Satisfactory Academic Progress
Federal Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress
Federal Financial Aid Standards of Academic Progress
The Office of Student Financial Assistance at Jacksonville University administers financial aid programs from federal, state and institutional sources. The U.S. Department of Education requires schools to evaluate academic progress (SAP) for all students, even those who did not receive financial aid in prior terms at Jacksonville University.
Evaluating Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
The standards by which all students are measured are qualitative, quantitative and maximum timeframe. The academic record of all students is reviewed annually when final grading is completed after Spring semester. The review is cumulative and includes all courses take at Jacksonville University and transfer credits accepted by the University at the student’s current academic level.
After the evaluation, electronic letters will be sent by June 1st to all students who have insufficient academic progress and are being placed on Financial Aid Suspension.
Qualitative Standards
Grade Point Average – Undergraduate students must achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or greater. Graduate students must achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better. Coursework taken outside of Jacksonville University (JU) does not count towards your JU cumulative GPA.
The GPA calculated by the Office of Student Financial Assistance for Federal aid includes grades for all completed courses and may be different from the GPA calculated by the Registrar and found on the degree audit.
Quantitative Standards
Completion Rate (Pace) – Students must complete 66.67% of the total credit hours attempted. Incomplete, repeated, withdrawal grades and failure grades count as attempted hours, but not completed hours.
Completed Hours
---------------------- = Completion Rate
Attempted Hours
Maximum Timeframe – Students must be taking and passing enough classes to graduate with the maximum timeframe. The maximum timeframe is 150% of the published duration of the academic program. For example, the maximum timeframe is 1.5 years for a 1-year Certificate program, 3 years for a 2-year Associate degree program and 6 years for a 4-year Bachelor’s degree program.
As soon as it is clear that the student will be unable to graduate within 150% of the normal timeframe, the student loses eligibility for further federal student aid.
Also, in some circumstances students with appropriate disability documentation may qualify for full-time status with reduced course loads; however, these students are still held to the same academic expectations as stated above (Qualitative and Quantitative).
Failure to meet the above criteria qualitative and quantitative standards (GPA, Completion Rate, and Maximum Timeframe) will place you on financial aid suspension.
Financial Assistance Suspension
Students who fail to meet satisfactory academic progress are placed on financial aid suspension. You have the option to appeal the suspension. An appeal must be based on an extenuating circumstance that seriously affected your academic performance (ie) Death of Immediate Family Member, Illness, Major Life Event, etc. Appeal forms are available through the financial aid office and online at http://ze3.syria-events.com/financialservices/help/forms.php. Decision of appeal will be mailed or emailed to you within 30 days of receipt of the appeal. Submission of an appeal is not an automatic approval. Submission of an academic suspension appeal is also not related to financial aid suspension appeals, and academic decisions have no bearing on the financial assistance status.
The appeal should be submitted to the Office of Student Financial Assistance. The submission requirements are detailed in the notification letter sent to you. Below is an outline of what is required. Any original documents turned in will not be returned so please be sure to remit copies.
- Financial assistance appeal form
- Typed personal statement explaining the extenuating circumstance and the actions you are taking to ensure future academic success.
- Supporting documentation of extenuating circumstance
Through the appeals process, institutional aid may be reinstated when Federal and State aid have been denied.
If the appeal is approved, you will be placed on Financial Assistance Probation and an academic plan will be created based the student’s unique situation.
Academic Plan
The purpose of the academic plan is to allow students more than one semester to meet the standards for satisfactory academic progress. The plan will demonstrate how the student will meet the SAP requirements by a specific point in time. It will reflect realistic and attainable goals for the student. It is acceptable for the plan to deviate from the satisfactory academic progress policy requirements if the plan demonstrates the student’s continued progression toward the SAP requirements by a specific point in time and/or program completion.
Financial Assistance Probation
Financial Assistance Probation begins with the academic plan and is one (1) payment period/term at a time. A payment period at JU is either a Fall, Spring, or Summer term. At the conclusion of the payment period/term, after grades have been submitted, the Office of Student Financial Assistance will monitor the student’s progress by reviewing the academic plan. If the student fails to meet the conditions outlined in their academic plan, the student will be on financial assistance suspension from the university until such time as the student meets SAP requirements.
Failure to meet the requirements of an academic plan can be appealed based on an extenuating circumstance that seriously affected the student’s ability to be successful.
Re-establishing Financial Aid Eligibility without Appeal
If the student is permitted to attend JU academically, they may continue at their own expense to attempt to improve completion rates and/or GPA issues. Once a student is back into compliance with SAP, they must complete the financial aid appeal form to request the recalculation of the SAP status.
State of Florida Standards of Academic Progress
Eligibility for renewal of state awards is determined once a year at the end of the spring term. The renewal of state grants requires that a student have at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average as determined by the Registrar’s office. Students are also required to earn a minimum of 24 credits annually for renewal.
Completion and GPA requirements are different for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program.
Jacksonville University Scholarship Renewal Policy
Jacksonville University scholarships are awarded to first-year students for eight semesters or until the undergraduate degree is conferred (whichever is earlier). Transfer student scholarships are awarded for the period specified in the student's initial scholarship notification letter or until the undergraduate degree is conferred (whichever is earlier).
Scholarship renewal is contingent upon students' cumulative grade point average. A 2.0 cumulative GPA is required for renewal of all Jacksonville University scholarships, unless a specific GPA renewal requirement is attached to the scholarship, as in the case of Honors Scholarships and Talent Scholarships. GPA's are not rounded up.
Scholarship recipients must maintain good academic standing in accordance with the following:
- GPA's will be checked at the end of each spring term;
- A student must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 to retain the scholarship (unless otherwise noted).
Scholarship renewal eligibility will be checked at the end of each subsequent spring term. At the time the cumulative GPA is at or above the minimum for the student's scholarship, the Jacksonville University scholarship may be reinstated at the original value. It is the student's responsibility to contact the financial aid office and request reinstatement of the scholarship at the end of the term if the cumulative GPA has met the minimum standards for renewal.