To be eligible for financial aid, you must make satisfactory academic progress (SAP) toward your degree. This policy is applied consistently to all students who would like to receive financial aid, even if you did not receive financial aid previously. Each student will be treated the same within categories of students (full-time, part-time, undergraduate, graduate, different programs of study, etc.) unless specified differently below in policy. For example, the required GPA for most graduate students is higher than undergraduate students. This SAP policy is at least as strict as the policy the institution applies to a student who is not receiving assistance under the Title IV financial aid programs.
Every year, at the end of spring term, we measure your SAP using the following criteria:
- Grade Point Average: Maintaining a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) for undergraduates and J.D./LL.M. law students, or 3.0 for all other graduate students.
- Pace: Earning credit for at least 67 percent of the credits you attempt (aggregate).
- Maximum Timeframe: Graduating with less than 150 percent of the credits required to complete your degree.
Completely withdrawing (or not passing any classes) during your first term at the UO, or during any two consecutive terms, constitutes failure to meet SAP standards regardless of other criteria.
If you do not meet SAP standards, we will notify you at your UO e-mail address. You can view which requirements are not being met by logging in to DuckWeb, opening the "Financial Aid Menu" and selecting "Eligibility and Requirements" for the current aid year.
Regaining Eligibility
There are two ways to regain eligibility for federal student aid:
- Improve your academic performance until you meet the minimum SAP requirements. Please notify our office so that the hold can be cleared for the subsequent term.
- Submit an appeal (see Appeal Process below) for review.
*Note: students who are academically disqualified from the University are ineligible for financial aid, even if they are enrolled (e.g. summer term). Petitions to cancel disqualification and to be reinstated academically to the University are completely separate processes from a SAP appeal. Please contact the Office of Academic Advising if you need to petition academic disqualification or reinstatement. If your disqualification is cancelled or if you are reinstated academically and not meeting SAP requirements, you will still need to separately complete a SAP appeal for consideration of reinstating your financial aid. Additionally, we are unable to retroactively review a SAP appeal once a term is complete.
Elements of SAP
Grade Point Average (GPA)
When we evaluate SAP at the end of spring term, we look at your cumulative UO GPA, which is calculated based on all the classes you've taken at the UO. This means that transfer credits do not count towards this value.
Undergraduates and J.D./LL.M. law students must maintain a 2.0, while all other graduate students must maintain a 3.0. If your GPA does not meet this standard, your financial aid eligibility will be suspended. You can reestablish your eligibility by raising your GPA to the required value. If you feel you have mitigating circumstances, you can appeal your financial aid suspension.
A grade chart is provided on the University of Oregon Grading System webpage. The grade chart defines each letter grade and how it impacts your GPA. For example, grades of I (Incomplete) and W (Withdrawal) do not count in your UO GPA. Additional information regarding repeat coursework and how it impacts UO GPA can also be found on that page, along with a GPA calculator.
Pace
Your pace of completion is the number of credits you earn divided by the number of credits you attempt. In most cases you attempt a credit when you take a college-level class, and you earn that credit when you pass the class. The easiest way to find your pace is to use the pace calculator.
When you enroll in a college-level course, those credits are added to your attempted credits. This includes classes taken at the UO and accepted transfer credits. You earn credit for grades of A, B, C, D, and P. You do not earn credit for grades of W, I, Y, N, X, and F; therefore, these grades (including withdrawals and incompletes) will have a negative impact on your pace of completion.
Accepted transfer credits from another institution will be counted as both attempted and completed hours.
If you repeat a course, each repetition counts toward your attempted credits, but you only earn credit the first time you earn a passing grade. Remedial coursework (non-college level classes, like MATH 095) count as attempted credits, but not as earned credits – even if you pass the class.
When we evaluate SAP at the end of spring term, if your pace is below 67 percent, your financial aid eligibility will be suspended. You can reestablish eligibility by raising your pace to 67 percent. If you have mitigating circumstances, you can appeal your financial aid suspension.
Maximum Timeframe
To be eligible for financial aid at the UO, you must complete your degree within the maximum timeframe. This means graduating before accumulating 150 percent of the attempted credits required for completing your major. Attempted credits include all courses taken at the UO, as well as transfer credits, regardless of whether you passed the class or not. If you do not graduate within the maximum timeframe or our office determines that it is mathematically impossible to graduate within the maximum timeframe, your aid will be suspended. If you have mitigating circumstances, you can appeal your financial aid suspension.
This policy applies to both undergraduate and graduate students, including postbaccalaureate and certificate programs. Doctoral students are expected to complete the requirements for their degree in a reasonable length of time, as monitored by Graduate and Law School policies.
For most undergraduate majors, the maximum timeframe is 270 credits. The exceptions to this are:
- Architecture: 347
- Interior architecture: 338
- Landscape architecture: 330
Graduate programs vary in length depending on the specific program.
For most postbaccalaureate programs, 150 percent of the attempted UO credits required is 135.
Appeal Process
If you are not making satisfactory academic progress, you will receive a notification at your UO e-mail address. You are allowed to submit an appeal if you have mitigating circumstances, such as: a death of a relative, an injury or illness, or other special circumstances. Within the appeal you will be asked what circumstances prevented you from meeting SAP and what has changed that will allow you to demonstrate SAP in the future. You can review which requirements are not being met by logging in to DuckWeb, opening the “Financial Aid Menu” and selecting “Eligibility and Requirements” for the current aid year. You will see a requirement for Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal. Click on the link to access the appeal.
In order to complete an appeal, you must first meet with your academic advisor. If you have declared a major, consult your academic department. If you are undeclared, make an appointment with the Office of Academic Advising. During your meeting, make sure to address the element(s) of SAP that are not being met and develop an academic plan.
We recommend submitting your SAP appeal as soon as possible, preferably well before the term begins; in order to give us time to review, process, and notify you of the decision. We are unable to retroactively review a SAP appeal once a term is complete.
Outcomes of Appeals
Your approval or denial, along with additional information, will be sent to your UO e-mail address. Here are some typical outcomes, but each outcome is student specific so please be sure to read over the conditions closely:
- Academic Plan: Each term you must receive a passing grade in all of your courses (without dropping any courses) and earn a term GPA of 2.0 or better. This plan continues through the end of the academic year or until you are meeting all requirements of UO’s SAP standards.
- Probation: You are eligible for financial aid for one term and must meet all SAP requirements at the end of that term in order to continue receiving financial aid.
- Denial: Your appeal may be denied based on insufficient detail, documentation, or evidence of academic or personal difficulties being addressed or resolved.
If you fail to meet SAP standards again after being granted an appeal, you will be ineligible for financial aid and placed on financial aid suspension. If you have extraordinary circumstances, or want to find out more about regaining eligibility for financial aid in the future, please see a financial aid counselor.
Required Reporting: Our office has reporting obligations under state and federal laws and university policy relating to child abuse, prohibited discrimination including sexual harassment and sexual assault, and possible misconduct or criminal acts. Please see http://prevention.uoregon.edu/resources for more information and let us know if you have any questions.