Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
To remain eligible for federal and state financial aid, students must make satisfactory academic progress (SAP) toward their degree. SAP requirements consider several factors, including academic performance, credits completed, and progress toward completing a degree within the required timeframe.
Federal Financial Aid SAP Requirements
Financial Aid Eligibility
Students must continue to meet SUNY Poly's financial aid eligibility requirements.
Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA)
- Undergraduate students are expected to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or greater.
- Graduate students are expected to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater.
- Students must also maintain a cumulative GPA greater than the GPA that would result in academic dismissal. Academic dismissal requirements are available in the SUNY Poly College Catalog.
Credit Hour Completion
Students must complete enough credit hours to finish their program within the maximum allowable timeframe.
- Students must pass at least 66% of all credit hours attempted toward their degree.
- Grades of A through D are considered passing. Grades of I, IP, F, and W are not considered passing grades for this requirement.
- For example, if an undergraduate student has attempted 48 credit hours, the student must have passed at least 32 credit hours to meet the quantitative measurement requirement.
Maximum Timeframe
Undergraduate students must complete their program within 150% of the program's requirements. For example, a student pursuing a bachelor's degree is allowed a maximum timeframe of six years to complete degree requirements.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Review
At the close of each semester, the Financial Aid Office conducts a Satisfactory Academic Progress review for each student who received federal financial aid during the academic year.
Students who do not meet the satisfactory academic progress criteria are placed on Financial Aid Suspension. The Financial Aid Office will notify affected students through their SUNY Poly email account.
Students on Financial Aid Suspension are ineligible for federal financial aid, including:
- Federal Direct Student Loans
- Federal Pell Grants
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants
- Federal Work-Study
New York State Financial Aid SAP Requirements
Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements for New York State financial aid programs differ slightly from federal requirements. These programs include the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), Aid for Part-Time Study, and Veterans Tuition Awards.
Cumulative GPA: The cumulative GPA a student must maintain varies based on the number of state awards received. As a general rule, undergraduate and graduate students who maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 will meet this requirement.
Credit Hours Completed: The number of credit hours students must complete each semester varies based on the number of state awards received.
Federal financial aid requires students to pass the required credit hours, while state financial aid requires students to complete the required credit hours. For state financial aid, grades of A through D, F, S, U, I, and IP are considered completed.
Accumulated Credit Hours: The total number of credit hours required toward a student's degree increases with each additional state award received.
Credit hours transferred to SUNY Poly from another institution, combined with credit hours passed at SUNY Poly, must equal or exceed the number of hours required for the student's next state award.
Regaining Financial Aid Eligibility
Students may regain their financial aid eligibility in one of the following ways:
Submit a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal.
An otherwise academically successful student who experienced an extraordinary, one-time circumstance that prevented them from meeting the minimum SAP standards may request a waiver of the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements.
Examples of extraordinary circumstances may include a death in the immediate family or a prolonged medical condition that prevented the student from attending classes.
For this purpose, an academically successful student is defined as:
- An undergraduate student maintaining at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA; or
- A graduate student maintaining at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA; and
- A student who has passed at least 66% of all credit hours attempted.
Students may submit a Financial Aid Reinstatement Appeal Form to the Financial Aid Office along with supporting documentation.
If warranted, a waiver may be granted for federal and/or state aid programs. Students may request only one waiver for federal aid and one waiver for state aid per degree.
Students whose waivers are approved will be placed on financial aid probation. Students who do not meet the terms of their probationary period will be denied aid until they regain eligibility.
Regain eligibility by meeting SAP standards.
Students may enroll at SUNY Poly and pay their college costs, including tuition and fees, using their own resources and/or other aid programs for which they remain eligible.
Once the appropriate SAP standards are met, financial aid eligibility may be reinstated for the student's next semester of enrollment.
Other Important Information About SAP
Repeated Courses
A repeated course will count toward the minimum credit hours enrolled requirement if the student's original grade did not meet the minimum grade required for the course.
For example, accounting majors must earn a C or better in all courses in their major. If a student repeats a required course after receiving a D or F, the repeated course would count toward the minimum credit hours. If the student previously received a C or better, the repeated course would not count.
Incomplete or Failed Courses
If a student's grade changes from an Incomplete (I) or Failing (F) grade to a passing grade, financial aid eligibility may be reinstated based on the revised cumulative GPA and number of credit hours passed.
Students are responsible for contacting the Financial Aid Office to request a review of their SAP eligibility following a grade change.
Students Not Currently Receiving Financial Aid
Students who are not currently receiving financial aid are subject to the same SAP criteria and may be placed on Financial Aid Suspension for future financial aid consideration.
Additional Information
Additional information about Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements is available in the SUNY Poly College Catalog.
