Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress
Federal regulations require recipients of federal Title IV aid to maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) toward their degree in order to remain eligible for financial aid assistance. SAP is evaluated at the close of each semester (fall, spring, and summer) once grades are available in the university system. Students who do not meet SAP requirements will lose eligibility to receive financial aid assistance.
Students must meet the following SAP standards to remain eligible for financial aid:
Federal regulations require students to complete their program within a maximum time frame of 150% of the normal program length measured by attempted credit hours.
Undergraduate
For an undergraduate degree program, the normal program length is 120 credits, and a student should complete the program in 180 attempted credit hours (180 = 150% of 120 credit hours).
Graduate
For the Master of Education degree programs, the normal program length is 36 credits, and a student should complete the program in 54 attempted credit hours (54 = 150% of 36 credit hours). For the Master of Business Administration and Master of Science in Computer Science degree programs, the normal program length is 30 credits, and a student should complete the program in 45 attempted credit hours (45 = 150% of 30 credit hours)
Undergraduate
Undergraduate students must successfully complete a percentage of all attempted credit hours at the close of each semester according to the table below:
| Credit Hours Attempted | Minimum CGPA |
|---|---|
| 0 – 23 | 1.60 |
| 24 – 47 | 1.80 |
| 48 – 180 | 2.00 |
Graduate
Graduate students are expected to maintain a CGPA of 3.00 at the close of each semester. Graduate students are required to have a CGPA of 3.0 for graduation.
| Credit Hours Attempted | Minimum CGPA |
|---|---|
| ≥ 1 | 3.0 |
Undergraduate
Undergraduate students must successfully complete a percentage of all attempted credit hours at the close of each semester according to the table below:
| Credit Hours Attempted | Completion Rate |
|---|---|
| 0 – 23 | 50% |
| 24 – 47 | 60% |
| 48 – 180 | 67% |
Graduate
Graduate students must successfully complete a percentage of all attempted credit hours at the close of each semester according to the table below:
| Credit Hours Attempted | Completion Rate |
|---|---|
| ≥ 9 | 75% |
Financial Aid Warning
Students who fail to meet the qualitative and quantitative standards for the first time are placed on SAP Warning for one semester of enrollment. Students in a warning status may enroll for a subsequent semester and remain eligible for financial aid. Students who do not meet SAP standards will be placed on SAP Suspension.
Financial Aid Suspension
Students who fail to meet SAP standards are ineligible to receive financial aid in subsequent semesters. Students placed on SAP Suspension may file an appeal if mitigating circumstances resulted in the suspension. Although a student’s financial aid is suspended, s/he may be eligible to continue attending NAU at their own expense, if in good academic standing.
Students on SAP Suspension can regain financial aid eligibility by enrolling at their own expense and meeting SAP standards by the next evaluation period. If SAP standards are met in the next evaluation, financial aid eligibility will be reinstated for the following eligible term enrolled. Students may also choose to file a Financial Aid SAP Appeal to petition for reinstatement. If the appeal is approved, financial aid eligibility will be reinstated for the subsequent term enrolled.
Appeal Process
Students on SAP Suspension may appeal to the Financial Aid Office to receive financial aid in the subsequent semester if there were extenuating circumstances that impacted the student’s academic performance. Students can petition for reinstatement by submitting the following required documentation:
- Financial Aid SAP Appeal Form
-
Personal Statement
Students must provide a detailed description of the extenuating circumstances (such as personal illness or injury, illness or death of immediate family, financial obligations which require changes in employment that conflict with class schedules) that occurred during the semester in which the student failed to meet SAP. All personal statements must include the following required details:
- Explain the unique and extenuating circumstances that prevented the student from meeting SAP standards
- Clearly indicate how those circumstances have been resolved
- Describe the specific plan/strategies to improve academic performance to ensure SAP standards are met
-
Supporting Documentation
Appeals must include documentation to support the existence of the circumstances described in the personal statement or evidence that the circumstances have been resolved.
Financial Aid SAP Appeals received without the requirements above are considered incomplete and will not be eligible for review. Appeals must be received by the Financial Aid Office by the announced deadline. Students will receive a response via school email within seven (7) business days of submitting a complete appeal with all required information.
Please Note: Submission of an appeal does not guarantee approval. Students are responsible for meeting all payment deadlines while awaiting an appeal decision.
Approved Appeals
Financial Aid Probation
If an appeal is approved, students will be placed on SAP Probation and can receive financial aid for one term. Students are expected to meet SAP standards by the end of that term or return to SAP Suspension.
Denied Appeals
Common reasons appeals are denied are as follows:
- Failure to document extenuating circumstances and provide supporting documentation
- Insufficient academic improvement at NAU or another institution
- Appealing more than once and citing the same extenuating circumstance(s)
- Lack of effort on the appeal
If the financial aid appeal is denied, students may be eligible to continue attending NAU at their own expense, if in good academic standing. If the student meets minimum SAP standards in the next evaluation, financial aid eligibility will be reinstated for the following eligible term enrolled. Private student loans are available for those that qualify and do not require SAP standards to be met for eligibility.
Please upload your complete Financial Aid SAP Appeal Form and supporting documents to the Financial Aid Student Portal by the deadline listed below. It is highly recommended that appeals be submitted as early as possible before the term begins so they may be reviewed prior to the semester billing deadline. Late or incomplete appeals received without the required supporting documentation will not be accepted.
| Academic Term | Deadline |
| Summer 2023 | June 23, 2023 |
| Fall 2023 | September 22, 2023 |
