Yes, it will affect the pace calculation and max time requirement.
No, but you may qualify for some
alternative loans that do not require
SAP.
No, admission to the university does not guarantee financial aid eligibility. The financial aid office will notify you if you fail SAP. A separate appeal is required.
Even if improvement after a semester is enough to alleviate your SAP issue(s), federal regulations prohibit us from evaluating SAP for students more than once annually. The only way to receive consideration for financial aid after being flagged as "not meet" is by submitting an appeal.
No, you would need to submit an appeal, with appropriate supporting documentation, to receive consideration. If we grant your appeal, we will place you on probation for one semester and give you an academic plan. Your academic plan will specify the conditions you must meet to continue receiving financial aid for a specified period. Students whose appeals are denied may choose to apply for an alternative loan.
No, all attempted hours count in the
SAP evaluation, including those excluded under the transfer equivalent option. Therefore, you will not automatically meet
SAP requirements based on this policy. However, if you believe you meet
SAP requirements at any time, you may request a reevaluation of your transcript by sending email to the
SAP mailbox at
finaid_sap@jmu.edu.
Our SAP policy requires that we add the following hours to those that appear as attempted on your transcript:
- Transferred hours
- AP and IB credit
- Withdrawals (includes WP and WF grades)
- Repeat/Forgiveness hours
- Incompletes
- Credit hours earned by exam
Divide the number of credit hours you earned by your total attempted hours. If the answer is 67 percent or more, you meet the pace (credits earned) requirement.
Some lenders offer
alternative loans that do not require you to meet
SAP standards. However, you may need a creditworthy cosigner to qualify.
As required by federal regulations, any dual enrollment hours that you earned based on work completed while in high school will count as attempted hours in the SAP evaluation.
Like dual enrollment hours, your Advanced Placement (AP) credits will count as attempted hours in the SAP evaluation.
Students who wish to appeal must do so by a prescribed deadline.
Appeal Deadlines:
- Summer: Monday, June 28
- Fall: Monday, September 6
- Spring: Monday, January 31
Federal regulations stipulate that we grant your appeal one semester at a time. You must fulfill the terms of an academic plan to continue receiving financial aid. We encourage you to submit your appeal as early as possible. An early appeal will receive an early response.
Yes, second-degree students, those pursuing an additional degree and not another major, may qualify for financial aid. For example, a student might earn a B.S. degree, at JMU or another institution, and then return to school for a B.A. degree. Second-degree students must continue to meet SAP requirements as outlined in the undergraduate policy. However, most (perhaps all) will exceed the 150-attempted-hour maximum at some point in their career. To fulfill the requirements of their new program, these students may receive assistance for up to 75 additional hours.
You are subject to the same academic standards as students who are pursuing a single major. If you exceed the max time limit, you may submit an appeal for consideration. If circumstances warrant, we would grant your appeal, place you on probation for one semester and give you an academic plan. Your academic plan would specify the conditions you must meet to continue receiving financial aid. Many students submit successful appeals and continue receiving financial aid until graduation.
