To receive funds administered by the Office of Financial Aid at Fort Valley State University, students must make measurable academic progress toward completing an eligible degree or certificate program.

Satisfactory Academic Progress must be maintained to remain eligible for Title IV (federal), state and institutional aid.

Title IV Aid

• Federal Pell Grants (PELL)
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)
• TEACH Grants
• Federal Work Study (FWS)
• Federal Direct Loans and Federal Perkins Loans
• Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally (HOPE)
• Student Access Loan (SAL)
• Dual Enrollment

Foundation Scholarships

*Students may still qualify for some Foundation Scholarships depending on the term of the scholarship. Students must contact the Foundation to evaluate which aid may apply*

Use the online SAP Calculator: SAP Calculator | Financial Aid | Lane Community College (lanecc.edu)

Phase 1: End of Semester Calculation

SAP is assessed yearly for all students at the end of the spring quarter.

• Students who meet the SAP policy will be set as satisfactory for summer (if attending) and for the following academic year.
• Students who do not meet the SAP requirements will be set as unsatisfactory for summer (if attending) and for the next academic year.

1. Qualitative Grade Point Average (GPA) (Cumulative)

• Undergraduates must maintain a minimum cumulative 2.0 grade point average (GPA).
• Graduate students must maintain a minimum 3.0 grade point average (GPA).

Please note that while passing grades (P) and (S) are treated as completed units, they do not count in the GPA calculation.

2. Quantitative Hours Completed (Completion Rate) (Cumulative)

Completion Rate = total credit hours earned / total credit hours attempted

Calculation is performed in Banner after final grades are posted by the Registrar at the end of the semester.

• The financial aid recipient must have passed at least 67% of all hours attempted (including learning support attempted hours and all attempts for courses repeated).
• Grades of A, B, C, or any derivative of these letters are “satisfactory” for financial aid purposes. Courses with grades of F, WF, W, U, I, IP/CP and NR are included in attempted credit hours

3. Maximum Time Frame for Degree Completion

• Students are eligible to receive aid for 150% of the time normally required to complete an academic program.
• Graduate students may not be eligible to receive financial aid once they exceed 150% of their program’s time-to-degree standard (i.e., nine years for a program with a six-year time-to-degree standard).

Major Changes

Students who change their major will often run into issues with max time fame. When a student changes their major the system can no longer compute this calculation accurately. A student would need to complete the SAP Max Time Frame Review Form. This review will determine if you have truly exceeded your hours for your current program. If not, your aid will be reinstated contingent upon your evaluation.

Students appealing Maximum Allowable Time Frame must complete and submit the SAP Appeal Form and Academic Progress Plan form together.

Phase 2: SAP Warning

Students that are not meeting the Qualitative and/or Quantitative standards at the end of a term are automatically given one (1) Warning semester.

Student Information for “Warning” Semester

1. Not applicable to the Max Time Frame standard
2. Students must be fully in compliance with all components by the end of the Warning semester to regain eligibility and receive funds for future semesters.

A student failing to meet the SAP standards after an initial “Warning” will no longer be eligible to receive financial aid. The student will be placed in a “Suspension” status.

Phase 3: SAP Suspension

• Failure to meet one or more SAP requirements for at least two consecutive terms.
• Students have the right to appeal a financial aid suspension if extenuating circumstances have prevented them from meeting the SAP requirements.

Phase 4: SAP Appeal

• Students not making SAP will be notified via their FVSU email. SAP status is also viewable on the students’ Banner Web account.
• Appeals must be written, specifically addressing the extenuating circumstances, and must be submitted to the Office of Financial Aid by the SAP Appeal deadline date.

Appeals received after the published deadline dates will not be reviewed.

• Appeals will be considered for extenuating circumstances only. Supporting documentation must be provided or the appeal will be automatically denied. Extenuating Circumstances may include, but are not limited to:
  • the death of an immediate family member (guardian, child, spouse, parent, aunt, uncle, grandmother, grandfather, (this does not include in-laws)
  • an injury or illness of the student or their immediate family member
  • other special circumstances that are generally outside of the control of the student

Any person found to have intentionally submitted fraudulent documents shall be subject to appropriate disciplinary action and adjudicated under the student conduct policy.

• Students who have appeal decisions pending are notified via the Appeal Form that there is no guarantee a decision will be made before the tuition and fee payment deadline.
  • A student paying for his/her tuition and fees or sitting out for one or more terms does not automatically reinstate the student’s financial aid eligibility.
• If the Financial Aid Appeals Committee approves a student’s appeal, they may place the student on financial aid probation and reinstate the student’s financial aid for one term only.
• The student must follow the Academic Progress Plan to ensure he/she is able to stay on target towards progression.

Academic Plans

Those who are required to submit an SAP Academic Plan include:

• Students who are not mathematically able to meet SAP within one term
• Students who have not consistently met SAP requirements
• Students who the committee determines to need additional supporting documentation.

Academic plans will be used to review your academic progress on a quarterly basis until you meet the SAP requirements or graduate, whichever is first. It is important that you create an achievable academic plan and that you utilize campus resources that are available to help you earn the quarterly units and GPA stated in your plan.

Phase 5: SAP Probation

A student that has submitted an appeal and it is approved; financial aid is reinstated changing their SAP status to Probation.

Student Requirements during SAP Probation:

• maintain a term GPA of 2.5.
• Withdrawing or not meeting the minimum term GPA requirement during your financial aid appeal approved semester will change your status to Financial Aid Suspension.
• If you do not meet SAP requirements but meet your SAP Academic Plan after the academic review, your status will be updated to probation and your SAP status will be reviewed at the end of the next term.

In order to receive financial aid after the probation period, a student must meet all SAP requirements and/ or meet all requirements of an Academic Progress Plan that has been established for him/ her by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee.

Failure to meet SAP requirements and/or Academic Progress Plan during Probation will result in SAP suspension (see phase 3).

What happens if your appeal is not approved?

You will remain unsatisfactory and will not be eligible for financial aid disbursements until that status changes.

Financial Aid TV: Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Questions regarding this policy should be directed to the Office of Financial Aid at financialaid@fvsu.edu.