Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
To continue receiving financial aid, you must make satisfactory progress toward your degree.
This is evaluated through Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards and is required to maintain federal financial aid eligibility. Many private loan lenders also require students to meet SAP standards.
UND's SAP Policy and Procedure
SAP Requirements
At the end of each semester, UND will assess if you are meeting all of the following SAP requirements to determine your financial aid eligibility for the next semester:
| Type of Student | Minimum Cumulative GPA |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 2.0 |
| Graduate | 3.0 |
| Law | 2.0 |
All undergraduate, graduate and professional students must complete 66.667% of attempted credits.
Transfer credits recorded by UND are included when evaluating SAP and financial aid eligibility.
Attempted Credits
- All credits enrolled in as of the last day to add or drop a course for the semester.
- Use the Academic Calendar to help determine this date each semester.
Completed Credits
Completed credits are those where a student earns a passing grade.
The following do not count as completed credits:
- Grades of Incomplete (I).
- Withdrawal (W).
- Unsatisfactory (U, UP).
- Failing grades (F).
- Courses with no recorded grade.
Calculate Completion Rate
Divide the number of successfully completed credits by the number of attempted credits.
Example: 12 completed credits / 15 attempted credits = 80%
Students must complete their degree within 150% of the credits required for their program.
For example, if your degree requires 120 credits to graduate, you must complete it within 180 attempted credits (e.g., 120 required credits x 150% = 180 attempted credits).
Attempted Credits Include
- All credits enrolled in as of the last day to add or drop a course for the semester. Use the Academic Calendar to help determine this date each semester.
- Transfer credits completed at other institutions that are recorded by UND.
Maximum Attempted Credits
| Program Level | Max. Attempted Credits |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate* | 180 |
| Graduate | 135 |
| Law | 135 |
| Medical | 264 |
*This number is for undergraduate programs with a required number of 120 credits to graduate. If your program requires more than 120 credits, your maximum time frame will be higher.
Not Meeting SAP Requirements?
If you do not meet SAP requirements, here’s what happens:
- Notification: You’ll receive an email explaining why you’re not meeting SAP.
- SAP Hold on Your Account: A SAP hold (negative service indicator) will be placed on your account, which may
impact your financial aid eligibility.
- You can view your SAP hold status in Campus Connection.
- If you believe this is an error, it’s your responsibility to verify your financial aid eligibility and resolve the issue.
Types of SAP Holds
If you're not meeting SAP standards, your account will have one of the following holds:
If you fail to meet one or more Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements, you will be placed in Financial Aid Disqualification.
This means you are ineligible for all financial aid that requires SAP compliance.
The first time you do not meet one or more of the SAP requirements, you will be placed in Financial Aid Warning.
- You remain eligible for financial aid during this warning period.
- You have one semester to meet SAP requirements before losing aid eligibility.
- For example, if you are short of SAP after the fall semester, you have until the spring semester to improve.
If you're close to not meeting one or more of the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements, you will be placed on Financial Aid Information Only status.
This is a notice and does not impact your financial aid eligibility at this time.
Extenuating Circumstances Appeal (SAP Petition)
If extenuating circumstances beyond your control prevented you from meeting SAP, you may appeal a Financial Aid Disqualification by submitting an electronic SAP Petition. Petitions will be denied if there is a lack of extenuating circumstances.
Extenuating Circumstances
Circumstances beyond your control which may include, but are not limited to:
- Legal issues.
- Personal medical or mental health issues.
- Death of a close family member or friend.
- Becoming a caregiver of a close family member or friend.
Examples that do not qualify as extenuating circumstances:
- DUI (or other legal issues resulting from a crime you committed).
- Working too much.
- Not knowing academic and financial dates and deadlines.
- Not checking your UND email or Campus Connection account.
Steps to File a SAP Petition
The petition process and required documentation will vary based on the SAP requirements you do not meet. The email notification of your Financial Aid Disqualification will tell you exactly why you are not meeting SAP.
- Complete the SAP Petition electronically by:
- Explaining and documenting why you failed to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress.
- Describing how you plan to make satisfactory progress by the next evaluation.
- Attach required supporting documentation based on your specific circumstances (see below).
Processing of your petition can take up to two weeks after all required documentation has been received.
If your SAP Petition is approved, you will receive notification of the specific plan of study you must follow to maintain federal aid eligibility until you meet SAP standards on your own.
- SAP Petition - Requires an attachment.
- If you don't have other documents ready yet, attach a Word document stating what you're waiting for and why. See "Due Dates" below.
- SAP Advisor Documentation Form - Completed and signed by advisor.
- Professional Letter(s) of Support - If applicable, you're also required to submit
documentation from a professional (e.g., doctor, counselor, lawyer, etc.) knowledgeable
of your specific extenuating circumstance. The professional letters must:
- Be on official letterhead with a signature block and personal signature.
- Include dates of service and details about the service provided to the student.
- For medical/mental health issues, the documentation must state that the student was
seeking care or assistance during the period SAP was not met.
- If the student has a chronic or past condition that has been re-evaluated or required a change to their plan of care, that information should be included in the documentation.
- SAP Petition - Requires an attachment.
- If you don't have other documents ready yet, attach a Word document stating what you're waiting for and why. See "Due Dates" below.
- SAP Advisor Documentation Form - Completed and signed by advisor.
- SAP Course List Form - Completed and signed by both advisor and student.
SAP Petition Due Dates
SAP Petition deadlines are emailed directly to the student’s UND/NDUS email address for each semester (fall, spring and summer). If you are unsure of the deadline, check the Financial Aid Deadlines Calendar.
- Missed the deadline: Submit your petition anyway, with a statement explaining that you will provide additional documents after meeting with your advisor.
- Denied petition: You may appeal the decision with the Director of Financial Aid. Instructions will be included in your denial notice.
SAP FAQs
No. If you have been placed on Financial Aid Disqualification, taking one or more semesters off does not reinstate your eligibility.
The only ways to regain eligibility are:
- Meet SAP requirements on your own by improving your grades and/or completion rate.
- Submit an approved SAP Petition and follow the plan of study to regain eligibility.
Maybe. You can still apply for a private (bank) educational loan, but many lenders require students to meet SAP standards.
The following private lenders may consider loan applications from students not meeting SAP:
- Citizens One
- Common Bond
- Wells Fargo
- Sallie Mae
- Union Federal
- SunTrust
Compare lenders using FASTChoice to find the best option for you.
No. You must submit your SAP Petition on or before the deadline.
You will be granted additional time to submit the other required documents.
How to Submit Without All Documents
- Attach a Word document stating which documents you will be sending later and why.
- This is required before the system allows you to submit the petition.
Yes. Credits earned from a previous degree or another institution may count toward your maximum credit limit.
SAP calculations are based on your academic career level (i.e., undergraduate, graduate).
Yes. You have the opportunity to submit another petition if you either:
- Chose not to appeal to the Director of Financial Aid, or
- Your appeal was denied by the Director.
Keep in mind that if you still lack extenuating circumstances and/or haven't improved academic progress, your petition may be denied again.
The following private lenders may consider loan applications from students not meeting SAP:
- Citizens One
- Common Bond
- Wells Fargo
- Sallie Mae
- Union Federal
- SunTrust
Compare lenders using FASTChoice to find the best option for you.
No. SAP holds and the notifications are for financial aid purposes only and do not affect course registration.
However, be sure to check your "Holds" and "To Do's" in Campus Connection, as other holds may prevent course registration.
No. If you don't use federal financial aid or any other aid requiring SAP, this hold does not effect you financially.
You should still meet with your academic advisor to ensure you have a plan for success.
If you plan to use federal financial aid or other aid requiring SAP, you will need to submit a petition or meet SAP requirements on your own before becoming eligible.