Introduction

Federal guidelines for student financial assistance eligibility require that standards of satisfactory academic progress (SAP) be equal or stricter than the standards required of students who are not receiving financial assistance. Generally all periods of the student’s enrollment count when reviewing for SAP, even periods in which the student did not receive federal funds.  Hampton University is required by federal regulations to institute standards of satisfactory progress for students receiving Title IV assistance. Hampton University has adopted financial aid standards that differentiate between students receiving assistance and those students not receiving assistance.

What is Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)? The qualitative (grade point average) and quantitative (time limit) measure of a student’s progress toward completing a program of study.

Why Must Schools Maintain and Enforce Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards? In order to comply with the laws of the Higher Education Act (HEA 484) and Code of Federal Regulations (34 CFR). In sum, in order to receive any grant and/or loan assistance under this title, a student must meet satisfactory academic progress standards imposed by the Financial Aid Office. A student is maintaining satisfactory academic progress at the University if they meet the minimum guidelines at the end of each academic year, or its equivalent.

SAP Quantitative Standard

All students receiving Title IV financial assistance will be required to complete their degree-seeking program
within the following maximum time frames:

Undergraduate

Academic Year:Full-time enrollment for two semesters equals one academic year. The academic year is prorated for less-than full-time students. Hampton University uses the number of credit hours a student is enrolled in at the end of the first week of classes to determine full-time or less-than full-time enrollment status for evaluating academic progress.

Academic Work Evaluated:Hampton University’s Satisfactory Academic Progress policy applies to all academic work taken, irrespective if the student received financial aid in every term.

SAP Qualitative Requirements

Below you will find the Cumulative Grade Point average requirements for undergraduate students as they progress. 

Maximum Time Frame

The Hampton University Catalog sets forth degree requirements on a four year completion basis;
approximately 40 percent of students (nationally) require five years for completion. Federal regulations stipulate that undergraduate students must complete their academic programs within 150 percent of the established program length.  For example:  Your program requires 120 hours to complete, to determine your maximum time frame the following computation is used.  120 hours x 150% = 180 hours.

NOTE: Hours earned by Advanced Placement or CLEP are considered toward meeting the semester hour requirement only for a student’s first academic year.

Full-time (12 hours or more per semester) students must earn a minimum of 20 credits per academic year to receive financial assistance. Less than full-time students will be extended on a pro rata basis not to exceed the equivalent of 12 semesters of full-time enrollment.

Three-quarter time (9-11 hours per semester) students must earn a minimum of 18 credits per academic year to receive financial assistance.

Half-time (6-8 hours per semester) students must earn a minimum of 12 credits per academic year to to receive financial assistance.

Time Limit: Students will be allowed six academic years in which to complete an undergraduate degree.

The number of credit hours in which the student is enrolled on the day following the published last day to add/drop a class will be used as the official enrollment status for the purpose of financial assistance awarding; full-time status is 12 or more hours. If a student withdraws from classes after the date cited above and reduces their enrollment below the awarded status (the number of hours recorded as of the add/drop date), the student will not be meeting the minimum number of hours to be earned in one academic year. The deficit hours must be made up in the Spring or Summer semesters immediately following the deficient term otherwise, the student may be ineligible for further financial assistance.

(Rationale: Use of the last day to add/drop as the cut-off date will allow the Office of Financial Aid to standardize the evaluation point in the semester. It will also provide students a definitive answer to the question, “How will my financial aid be affected if I drop a course?” Awards will be adjusted based on the enrollment status at that time).

An Incomplete (I) grade indicates that a student has not completed all course-work required for a grade; students are allowed up to one academic year to complete the work. An Incomplete will not count as hours passed until a final grade is determined.

Repeated Courses

Repeated courses are NOT counted towards your meeting satisfactory academic progress for number of semester hours earned.

Failure to meet the minimum academic requirements given above makes the student ineligible to receive financial
assistance. A student who is suspended for a given semester is not eligible to receive any financial assistance until
the student has been reinstated to a satisfactory academic progress level.

Academically Dismissed Students

Students who are allowed to return to the University via the Readmit process cannot receive Federal Student Aid until they demonstrate that they are capable of earning a minimum semester GPA of 2.0 or better. The student must earn a semester GPA of 2.0 and have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0. Otherwise, the student can apply for non-federal educational loan assistance. The Office of Financial Aid will only permit a total of two appeals for reinstatement for students who have been academically dismissed. Students who become academically dismissed after the Spring semester cannot receive Federal Student Aid for the Summer session.

NOTE: Part-time students who have been academically suspended and are allowed to return to the University, must attend one semester and complete a minimum of six (6) credit hours and earn a minimum semester grade point average of 2.0 before being reinstated to the financial aid programs. The student must also complete all hours attempted and earn a minimum semester grade point average of 2.0 each semester thereafter, in order to remain eligible in all financial aid programs.

Transfer Students

The amount of time given a transfer student to complete his/her degree program is prorated based on the number of credit hours that are transferred to Hampton University. For example, if you transferred 50 credits toward your degree program, we would prorate, using the following formula: 50/120 (required cumulative credit hours that must be earned by the end of each of the six academic years) x 6 years equal 2.5 years, irrespective if you received financial aid during any of those years. The total number of transfer credits plus your hours attempted and earned here at Hampton University is used to quantify academic progress. The student cannot attempt more than 180 credits, including transfer credits. Insofar as qualitative standard applies, your transfer credits cumulative grade point average is not counted toward your Hampton University cumulative grade point average, only those credits earned here at Hampton University are counted.

Readmitted Students will be reviewed on previous academic records in order to determine eligibility for financial assistance, irrespective of the time elapsed since the student’s last attendance, or program of study, and/or degree program.

Non-Credit Remedial Courses are eligible for Title IV aid, only if the student has been accepted into an eligible program of study. No more than one year’s worth of remedial coursework may be counted in determining a student’s enrollment status.

Change in Major

For students who have changed their major, you are evaluated the same, there are no exceptions.

Graduate Eligibility

To be in compliance with the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards, graduate students must meet the following requirements: The student must have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better. The student must complete, with passing grades, and at least 80% of the total number of quality hours carried for the academic year.

See the following chart:

Full-time graduate (nine (9) hours per semester) students will be allowed three (3) academic years to complete a degree.

Half-time graduate (four (4) hours per semester) students must earn a minimum of 8 credits per academic year to maintain eligibility to receive assistance. Less than full-time graduate students will be extended on a pro rata basis not to exceed six (6) semesters of full-time enrollment.

Time Limit: Graduate students will be allowed three (3) academic years to complete a degree. For Masters: All work accepted at the time the student is admitted to candidacy must have been earned within a five-year period prior to admission to candidacy (at HU, and transfer credits). All work for the Masters degree program must be completed within a period of four (4) years from the start of the semester in which the student was admitted to the degree program. For PH.D, all requirements must be completed within seven (7) years after initial enrollment in the Graduate College.

The number of credit hours in which the student is enrolled on the day following the published last day to add/drop a class will be used as official enrollment for financial assistance purposes; full-time status is nine (9) or more hours. If a full-time student withdraws from classes after the date cited above and reduces his enrollment below the full-time status, the student will not be meeting the minimum number of credit hours to be earned in one academic year. The deficit hours must be made up in the Spring or Summer semesters immediately following or the student will be ineligible for further financial assistance.

An Incomplete (I) grade indicates that a student has not completed all course-work required for a grade; students are allowed one academic year to complete the work. Incomplete grades will not count as hours passed until a final grade is determined.

Repeated Courses

Repeated courses will not be counted to determine whether a student has met the satisfactory academic progress requirement, but will be counted towards your academic progression for number of semester hours completed.

Professional Eligibility

SAP standard requires a minimum of 24 credits per academic year, and must maintain at least a “C” (2.0) cumulative grade point average.

Time Limit: Professional (Pharmacy) once admitted, students must complete the first three (3) years of the program within a period of five (5) years. For Professional (Architecture), once admitted, students must complete program within four (4) years.

SAP Review Process

All students are reviewed for compliance with the SAP Policy at the end of the Spring semester. Students who are found to be in non-compliance are sent notices that specify the requirements to submit a SAP appeal.

Approved SAP Appeal student are granted financial aid for the Fall semester are subsequently reevaluated for compliance at the end of the semester, before they are allowed to receive aid for the spring semester.

Students who attend only one semester, who are found to be in non-compliance with the SAP Policy are sent a Financial Aid Warning Notice.

Former students who return to the University, are too, evaluated for compliance with the SAP Policy.

Mitigating Circumstances

Waivers for Satisfactory Academic Progress will be given only to those students who have suffered undue hardships such as death of an immediate family member or illness. If the student has undergone undue hardship because of death of a relative of the student, an injury or illness of the student, or other unusual circumstances as determined by the Financial Aid Administrator, the Student is required to provide documentation to support the reason(s) for the waiver request.

Appeal Process

Students may appeal if:

1. There is an error in the student’s current grades.
2. There is a change in the student’s G.P.A. due to enrollment in another period (ex. Summer School, first semester).
3. Other mitigating circumstances

All students will be notified if they are not meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements.  Students are only allowed to appeal 3 times during their academic career.  After notification the student must follow the steps below to appeal:

1. Use the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form to write your appeal, clearly stating why you failed to meet the conditions cited and attach additional documentation if necessary.
2. Submit your completed appeal packet and all supporting documents within 14 days of receipt of your notification. 
3. Allow two to three weeks for the processing of the appeal and receipt of the decision letter. 
4. Please be aware the decision rendered by the financial Aid Office is FINAL and not subject to further appeal.

Students with appeals regarding transfer hours in some cases where the number of transfer hours are in dispute, the student must get written confirmation from his/her chairperson or Dean in regards to the actual number of hours being counted toward the student’s current degree program.  This information must accompany the student’s appeal and will become a part of the student financial record.

No appeals will be reviewed during registration periods.

If your appeal letter is not approved and you still wish to attend, you must do so at your own expense. Note that you may wish to apply for a private educational loan, be further advised this type of loan will require that you have satisfactory credit, or you’ll need to obtain a credit worthy endorser.