What is Satisfactory Academic Progress?
Students who receive Federal Student Aid – must in accordance with federal requirements – maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), to retain Federal financial aid. The financial aid office is responsible for monitoring aid recipients to ensure that they are meeting the policy. The federal government requires that an institution use three measurements to determine SAP: qualitative, quantitative and maximum timeframe. The student must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA, maintain a minimum cumulative completion rate of credits attempted, and complete a degree or certificate within a maximum timeframe set by law.
What is the SAP Policy for SAIS?
To receive financial aid at SAIS, students must show progress towards their degree. This is measured as follows:
• Minimum GPA: Students must maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.67 (4.0 scale); 3.33 for PhD students.
• Minimum Completion Rate: Students must maintain a completion rate equal to or exceeding 67% of the credits attempted.
• Students must also complete required course work within 150% of the published program length established for each program. (MA/MIPP/PhD)
Treatment of W, I, AU, F, S, P and X Grades, No Grade Reported and Repeated Coursework
1. Course withdrawals (W grade) are not included in the GPA calculation, but are considered a non-completion of attempted coursework.
2. Incomplete courses and I-grades are not included in the GPA calculation and are considered a non-completion of attempted coursework until the coursework is completed and graded with a permanent grade.
3. Audited courses (AU grade) and other noncredit coursework is not considered attempted coursework or included within the GPA calculation, nor is the coursework considered for financial aid eligibility.
4. A satisfactory (S) grade or a passing (P) grade is treated as attempted credits which are earned, but is not included in calculation of GPA.
5. C grades and F grades are treated as attempted credits that were not earned and are included both in the calculation of GPA and minimum completion rate.
6. If no grade is reported or a grade of X, the coursework is not included in the GPA calculation but is considered a non-completion of attempted coursework until the coursework is completed and graded with a permanent grade.
7. The highest grade earned in a course that is repeated will count in the GPA computation, but every repeated attempt will be included in the completion rate determinations.
How does a change of major impact a student's SAP evaluation?
For students who change majors within their degree program, only those credits attempted which apply to their new major are included in evaluation of SAP status. All coursework is included in the calculation of GPA as required under federal law.
How do classes taken at another institution and transferred to our schools affect a student's SAP?
All credits accepted for transfer to the student’s program of study by Johns Hopkins University SAIS are taken into consideration under the quantitative measurement component of SAP as both attempted and earned credits.
How often is SAP reviewed?
SAP is reviewed on a yearly basis during the summer, regardless of the number of semesters attended. Letters are mailed to students who do not meet the minimum SAP standards.
Financial Aid Suspension – Losing Title IV Aid Eligibility
Students who fail to meet the minimum cumulative grade-point average standard or fail to complete at least two-thirds of cumulative credits attempted are no longer eligible for federal Title IV aid, beginning with the Summer term. No financial aid will be disbursed during subsequent semesters/periods of enrollment until the student regains financial aid eligibility.
Students applying for financial aid for the first time will not be eligible for financial aid and will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension status as applicable if they did not meet the minimum grade point average or course completion standards as noted in this policy based the two previous consecutive periods of enrollment prior to applying for financial aid.
Financial Aid Probation and Reinstatement of Aid After Financial Aid Suspended Status
Reinstatement of financial aid after a student is placed in Financial Aid Suspended status is achieved in one of the following ways:
1. The student submits a written letter of appeal and the Financial Aid Appeals Committee grants the appeal. The student is placed on Financial Aid Probation for ONE SEMESTER, the Fall semester. The student is eligible for Title IV aid during their Financial Aid Probation semester. The student’s SAP status will be reviewed at the end of the Fall semester, and if the student has not met the minimum SAP standards, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension status for the Spring semester.
If the student’s appeal is approved but the Committee has determined that the student will not be able to meet the SAP standards within one semester of enrollment (the Fall semester), then the student will be placed on Financial Aid Probation with an Academic Plan which if followed will ensure the student is able to meet the SAP standards by a specific point in time.
2. The student registers for coursework while on Financial Aid Suspension status, pays for tuition and fees without the help of student financial aid, and does well enough in the coursework to satisfy all the satisfactory academic progress standards at the end of the subsequent semester(s)/period(s) of enrollment.
*Students who are beyond the maximum timeframe to completion may only regain financial aid eligibility on a semester-by-semester basis through the appeal process.
Appeal Process
Students who wish to appeal Financial Aid Suspended Status must submit an appeal in writing to the Financial Aid Appeals Committee by the date specified in the Financial Aid Suspended notification letter. The committee will review the appeal and notify the student in writing of their decision within 14 working days after the Appeals Committee meets and makes its determination. Appeals should include:
• The grounds for appeal (i.e., working too many hours, etc.)
• Demonstration that the student understands the reason behind failure to meet the SAP requirements
• Specific plans to rectify the student's current academic status
The Financial Aid Appeals Committee will review the appeal and consult with academic advisers and other involved parties as warranted. If it is determined that the student will not be able to meet the SAP standards by the end of the next semester/period of enrollment but the Committee is in agreement that the student’s grounds for appeal are reasonable and the student has a reasonable chance to succeed and graduate, then if the appeal is approved the student will also be placed on an Academic Plan. Students will receive written notification of the decision. All decisions on such appeals are final. Students who lose eligibility for financial aid due to not meeting the minimum SAP standards more than one time during their program may submit an appeal each time.
Academic Plan
Students who lose eligibility and submit an appeal may be placed on an Academic Plan if the appeal is approved. The purpose of an academic plan is to support the student in bringing him/herself back into compliance with the financial aid SAP standards by a specific point in time in order to ensure that the student will be able to successfully complete the degree or certificate program. The academic plan will be specifically tailored to the student and may include milestones and specific requirements such as a reduced course load, specific courses or tutoring. Students on an academic plan are still responsible to meet the SAP requirements in the subsequent semester/period of enrollment and will lose eligibility if the SAP standards are not met, and need to go through the appeal process in order to regain eligibility. The student’s progress in their academic plan will be taken into account in any subsequent appeal process of financial aid eligibility.