Understanding Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)?
Federal regulations require the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships to establish fair and consistent standards for evaluating students' academic progress. These standards ensure that students are successfully advancing toward their degrees while maintaining eligibility for financial aid.
Meeting SAP requirements is essential for both academic success and financial stability. Falling below the minimum standards could result in a loss of financial aid, making it crucial to stay informed and proactive about your academic progress.
Who Does SAP Apply To?
The SAP policy applies to all students receiving federal and state financial aid. Additionally, certain institutional grants and scholarships may be subject to SAP requirements, depending on donor or program administrator guidelines.
However, academic or performance-based merit aid -- that does not have a financial need component -- generally does not include SAP requirements.
Your Responsibility
Any student utilizing financial aid has a responsibility to understand and comply with SAP requirements. Staying informed and proactively managing academic progress can help you maintain financial aid eligibility and minimize student debt, while working towards successfully completing your degree.
SAP Requirements
Your academic progress is measured based on three key standards: Grade Point Average (GPA), Pace, and Maximum Time Frame (Max Time). These standards apply to all coursework listed on your transcript, even if you completed it before receiving financial aid.
- To maintain financial aid eligibility, you must successfully complete at least 67% of the credit hours you attempt.
- This is calculated as: Total Earned Hours ÷ Total Attempted Hours = Pace Percentage
- Important: We do not round up percentages, so a Pace percentage of 66.5% does not meet the requirement.
- There’s a limit to how long you can receive financial aid. You may not exceed 180 attempted credit hours to remain eligible.
- Degree Audit: Once you reach 150 attempted hours, we will complete a degree audit to determine if you can graduate before reaching 180 attempted credits. If you cannot, you will be placed in a not meet status at that time and will have the opportunity to submit an appeal for continued use of financial aid while you work towards completing your degree.
- Your minimum GPA requirement depends on how many credit hours you’ve attempted. The standards align with the university’s academic suspension policy, meaning that falling below the required GPA could lead to academic penalties and loss of financial aid eligibility. (see table below)
Credit Hours Attempted* (includes transferred hours) |
Minimum GPA Requirement (cumulative JMU GPA for financial aid) |
| 1-27 | 1.500 |
| 28-44 | 1.650 |
| 45-59 | 1.750 |
| 60-74 | 1.850 |
| 75-89 | 1.900 |
| 90-104 | 1.994 |
| 105-119 | 1.999 |
| 120 or above | 2.000 |
GPA Determination & Example Calculation
Your GPA requirement is based on the total number of attempted credit hours. To calculate this, you’ll need to include:
- All credit hours attempted at JMU
- Credit hours transferred to JMU from other institutions
- Credit hours earned through departmental exams or AP credit
- Credit hours from courses taken on a Credit (CR)/No Credit (NC) basis, regardless of whether the final grade was CR or NC
By adding up these components, you can determine your total attempted hours, which directly impacts your GPA requirement.
To determine your SAP status, all attempted coursework is considered, even if you didn’t use financial aid during those terms.
In the example below, a student has:
- Attempted 60 credit hours at JMU
- Received 30 transfer credits
- Completed 2 credit hours as non-credit coursework
| JMU Hours Attempted | 60 |
| Transfer Hours | 30 |
| Non-Credit Hours | 2 |
| JMU Hours Earned | 52 |
| Cumulative Hours Earned | 82 |
| Total Hours Attempted | 92 |
| Cumulative Quality Points Earned | 119.5 |
| Cumulative GPA | 1.991 |
Added together, this student has a total of 92 attempted credits and 82 earned hours. This gives them an 89.13% completion rate which meets the Pace standard for SAP. However, the student’s cumulative GPA is 1.991 which is below the minimum standard for GPA. This student would be identified as not meeting SAP requirements and would need to take corrective steps to retain/regain financial aid eligibility.
In the chart below, a “Y” in the GPA column means that a specific type of credit is included in your total attempted hours for GPA purposes. However, most credit types marked with a “Y” do not directly impact GPA calculation—except for “Repeat/Forgiveness” and “Repeat/Credit.”
Note: For Repeat/Forgiveness, only your most recent grade and credits count toward your GPA.
Even if certain credits do not affect your actual GPA, all attempted hours contribute to determining the required GPA level needed to remain in good academic standing.
Once a credit of any type is posted to your academic transcript, it cannot be removed unless there is a documented error. Federal regulations prohibit removing earned credits to improve SAP calculations.
Type |
Grade Point Average |
Pace |
Max Time |
| Transfer/Transfer Equivalent | Y | Y | Y |
| Dual Enrollment | Y | Y | Y |
| Advanced Placement | Y | Y | Y |
| International Baccalaureate | Y | Y | Y |
| Withdrawal | Y | Y | |
| Withdrawal while passing | Y | Y | |
| Withdrawal while failing | Y | Y | |
| Repeat/Forgiveness | ** | Y | Y |
| Repeat/Credit | Y | Y | Y |
| Incomplete | Y | Y | |
| Credit/No Credit | Y | Y | Y |
| Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (SAP) | Y | Y | Y |
| College Level Examination Program (CLEP) | Y | Y | Y |
| Departmental Exam | Y | Y | Y |
| Audit |
How Often Is SAP Evaluated?
SAP is evaluated at the conclusion of each semester (summer, fall, and spring). If you take/transfer courses that improve your GPA or Pace, your status will be updated in the next review.
If you do not meet SAP standards, you will be placed in one of the three statuses below:
- Warning – when a student fails to meet the minimum GPA and/or Pace requirements for the first time or following a semester of meeting SAP, they are placed in a warning status for one semester and are still eligible to receive financial aid while working to make improvements.
- Not Meet – when a student is still not meeting SAP requirements at the end of their warning period, financial aid eligibility is lost, and they are placed in a not meet status.
- Probation – when a student is not meeting SAP but submitted an appeal that was approved, they will be placed in a probation status and are eligible for financial aid if certain conditions are met. Students sign an academic plan that provides specific conditions (i.e. no F’s, no/limited withdraws, 2.0 term GPA, etc.) that must be met for continued eligibility.
Notification of Your SAP Status
If you fail to meet GPA, Pace, and/or Max Time requirements, we will notify you via:
- Email: You will receive an official email detailing your SAP status and if you were placed in a Warning or Not Meet status.
- To-Do List in MyMadison: A reminder will appear on your MyMadison “To-Do List.”
Note: No SAP information will appear in MyMadison until you have filed your FAFSA and received a notification regarding financial aid eligibility.
Opportunity to Appeal
If you experienced extenuating circumstances that affected your academic performance, you may submit an SAP appeal for review.
Visit the SAP Appeals Process section of this website for details on deadlines, forms, and eligibility requirements.
For questions or assistance, contact your advisor and/or our office to explore resources that can support your success!
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