for aid. In addition, the student must complete the program within the maximum timeframe.

The qualitative standard is determined by the student’s cumulative grade point average (GPA) at a specific grade level.

The quantitative standard is based on a student’s completion rate, or the successful completion of a minimum number of credits of the total credits attempted.

Examples:

How is academic progress measured?

At the end of each term, undergraduate students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0. Graduate students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0
The completion rate is calculated by adding completed credits + accepted transfer credits / RU attempted credits + accepted transfer credits.

Credits transferred in from another institution will be added to both the total attempted and completed credit percentages. Similarly, Advanced Placement credits will be added to both the total attempted and completed credits. All periods of enrollment and all courses attempted are included in the calculation for SAP. Incomplete and withdrawal grades do not earn credits to meet the academic standard and do not influence the GPA in the term of the course was attempted. However, they are counted as attempted credits. Therefore, excessive withdrawals and incompletes may jeopardize the student’s SAP status.

Repeated courses will count as part of the attempted credits but will not be duplicated in the completed credits. Courses from which the student withdrew are counted as attempted credits, but not as completed. Pass/fail courses are counted as attempted and will count in completed only if the course is passed. At the end of each term, students must have completed 67% of the credits attempted.

*Physician Assistant students must earn cumulative GPA of 2.0 at 25%, 2.3 at 50%, and a 2.5 at 75% of program completion.

**Dietetic Internship students must maintain a cumulative GPA 2.5 at each measurement period.

SAP Monitoring

The Office of Financial Aid monitors all Title IV eligible students after every semester including the summer term, and will notify the student if they are not meeting SAP. Previously dismissed or withdrawn students who were not meeting SAP when they left will not be eligible for aid when re-admitted until they meet SAP standards.

Students who are not making SAP at the conclusion of a term will be placed in a warning status. This status allows a student who has not progressed satisfactorily to remain financial aid eligible for a period of one term. All students not making SAP must contact the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs. At that time, a determination will be made if the student will need to meet with the academic counselor.

All students in a warning status will be reviewed again at the end of the next term of enrollment. If at the end of that semester the student is still not in compliance with the SAP standards, the student will be ineligible for financial aid.

Appeal for Reinstatement of Financial Aid Eligibility

Students who wish to appeal for reinstatement of financial aid eligibility should submit an appeal for financial aid probation to the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs within 3 business days of receiving notification that financial support has been terminated.

The appeal must describe the circumstances that caused the failure to maintain SAP and must provide an explanation as to how the student plans to overcome those circumstances to meet SAP standards.

If the appeal is approved, the student will be notified and then placed on financial aid probation for one term. At the end of the term, the student’s progress will be reviewed again. If the student is still not in compliance with the SAP standards, the student will be ineligible for financial aid.

For the student to regain eligibility, the student may appeal for reinstatement, but the circumstances for the second appeal must be different from the original appeal. Circumstances such as an illness or death in the immediate family or other extreme mitigating circumstances will be considered. The student must explain how they plan to comply with SAP standards.

If the appeal is approved, the student may be placed on an additional probationary term with an academic plan completed by the program dean/director. Failure to achieve satisfactory academic progress after the second probationary period will cause the student to be ineligible for further financial assistance until SAP standards are met.

Neither paying for one’s classes nor sitting out a semester affects a student’s SAP standing, so neither is sufficient to re-establish eligibility. A student who has completed all the coursework for his or her degree or certificate but has not yet received the degree or certificate cannot receive further financial aid for that program.

Maximum Time Frame for Completion

Undergraduate students cannot receive financial aid for credits in excess of 150% of the required credits for graduation in their degree program. Graduate and Doctoral students must complete their program within the following Maximum Years:

If the student exceeds the maximum time frame, s/he may appeal to the University Center Director of Financial Aid for a one-time extension of aid eligibility if the student is within one term of completing their degree program and the GPA requirement for graduation has been met. The student must explain what circumstances caused the student to exceed the maximum timeframe and how those circumstances have changed or what actions the student has taken to allow them to graduate within one term.

If the appeal is accepted and the student can graduate within one term, as confirmed through the student’s school, the student will be permitted one additional term of financial assistance. Failure of the student to graduate at the conclusion of that term will cause the student to become ineligible for further financial assistance.

Once the student has completed all of the required coursework, the student is no longer eligible for financial aid.

What aid programs are affected by academic progress?

• Federal Pell Grant
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant
• Federal Work Study Program
• Federal Perkins Loan
• Federal William D. Ford Direct Loans (subsidized and unsubsidized)
• Federal Parent PLUS Loan
• New Jersey State Aid Programs: Tuition Aid Grant (TAG), Distinguished Scholarships, Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF), NJCLASS Loans
• University Grants and Scholarships

I do not meet the academic progress standards. What are my options

If your appeal for financial aid probation is not approved, you fail to meet the requirements of your approved academic plan, or you choose not to appeal, then you must make alternative arrangements to finance your education.

You may choose to apply for a private loan during this period, as some lenders allow students who are not making satisfactory academic progress to borrow from their educational loan programs.

Be sure to monitor your academic progress as it relates to financial aid eligibility.

The Office of Financial Aid assists by annually measuring progress for aid recipients at the end of the spring term and notifying students who have not met the minimum standards for continued eligibility.

Notify the Office of Financial Aid of a grade change made after the official posting for any semester.

If you discover discrepancies on your academic transcript, contact the Office of the Registrar.