Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for Student Aid – Graduate and Professional Students
In addition to the information provided here, please also be sure to review the satisfactory academic progress for your specific program by visiting your financial aid office's website.
To be eligible for financial aid, students must maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP). These policies apply equally to full-time and part-time students. All periods of enrollment (terms or semesters depending on program) are included in the calculation of SAP, even those in which a student might not have received financial aid. The standards applied to recipients of financial aid will always be at least as strict as standards applied to all students. Please note that these expectations apply even in those cases where you change your major or area of study. If you finish one degree and begin another, these measures begin anew with the start of the new degree program.
SAP is reviewed annually for students in these programs:
- Bienen Two-year program
- Kellogg Evening & Weekend MBA
- McCormick School of Engineering
- Physical Therapy
- Physician’s Assistant
- Pritzker Law
- School of Education and Social Policy
- School of Communication
- The Graduate School
- Kellogg Full-time Two Year MBA and MMM Programs
SAP requirements:
- GRADE POINT AVERAGE
The lowest minimum cumulative grade point average required is 2.0 (equivalent to a “C” average). Many graduate and professional programs have a higher standard that applies to students in those programs. - COMPLETION RATE
Students must successfully complete at least 2/3 of all classes attempted.
Completed Hours / Attempted Hours = Completion Rate - MAXIMUM TIMEFRAME
With the exception of Evanston Graduate programs, students must finish in no more than 150% of the program length (unless their academic program applies a stricter standard). Students in the Evanston Graduate programs must finish within 5 years for a master’s program and 9 years for doctoral programs.
ATTEMPTED HOURS: In keeping with the Registrar’s policy, attempted hours include all those in which a student is enrolled at the end of the drop period.
WITHDRAWALS do not impact the GPA. Withdrawals will adversely affect the Completion Rate and are NOT considered a successful completion.
REPEATED COURSES affect both the GPA and Completion Rate.
TRANSFER HOURS do not affect the GPA. Transfer hours are added to both completed hours and attempted hours in the Completion Rate calculation.
DISTANCE EDUCATION classes are treated no differently from on-campus classes.
INCOMPLETE COURSES for most programs will not affect the GPA. Once they are completed, SAP will be recalculated to ensure that GPA remains above 2.00. Incomplete courses will adversely affect the Completion Rate, counting as attempted hours but not completed hours. For Law, SESP and McCormick students, an incomplete is treating as failing the class until it is converted to a grade.
FAILED COURSES will impact the GPA. A failed course will also adversely affect the completion rate, counting as attempted hours but not completed hours.
Financial Aid Suspension
At the time of review, if a student fails to meet one or more of the standards, a notification of suspension will be sent to the university email account. SAP Reviews are conducted after summer term grades are posted. Students on suspension are immediately not eligible for financial aid.
Reestablishing Eligibility Following Suspension
After receiving a financial aid suspension, students can reestablish eligibility by completing additional coursework without aid funding. Once on suspension, a student who improves their GPA and/or completion rate to reestablish satisfactory academic progress, should notify the financial aid office and request a review of SAP. Students can request a SAP review at the close of any term, once grades are posted.
SAP Appeals
Students may appeal a SAP suspension through the Financial Aid Office. Information on how to submit an appeal will be provided with the notification of suspension that will be sent via university email. The Appeal should be submitted to the Financial Aid Office within two weeks of notification of SAP failure. The appeal should explain the reason for the SAP failure, a description of what has changed since the failure, and the plan for the resolution of the issues that caused the failure. Examples of approved appeals might include the unfortunate death of a parent, injury or illness of the student, or other unusual circumstances.
Financial Aid Probation
If an appeal is approved, students can receive aid for one term and are expected to be back up to standard by the end of that term. For those students where it is not possible to rebound after one term, an academic plan will be established with their academic advisor. The academic plan will extend the probationary period beyond the one term.
For those denied an appeal or who choose not to appeal, eligibility can be reestablished by enrolling without financial aid and rising above the minimum standards. At the point that a student is again above the minimum standards, financial aid can be provided for the following eligible term.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for Student Aid – Grad/Prof Term-based Review
To be eligible for financial aid, students must maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP). These policies apply equally to full-time and part-time students. All periods of enrollment are included in the calculation of SAP, even those in which a student might not have received financial aid. The standards applied to recipients of financial aid will always be at least as strict as standards applied to all students. Please note that these expectations apply even in those cases where you change your major or area of study. If you finish one degree and begin another, these measures begin anew with the start of the new degree program.
SAP is reviewed after each payment period for students in these programs:
- Bienen One-year program
- Feinberg School of Medicine
- Kellogg Full-time One-Year and Executive MBA
- MS in Management (MSMS Program)
- Prosthetics/Orthotics
- SPS Graduate
- SPS Graduate Certificate
- Evanston One-year Master’s Programs
SAP requirements:
- GRADE POINT AVERAGE
The lowest minimum cumulative grade point average required is 2.0 (equivalent to a “C” average). Many graduate and professional programs have a higher standard that applies to students in those programs.
*Feinberg and Kellogg Executive MBA do not use a traditional grading scale. The designation of ‘P’ is equivalent to a C’grade in both programs.
- COMPLETION RATE
Students must successfully complete at least 2/3 of all classes attempted.
Completed Hours / Attempted Hours = Completion Rate - MAXIMUM TIMEFRAME
Students must finish in no more than 150% of the program length (unless their academic program applies a stricter standard).
ATTEMPTED HOURS: In keeping with the Registrar’s policy, attempted hours include all those in which a student is enrolled at the end of the drop period.
WITHDRAWALS do not impact the GPA. Withdrawals will adversely affect the Completion Rate and are NOT considered a successful completion.
REPEATED COURSES affect both the GPA and Completion Rate.
TRANSFER HOURS do not affect the GPA. Transfer hours are added to both completed hours and attempted hours in the Completion Rate calculation.
DISTANCE EDUCATION classes are treated no differently from on-campus classes.
INCOMPLETE COURSES for most programs will not affect the GPA. Once they are completed, SAP will be recalculated to ensure that GPA remains above 2.00. Incomplete courses will adversely affect the Completion Rate, counting as attempted hours but not completed hours. For SESP and McCormick students, an incomplete is treating as failing the class until it is converted to a grade.
FAILED COURSES will impact the GPA. A failed course will also adversely affect the completion rate, counting as attempted hours but not completed hours.
Financial Aid Warning
At the time of review, if a student fails any of the measures, a notification of warning is sent to their university email account. Students are instructed that they must reestablish eligibility in their next period of enrollment.
Financial Aid Suspension
After a warning period if a student fails to meet one or more of the standards, a notification of suspension will be sent to the university email account. Students on suspension are immediately ineligible for financial aid.
Reestablishing Eligibility Following Suspension
After receiving a financial aid suspension, students can reestablish eligibility by completing additional coursework without aid funding. Once on suspension, a student who improves their GPA and/or completion rate to reestablish satisfactory academic progress, should notify the financial aid office and request a review of SAP. Students can request a SAP review at the close of any term, once grades are posted.
SAP Appeals
Students may appeal a SAP suspension through the Financial Aid Office. Information on how to submit an appeal will be provided with the notification of suspension that will be sent via university email. The Appeal should be submitted to the Financial Aid Office within two weeks of notification of SAP failure. The appeal should explain the reason for the SAP failure, a description of what has changed since the failure, and the plan for the resolution of the issues that caused the failure. Examples of approved appeals might include the unfortunate death of a parent, injury or illness of the student, or other unusual circumstances.
Financial Aid Probation
If an appeal is approved, students can receive aid for one term and are expected to be back up to standard by the end of that term. For those students where it is not possible to rebound after one term, an academic plan will be established with their academic advisor. The academic plan will extend the probationary period beyond the one term.
For those denied an appeal or who choose not to appeal, eligibility can be reestablished by enrolling without financial aid and rising above the minimum standards. At the point that a student is again above the minimum standards, financial aid can be provided for the following eligible term.