Satisfactory Academic Progress for Undergraduates

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Policy Number:
UW-1040
Old Policy Number:
OSFA 615
Responsible Office:
Office of Student Financial Aid

University Policy

Rationale/​Purpose:

Federal financial aid regulations require an institution administering Title IV aid to establish a satisfactory academic progress policy to ensure all students receiving financial aid are making reasonable progress towards their intended degree.

Definitions:
Academic Plan
A plan developed in consultation with an advisor that addresses a student’s failure to meet satisfactory academic progress. The plan is designed to assist the student and may include, but is not limited to, elements such as course or credit hour restrictions, mandatory meetings with advisors and/or tutors. The student must meet the requirements of the academic plan to retain financial aid eligibility after failing to meet satisfactory academic progress (SAP).
Attempted Credits
The credits associated with courses in which a student is enrolled the day after the date to drop courses or withdraw without a notation on the transcript, as determined by the Office of the Registrar’s Session Dates and Deadlines calendar. Attempted credits and associated grades are used in SAP calculations and include the following courses, credits, and grades:
Incomplete Grade (I, or IN for Credit/NoCredit Course)
A temporary grade assigned when a limited amount of academic work is not completed during the term.
Not Completed Course
For the purposes of this policy, a course a student does not successfully complete and/or in which a student earns no credit with a grade of DR (Dropped), F (Fail), I (Incomplete), NR (No Report), NW (No Work), U (Unsatisfactory), N (No Credit), IN (Incomplete), or UD (University Disruption).
Remedial Course
A course in which a student is expected to achieve competencies needed for higher level courses.
Repeated Course
A course in which a student enrolls after having previously successfully completed it.
Withdrawn Course
A course in which a student enrolls and then requests to drop after the Drop Class Deadline as determined by the Office of the Registrar’s Session Dates and Deadlines calendar. A course dropped after the Drop Class Deadline results in a final grade of “DR”.
Completed Credits
The credits associated with courses in which a student earns a passing grade of A, AB, B, BC, C, D, S (Satisfactory), CR (Credit), or SD (Satisfactory-Disruption). Completed credits and associated grades are used in SAP calculations.
Credit Hour

A credit hour is an amount of work represented in intended learning outcomes and verified by evidence of student achievement that is an institutionally established equivalency that reasonably approximates not less than:

(1)One hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of out of class student work each week for approximately fifteen weeks for one semester, or the equivalent amount of work over a different amount of time; or

(2)At least an equivalent amount of work as required in paragraph (1) of this definition for other academic activities as established by the institution including laboratory work, internships, practica, studio work, and other academic work leading to the award of credit hours.

Alternatively, a credit hour is defined as the learning that takes place in at least 45 hours of learning activities, which include time in lectures or class meetings, in-person or online, laboratories, examinations, presentations, tutorials, preparation, reading, studying, hands-on experiences, and other learning activities; or a demonstration by the student of learning equivalent to that established as the expected product of such a period of study.

In all cases, learning in for-credit courses is guided by a qualified instructor and includes regular and substantive student-instructor interaction.

Grade-point Average (GPA)
The total number of grade points earned divided by the number of credit hours attempted.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
A measurement of a student’s progress towards their degree.
Student
For purposes of this policy, a student is an individual who is enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Title IV
Federal financial aid programs for post-secondary students authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, as amended.
Transfer Credit
For purposes of this policy, transfer credit from another institution; third-party credit by exam, e.g., Advanced Placement (AP), Cambridge Pre-U, College Level Examination Program (CLEP), General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced (A) Level; and International Baccalaureate (IB) and retroactive foreign language credit are considered transfer credits. Transfer credits are used in SAP calculations.
Scope:

All UW–Madison undergraduate students who receive Title IV financial aid.

Policy:

Per federal regulations, this policy is as strict or stricter than UW-Madison’s academic standing policies in each school and college.

  1. The Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) reviews the academic record of each student receiving federal financial aid on an annual basis (late May or early June) to ensure they are meeting federal guidelines for satisfactory academic progress (SAP).
  2. The following components are evaluated at the end of each academic year:
    1. The qualitative component of satisfactory academic progress is measured by the student’s cumulative grade-point average (GPA):
      1. A student must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher at the end of the academic year when the evaluation occurs.
    2. The quantitative component of satisfactory academic progress is measured by the degree completion rate and maximum timeframe:
      1. A student must maintain a cumulative degree completion rate of 66.67% for all attempted credits. The credit completion rate is calculated by dividing completed credits by attempted credits.
      2. A student may not exceed the maximum timeframe for their program by enrolling in more than 150% of the total number of degree credits needed to complete their academic program.
  3. A student must meet all qualitative and quantitative components to maintain their financial aid eligibility.
    1. Failure to meet one or more component of SAP will result in financial aid ineligibility until the student either appeals and is approved to receive aid or meets the requirements of SAP in subsequent academic activity without financial aid.
  4. A student is to be notified via email of the failure to meet satisfactory academic progress and their financial aid ineligibility after SAP calculations are completed in late May or early June.
    1. The email notification includes details on both the failure to meet satisfactory academic progress requirements and the student’s options to move forward.
    2. Financial aid cannot be disbursed to a student who has failed any component of satisfactory academic progress.
    3. A student who applies for financial aid after the annual review notification in May or June, will be notified of their ineligible status when their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is received by UW-Madison. The updated status becomes effective immediately. UW–Madison does not have a “financial aid warning” procedure, because the satisfactory academic progress evaluation does not occur at the end of each payment period.
  5. A student who seeks financial aid and is ineligible as a result of SAP, must complete the formal appeal process to be considered for financial aid in future terms.
    1. The appeal must address the reason(s) why the student did not meet satisfactory academic progress requirements and must include an academic plan developed with an academic advisor which ensures the student’s success in the future.
    2. The appeal is to be reviewed by a member of the Satisfactory Academic Progress Committee who may approve the appeal and place a student on financial aid probation.
    3. If the appeal is not approved or requires additional review, it is forwarded to the Satisfactory Academic Progress Coordinator in OSFA.
    4. With an approved appeal, a student is to be placed on financial aid probation and will become financial aid eligible for one term. At the end of the next term, a subsequent review is to be conducted to determine if the student’s academic progress meets the terms of the academic plan and warrants an additional term of aid or if the student must appeal again before receiving additional aid.
  6. If a student chooses not to appeal, they can regain their financial aid eligibility by increasing their GPA and/or completion rate.
    1. Failing satisfactory academic progress means a student is not eligible for financial aid without an approved appeal.
    2. Financial aid is not retroactive if an appeal is not received and approved before the end of the term.
Related UW–Madison Documents, Web Pages, or Other Resources:
External References:

Policy Administration

Approval Authority:
Executive Director of Student Financial Aid
Policy Manager:
Associate Director for Federal Awards
Contact:
Associate Director for Federal Awards -- Shane Maloney, SHANE.MALONEY@WISC.EDU, (608) 262-3384
Revised Dates:

01-01-2020, 05-24-2023

Reviewed Dates:

01/01/2020

Retrieved:
07-25-2025 07:00:54