Standards of Academic Progress Appeal
If you have not met Financial Aid’s standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), you are considered ineligible for financial aid. However, you may submit a Standards of Academic Progress Appeal if you have a documented extenuating circumstance that prevented you from meeting the 2.0 GPA and/or the 67% completion rate requirements for Financial Aid's satisfactory academic progress.
Learn more about Satisfactory Academic Progress.
What Counts as an Extenuating Circumstance
You may have experienced an extenuating circumstance if something was:
- unexpected
- could not be planned for, or
- was out of your control
An extenuating circumstance is an unforeseen, uncontrollable event such as a serious health condition, illness or injury; a traumatic event such as a natural disaster; divorce; sexual assault; criminal assault; a family emergency; employment changes such as military duty or orders; and mandated work schedule changes or involuntary lay-off/unemployment.
Issues that do not meet the definition of an extenuating circumstance include, but are not limited to, lack of transportation, roommate problems, incompatibility with faculty, difficult course load, dislike of a course, textbook concerns, lack of childcare, or technology issues (personal computer problems).
Examples of and Documentation Required to Support an Extenuating Circumstance
| Circumstance | Examples of Supporting Documentation |
|---|---|
| your own mental or physical illness, injury, disability | letter from a licensed healthcare provider on the provider's letterhead |
| death of a family member or significant person in your life | copy of obituary or death certificate |
| illness, accident, or injury of significant person in your life | physician's statement, police report, or documentation from third-party professional (e.g., hospital billing statement) |
| your own divorce or separation or of your parents | attorney's letter on law firm's letterhead, petition for dissolution, or copy of divorce decree |
| employment changes | documentation of job loss or other changes in employment |
| you take on an additional degree program, or you complete your degree and start working toward a new degree (maximum timeframe only) | detailed statement of the reason for your changes and a copy of your My Progress plan from MyCollege |
Examples of third-party documentation include, but are not limited to: medical records, court documents, police reports, death certificates or a funeral notice (with your name listed as an immediate family member), and corporate/company documents on official letterhead detailing changes at work.
Circumstances such as lack of maturity, lack of effort, and typical work and family life balance will not be considered.