Introduction
Federal regulations require the university to establish Standards of satisfactory Academic Progress in the following three areas:
- Cumulative GPA
- Hours Earned
- Maximum time Limit
Financial aid recipients must maintain satisfactory progress in all three areas whether or not aid was received in the past. This requirement applies to all applicants for any federal and state scholarships, grants, Federal Work-Study, parent (Federal PLUS), and student (Federal Stafford and Federal Perkins) loans. (Graduate students also see “SAP for Graduate Students” later in this section.)
It is the students' responsibility to stay informed of the university's SAP standards and to monitor their own progress. For SAP purposes, students' academic records are evaluated by the Financial Aid & Veterans Services Office each academic year at the end of the Spring semester. Students who are out of compliance with one or more of the Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards at that point are not eligible for further financial aid, including Summer semester. Eligibility may be regained only by remedying all deficiencies (except the Maximum Time Limit). In rare cases, exceptions are granted through a formal appeal.
UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE STUDENTS
The Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid (Undergraduate)
Federal regulations require the university to establish Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress, involving both qualitative (cumulative grade point average) and quantitative (hours earned compared to hours attempted, and a maximum time limit) elements. This requirement applies to all applicants for any federal assistance, including Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), Federal Work-Study, the William D. Ford Direct Loan Program, which includes the Federal Stafford and Unsubsidized Stafford Loans for students, and Federal PLUS Loans for parents of undergraduate students. The same standards may apply to all assistance from the State of North Carolina and all other aid that is determined by the Financial Aid & Veterans Services Office. These standards do not apply to campus employment which is not based on "financial need." If students have obtained a scholarship, grant, or loan from any other source, they are encouraged to contact that source regarding their academic progress requirements. It is each student's responsibility to stay informed of the university's SAP standards and to monitor their own progress.
To be eligible for financial aid at UNCW, whether or not aid was received in the past, students must be in compliance with all three of the following areas: cumulative GPA, hours earned, maximum time limit.
I. Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA)
Students must maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average established by UNCW for satisfactory progress toward graduation requirements. This is specified on the Retention Chart, page 72 in the Undergraduate Catalogue. These standards are consistent with academic standards required for graduation.
| Total Quality Hours + Transfer Hours | Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA)* |
| 1-26 | 1.5 |
| 27-58 | 1.75 |
| 59-88 | 1.90 |
| 89 or more | 2.0 |
*This standard is consistent with the university's academic standards required for graduation.
II. Hours Earned (Compared to Hours Attempted)
We recommend students attempt to earn at least 31 hours per academic year in order to graduate in four years. To remain eligible for financial aid, students must earn at least 75% of total cumulative hours attempted.
For financial aid purposes, the following definitions and conditions apply:
- To earn hours at UNCW, one must receive a grade of A, B, C, or D (including "+" or "-"). All other grades, including F, I, W, WF, AU, or Z, do not earn hours.
- Classes from which a student withdraws after the drop/add period count as attempted but not earned hours. Therefore, withdrawing from classes after the drop/add period negatively affects students' ability to satisfy the hours earned standard.
- Audited courses count as attempted but not earned hours. Therefore, auditing classes negatively affects students' ability to satisfy the hours earned standard.
- When a student repeats a course, the total attempted hours will increase with each repeat, but the student may only earn hours for a successfully completed course once. Therefore, repeating courses may negatively affect students' ability to satisfy the hours earned standard.
- Math 100/English100 – When students enroll in these courses, the credit hours will count as attempted but not earned. However, these courses do not negatively affect students’ ability to satisfy the hours earned standard.
- Accepted transfer credit counts as both attempted and earned hours.
III. Maximum Time Limit
To remain eligible for financial aid, undergraduate students must complete their degree requirements within 150 percent of the published length of their academic program. At UNCW, this means that students in programs requiring 124 hours for graduation are eligible for financial aid during the first 186 attempted hours as an undergraduate. All attempted hours are counted, including transfer hours, whether or not financial aid was received, or the course work was successfully completed. This also applies to students admitted under the five-year rule since their attempted hours include hours attempted during prior enrollment. Students who do not graduate after attempting 186 hours are no longer eligible for federal or state aid.
Regaining Eligibility for Financial Aid
To regain eligibility, the student must attend summer school and/or any other terms necessary, without aid, until all deficiencies are remedied.
I. Cumulative GPA's can only be brought up by attendance at UNCW or UNCW off-campus programs where UNCW credit is earned. Credit earned in courses taken through the UNCW Contract Extension Program do not count in restoring eligibility.
II. Hours deficiencies may be made up by successfully completing coursework at UNCW or at another institution. However, if enrolling elsewhere, the student must complete the appropriate forms and have the coursework pre-approved by UNCW prior to enrolling in the other institution. Students must provide an academic transcript to the UNCW Registrar after transient study coursework has been successfully completed.
III. Maximum Time Frame: Once the Time Limit has been exceeded, aid eligibility ends, even if the student is in compliance with the other two standards. There is no regaining of eligibility for aid as long as the student is an undergraduate.
Once students are in compliance with all three standards (are back in compliance with the first two standards and still in compliance with the third), they must notify the Financial Aid & Veterans Services Office in writing to request a reevaluation of eligibility. This process cannot be done until all grades and hours are posted to the student’s official record at UNCW. No financial aid award can be calculated until after the review process is complete. Because this does not occur until after charges are due for the upcoming term, an Award Letter or deferment of charges may not be available for the semester the student regains eligibility. The student should make other arrangements to pay for tuition, fees, room, board, and all other expenses.
If eligibility is reinstated, aid will be calculated and awarded later in the semester after the review process and student’s file are complete.
Appeals
Federal regulations allow for certain cases in which the school may waive the standards. Appeals for the waiver may be considered if a student's failure to comply with one or more areas of Satisfactory Academic Progress is due to events beyond the student's control, such as a student's extended illness, serious illness or death in the immediate family or other significant life experience that impacted the student’s emotional and/or physical health, and if such mitigating circumstances can be appropriately documented for the specific term(s) in which the deficiency occurred. Eligibility may be regained by appeal. Contact the Financial Aid & Veterans Services Office to obtain a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal form.
SAP FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS
Federal regulations require that students receiving financial aid maintain satisfactory academic progress from both qualitative and quantitative measures: cumulative GPA, hours earned compared to hours attempted and maximum time limit. For graduate students, Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards are the same as the standards established by the UNCW Graduate School (see Retention Policy under Academic Regulations) for continued enrollment.
Satisfactory Academic Progress and eligibility for financial aid are determined each academic year after the spring semester grades are available.
Appeals
Federal regulations allow for certain cases in which the school may waive the standards. Appeals for the waiver may be considered if a student's failure to comply with one or more areas of Satisfactory Academic Progress is due to events beyond the student's control, such as a student's extended illness, serious illness or death in the immediate family or other significant life experience that impacted the student’s emotional and/or physical health, and if such mitigating circumstances can be appropriately documented for the specific term(s) in which the deficiency occurred. Eligibility may be regained by appeal. Contact the Financial Aid & Veterans Services Office to obtain a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal form.
You may attain a copy of the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form from our forms page or you may contact the Financial Aid & Veterans Services Office to have a form mailed to you.
