Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Timeframe 

In order to meet SAP requirements students are required to finish their program within the number of required credits multiplied by 150%. All students are expected to finish their program within a maximum timeframe that cannot exceed 150% of the number of credits required to complete a degree. All credits are counted in Timeframe, even those for which the student did not receive financial aid. The following is a list of the maximum number of credits in which a student is expected to complete his/her degree for financial aid purposes.

Pace

Student financial aid recipients must demonstrate measurable progress toward earning a degree by successfully completing at least 66.67% of all attempted credits at UW-Platteville. While pace is measured at the end of each semester, it is a cumulative calculation.

Pace is determined by dividing the total number of completed credits by the total number of attempted credits.

Attempted Credits Determination: For the fall and spring semesters, attempted credits are based on enrollment as of the 10th day of classes. If a student withdraws on or prior to the 10th day of classes, attempted credits are determined as of the day of disbursement. Classes dropped after the 10th day are still considered attempted credits.

Summer: Attempted credits are based on any credits that a letter grade (Grades of "I", "F", and "W" are considered letter grades) was assigned. 
Transfer Credits: Transfer credits accepted toward the student’s program are counted as both credits attempted and credits completed for each of the 66.67% pace and timeframe totals.

Remedial Credits: Remedial credits are counted in both the 66.67% pace and timeframe totals.

Repeated Coursework, Incomplete Courses, and Withdrawals: All repeated, incomplete, and withdrawn courses and their grades are counted in both the 66.67% pace and timeframe totals.

Consortium Credits: Credits taken as consortium courses are counted as attempted credits in both the 66.67% pace and timeframe totals. The credits do not count as successfully completed credits until an official transcript is received by the Registrar’s Office and the grades are entered on the student’s academic transcript.

Changing Majors: All attempted and completed credits are counted in both the 66.67% pace and timeframe totals. Students who change majors are at risk of exceeding timeframe before obtaining a degree. Please speak with a Financial Aid Advisor when considering a change of major.
Study Abroad Credits: Credits taken as study abroad courses are counted as attempted credits in both the 66.67% pace and timeframe totals. The credits do not count as successfully completed credits until an official transcript is received by the Registrar’s Office and the grades are entered on the student’s academic transcript.

UW–Branch Campuses: The 2018-2019 academic year was a transition year for financial aid purposes. Coursework transferred from the UW–Branch campuses are counted as both credits attempted and credits completed for each of the 66.67% pace and timeframe totals.

Financial aid recipients are required to show progress toward degree completion by earning a grade point average as indicated below. Please note that these standards may be separate from academic standards that apply to a student’s standing within their academic program.

Withdrawals (W): Courses dropped after the add/drop period for which the student receives a “W” grade is not included in the cumulative GPA.  If a student does not officially withdraw from a course and received a grade “F” grade is included in the cumulative GPA.

Incompletes (I) or Not Reported (NR): As there is no current grade in the system, these courses will not be included in the cumulative GPA determination at such time.  Once a letter grade (A, B, C, D, and F) is assigned, it will be factored into the GPA determination the next time SAP is evaluated.

Repeated courses: For courses repeated, only the most recent grade is included in the cumulative GPA. In addition, students may only receive aid once for a previously passed course.>

Remedial courses: Remedial courses are not included in the cumulative GPA calculation.

Qualitative Measure as it applies to Branch Campus Programs: There is not separate evaluation criteria for branch campus programs.

Financial Aid Warning Status

A student who enrolls, and then does not meet the satisfactory academic progress requirements, will be placed on Financial Aid Warning status for the subsequent semester. A student on Financial Aid Warning may continue to receive financial aid for that one semester. At the completion of one semester on Financial Aid Warning, if the student meets the requirements for satisfactory academic progress, they will be returned to good standing. If they do not meet the requirements, they will be placed in an ineligible status.

Ineligible Status

If a student does not meet the satisfactory academic progress requirements after one semester of Financial Aid Warning, the student is placed in an Ineligible Status. Students are not eligible for financial aid while in an Ineligible Status. In order to regain eligibility, the student must either meet the requirements for academic progress, (i.e., attempt and complete enough credits to be meeting the pace requirement), or successfully appeal and be placed on Financial Aid Probation.

Financial Aid Probation Status

Students may be placed on Financial Aid Probation for one semester with an approved appeal. At the completion of one semester on Financial Aid Probation, the student must meet the for satisfactory academic progress requirements again or they will be be placed back into ineligible status.

Appeals

Appeals are initiated with a Financial Aid Advisor no later than 10 business days into the semester that the student would like to receive again.  If the student begins the appeal process after 10 business days, the appeal may not be reviewed until the following semester.

Appeals must contain two parts:

• Part A. Extenuating circumstances information
• Part B. What has now changed in the situation so that the student can meet SAP requirements going forward

Part A
Students may appeal their Satisfactory Academic Progress status by documenting the extenuating circumstance(s) which prevented the student from meeting the academic progress standards. The extenuating circumstance(s) must be non-academic in nature

The circumstances considered may be:

• Work-related issues
• Medical conditions
• Death of a loved one
• Family circumstances
• Military Services
• Loss of residence (evictions, natural disasters, etc.)
• Legal issues

The circumstances may not be reasons such as disliking a course.

Part B
Information regarding why the student failed to make SAP, and what has changed in the student’s situation that will allow SAP to be demonstrated at the next evaluation.

Appeal Process

An appeal may be approved only if it is reasonable to assume the student is able to make SAP standards after the subsequent semester. If a student cannot make SAP after one subsequent semester, a student must have an approved appeal and, in addition, refer to Academic Plan section below.

• The appeal policy permits no more than one appeal for the same non-academic circumstance.
• To be considered for eligibility for aid, complete appeals must be turned in prior to the end of that semester.
• There are no retroactive appeals.
• Based on departmental determination, there may be limitations set for the number of appeals allowed.

When a student is placed in an ineligible status, they will receive an email with instructions on how to appeal, with a link to the appeal forms webpage. Completed appeals are submitted electronically and routed to a Financial Aid Advisor. The student will be notified of the appeal decision in writing. If the appeal is denied, further appeal may be made to the Financial Aid Director.

When an appeal is denied, a student may continue enrollment without the use of Financial Aid funding a denial review may be requested if the student has additional documentation to provide. A denial review may be requested if the student has additional documentation to provide. Denial reviews are considered by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee or the Financial Aid Director. A personal interview may be scheduled. 

Academic Plans

If the student has an approved appeal and is unable to meet SAP by the end of the subsequent semester, an academic plan is required. Academic plans are developed on a student-by-student basis and are designed in a way that, if followed, the student will be meeting academic progress standards by a specified point in time.

The student must meet with a financial aid advisor to discuss whether an academic plan is required in addition to their appeal. An Academic Plan Form can be obtained from a financial aid advisor.

An academic plan:

• Is developed on a student-by-student basis.
• Is designed in a way that, if followed, the student will be meeting academic progress standards by a specified point in time.
• Allows a student to continue to receive financial aid, as long as the student is meeting the requirements in the plan.
• Requires students to be enrolled in the exact amount of credits indicated on the academic plan in order for aid to disburse.
• Will be monitored at the end of each semester. Financial aid disbursements will not be disbursed until it has been determined that the student is meeting the plan requirements.
• Specifies that if the student does not meet the objectives set in the plan, the student will return to Ineligible Status.
• Can be appealed. The student is required to meet with a financial aid advisor and have a different qualifying appeal reason for not meeting the academic plan.

Regaining Eligibility

A student can re-establish eligibility for financial aid only by taking action that brings them back into compliance with the qualitative and quantitative components of the SAP standard. Some options of re-establishing eligibility are as follows:

• Enrolling in courses at UW-Platteville without the use of federal financial aid. (A student may be eligible for alternative loans.) A student may also take credits outside of UW-Platteville and transfer them back to UW–Platteville, possibly increasing SAP eligibility components. It is recommended that a student confirm with their academic advisor that credits taken outside of UW-Platteville apply to degree requirements.
• Successfully completing courses that are currently “Incomplete.”

A student’s SAP status is reviewed and updated at the end of each semester.