Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and Appeals
In order to receive and continue to receive Financial Aid, students must have their academic progress reviewed at the end of each semester. The review includes all periods of attendance.
- Measures of academic progress are 1) grades, 2) pace of progression, and 3) maximum timeframe. Undergraduates and post baccalaureate students must maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA, and graduate students must keep at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA. All students must complete at least 67% of the cumulative attempted hours at UHV. Undergraduates have 180 attempted hours in which to complete a degree, and graduate students are expected to complete a degree in a maximum of 68 attempted graduate hours.
- Failing to meet the GPA or pace of progression of the SAP requirements places a student on Financial Aid warning (distinct from academic warning). If the student is not in SAP compliance by the end of the next term, he/she goes on Financial Aid Suspension. Students go directly to Financial Aid Suspension if they meet or exceed the maximum timeframe (hours). Students on Financial Aid Suspension are not eligible for any form of financial assistance unless they complete an appeal and the appeal is approved. Students can view their SAP status on their myUHV account.
- If you do not meet SAP requirements, you will receive a letter in the mail (to your address in myUHV). The letter will provide a link to the SAP policy and to the SAP appeal form. The Financial Aid suspension can be appealed, and students are strongly encouraged to submit their SAP appeal form and supporting documentation in a timely manner. Submission deadline dates are posted on the UHV Financial Aid website.
- IMPORTANT! If you submit an appeal, please put some thought and effort into your submission. The SAP Appeals Committee needs to understand both the circumstances leading to your current situation and the steps you will take to make sure you get into and stay in compliance with SAP. Check for spelling and grammar errors and show the committee that you care about the outcome of the appeal by being honest and sincere in your narrative. Provide detailed documentation supporting your reason(s) for not meeting the SAP requirements. The SAP Appeals Committee meets on Tuesday afternoons. If needed, you can get advice and help from a Financial Aid Specialist.
- If your appeal is approved by the Appeals Committee, allow up to a week for your financial aid application will be processed. The Appeals Committee may proscribe specific terms and conditions for success, including precluding any drops or F grades, earning a specific term GPA, etc.
- If your appeal is denied, you may appeal to the Director of Financial Aid.
- After a committee meeting, students receive the results by phone and/or email. Outcomes can be discussed with the Financial Aid staff members or Financial Aid department leadership.
- It is the student's responsibility to make payment arrangements for university charges.
2022-2023 Appeal Submission Deadlines
Summer 2023 - July 14, 2023
2023-2024 Appeal Submission Deadlines
Fall 2023 – November 21, 2023
Spring 2024 - April 19, 2024
Summer 2024 - July 26, 2024
Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
Effective: July 22, 2020
It is strongly advised that appeals and corresponding documents are submitted early, prior to the Friday proceeding the next week of review. NOTICE: SAP appeals must be submitted electronically and no faxed copies will be accepted.
Institutional Policy
Students admitted into a course of study leading to a degree, and who receive federal, state, institutional or veterans’ financial assistance have their academic progress reviewed by the Office of Financial Aid at the end of each term. Financial aid recipients must meet several aspects of satisfactory academic progress to maintain their aid eligibility. Federal guidelines state that all periods of attendance will be counted toward the students’ academic progress review, regardless of whether the student received financial aid. Students must meet the following qualitative and quantitative standards to maintain financial aid eligibility at the University of Houston-Victoria.
Qualitative Measures of Academic Progress
Grade Point Average
Incoming freshman or new undergraduate transfer students to the University of Houston-Victoria will be eligible to apply for financial assistance if they have been admitted to the university.
Undergraduates, including post baccalaureate students, must maintain at least a 2.00 cumulative G.P.A., based on a 4.0 grading scale at the University of Houston-Victoria.
First-time, first-year, or transfer Graduate Students will be eligible to apply for financial assistance if they have been admitted to the university.
Graduate students are required to maintain at least a 3.00 cumulative grade point average, based on a 4.00 grading scale at the University of Houston-Victoria.
The minimum cumulative grade point averages are consistent with the University’s requirements for graduation.
Quantitative Measures of Academic Progress
Pace of Progression
Undergraduates, including post baccalaureate students, receiving financial assistance must complete at least 67% of the cumulative credit hours attempted at the University of Houston-Victoria in order to maintain eligibility.
All graduate students receiving financial assistance must complete at least 67% of the cumulative credit hours attempted at the University of Houston-Victoria in order to maintain eligibility.
Maximum Timeframe
Undergraduates are expected to complete their degree or certification within a maximum of 180 attempted credit hours. If a student changes plans, he or she must still receive his or her bachelor’s degree or certification within a maximum of 180 attempted undergraduate credit hours. No limit is set to the number of times a student may change his or her plan; however, all attempted undergraduate hours at UHV and transfer hours will be included in the SAP maximum timeframe determination.
Post-baccalaureate students are expected to complete their degree or certification within a maximum of 45 attempted credit hours. A total of 225 attempted undergraduate credit hours is the combined maximum timeframe for a student to complete his/her bachelor’s degree and post baccalaureate program.
Graduate students are expected to complete their degree or certification within a maximum of 68 attempted graduate credit hours. If a student changes plans, he or she must still receive his or her master’s degree within the 68 attempted graduate credit hour limitation. No limit is set to the number of times a student may change his or her plan; however, all attempted hours at UHV and transfer hours will be included in the SAP timeframe determination.
Transfer Work
Credit hours transferred to the University of Houston-Victoria will count as both attempted and completed hours.
Treatment of Grades
Withdrawals (W), Satisfactory (S) and unsatisfactory (U) grades are not figured into a student’s grade point average. Withdrawals and unsatisfactory grades are considered attempted hours in the pace of progression and maximum timeframe quantitative measures. Incomplete grades are also considered attempted courses.
Repeated courses are considered attempted hours only in the pace of progression. The most recent grade of a repeated course will be included in the GPA calculation.
Remedial class(es) and ESL classes are not included in the quantitative and qualitative measures.
Courses dropped prior to the term’s census date will not be considered in the SAP calculation.
Monitoring of Academic Progress
The cumulative grade point average, pace of progression, and maximum credit hour limitation are monitored each term. Financial Aid Specialists monitor graduate students who are within 9 hours of the maximum time frame and undergraduate students who are within 20 hours of the maximum time frame limits. The FA Specialist will notify the student's academic advisor to determine how many hours the student has remaining to complete his/her degree program. If the student will not be able to complete his/her degree within the maximum time frame, the student will be placed on SAP suspension.
If any student fails to meet one of the SAP quantitative or qualitative measures, the student will be placed on financial aid warning for one term. If the student does not meet the measures at the end of the following term in which the student was on warning, the student will be placed on financial aid suspension. Students on financial aid suspension will not be eligible to receive any form of financial assistance. Records used to monitor satisfactory academic progress will be filed in the student’s financial aid electronic folder. Students are able to view their Satisfactory Academic Progress on the myUHV Self Service website.
Appeal Process
All students not meeting the satisfactory academic requirements will be notified by mail stating that they have been placed on financial aid suspension. The letter will contain the website link to the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy and navigation to the SAP Appeal Form. Students who have questions or concerns about the situation are welcome to speak with the Financial Aid Specialist who monitors SAP or they may appeal the suspension.
Students who have mitigating circumstances may submit a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal located in the myUHV Self-Service Financial Aid section along with pertinent documentation within two months of receiving the letter of suspension. Examples of mitigating circumstances are a death of a relative, an illness or injury to the student, or other special circumstances. The committee consists of a representative from the Student Billing Office and a Student Success Coach. The appeals committee will meet within two business weeks of receiving the appeal. The deadline to submit the SAP Appeal form is one month prior to the end of the term in which the student is applying for aid.
The student must provide the following:
- The circumstances which caused their suspension and what has changed in the student’s situation that will allow the student to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress at the next evaluation
- The student’s plan to correct the circumstances (i.e., planned usage of the Academic Center)
- Your intended future enrollment plan including the number of hours remaining before receiving degree
- Any other pertinent documentation regarding mitigating circumstances (i.e., letter from physician).
If the student receives a favorable decision from the UHV Financial Aid Appeals Committee, the student will be placed on financial aid probation. Financial aid eligibility will be granted for the probationary period. A student on financial aid probation may receive aid for one payment period or UHV may develop an academic plan for the student, and if followed, will ensure that the student is able to meet the institution’s SAP standards by a specific point in time. The student will need to fulfill specific terms and conditions such as meeting the terms of a Financial Aid Academic Plan, such as taking a reduced course load, enrolling in specific courses, no drops or withdrawal of classes, and/or achieve a specific term GPA. At the end of one payment period on financial aid probation, the student must meet UHV’s SAP qualitative and quantitative measures or meet the requirements of the academic plan developed by the institution in order to receive financial aid funds for the subsequent payment period.
The student is called after the committee meets to explain the results of the appeal. An email will also be sent to the student via eforms notifying him or her of the results of the appeal. A copy of the letter will also be filed in the student’s folder. If the student is concerned about the outcome of the committee’s appeal, the student can make an appointment to visit with the Financial Aid Director. A maximum of two appeals per career may be submitted. With upper management approval, additional appeals may be submitted.
A student may receive grants, scholarships, and work study for the payment period in which the student regains eligibility. For Federal Direct Loans, a student who does not meet satisfactory academic progress standards at the beginning of a period of enrollment but who meets the standards later in that period is eligible for the entire period of enrollment in which he or she met the satisfactory academic progress standards.
Disbursement of Policy
Students are notified of the SAP policy in the UHV Catalog online and on the UHV Financial Aid website. In addition, copies are available as a handout in the OFA. The policy is also mailed to students not meeting academic progress.