Satisfactory Academic Progress - Financial Services
What happens if I don’t meet these standards?
First Failure to Meet SAP
The first time you fail to meet the GPA and completion rate/pace standards, you are on financial aid warning for the next semester. (Students who exceed the maximum timeframe are not given a warning period. They are ineligible when they reach the 150% number of credits but may appeal as explained below.)
Failure to Meet SAP on Financial Aid Warning
If you fail to improve to the required standards after being on financial aid warning, you will be on financial aid suspension, that is, you will be ineligible for federal and state financial aid. HOWEVER, you may appeal your suspension by explaining and documenting the extenuating circumstances that prevented you from being successful and by explaining how your circumstances will be different in the future. Extenuating circumstances include but are not limited to your own illness or injury; death, illness, or injury of a family member; pregnancy or birth of a child; marital problems; and financial difficulty or hardship.
Appealing Financial Aid Suspension
If your appeal is approved, you will be placed on financial aid probation. Your financial aid for the semester will not pay to your account until you submit your signed academic plan. The academic goals you must meet while on financial aid probation will be spelled out in an academic plan, which you can access from your VUX account under Financial Aid. You will need to print out your academic plan, sign it, and submit it to the student financial services office. An academic plan for the 150% maximum timeframe standard also requires you to submit a printout of your current DegreeWorks plan with your signed academic plan. Your DegreeWorks plan will show which courses are required for your degree completion. Financial aid will only cover those required courses. You may need to meet with your academic advisor to ensure your DegreeWorks plan is accurate.
If Your Appeal is Denied
If your appeal is denied, you are ineligible for federal and state financial aid at VU. A financial aid suspension at VU does not necessarily follow you to another school. If you want to return to VU with financial aid, you must show that you can meet the standards of satisfactory academic progress. To do this, you will have to submit another appeal and a copy of your grades from the other school you attended. An unofficial copy is sufficient. If your grades show that it is possible for you to reach at least the minimum standards of satisfactory academic progress, your appeal may be granted. If your appeal is granted, you would be eligible for aid on a probation status as long as you meet your academic plan. Simply not returning to VU for a semester or two is not sufficient for regaining financial aid eligibility.