FINANCIAL AID SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS POLICY

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Defined

The standard used to measure a student’s successful completion of coursework toward a degree is called Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).  Under Title IV, Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) programs, an institution must establish a reasonable SAP Policy for determining whether an otherwise eligible student is making satisfactory academic progress in their educational program and is eligible to receive financial assistance.

The U.S. Department of Education and Washington Adventist University (WAU) institutional policies require that students receiving financial assistance make real and measurable progress in their educational program. SAP affects federal and state aid opportunities.

WAU establishes standards for SAP to measure a student’s progress toward degree completion using qualitative and quantitative methods in accordance with federal regulations.

WAU’s SAP standards ensure students complete their coursework and continue to receive financial aid while enrolled at WAU.  The SAP Policy evaluates the quality (grade-point average), quantity, and maximum timeframe (credit hours completed) of the student’s academic work.  Students are assessed at the end of the Fall and Spring semesters.  The policy is applied consistently to all Title IV, state, and institutional programs and recipients.

Although WAU’s financial aid SAP policy is similar to the Academic Policy published under Academic Information in the WAU Catalog, the WAU Financial Aid SAP Policy is separate and distinct from the university’s Academic Policy.  The Financial Aid SAP Policy is the same or stricter than the university’s Academic Policy.

The Financial Aid SAP Policy is specific to maintaining eligibility for financial assistance programs and does not replace or supersede Washington Adventist University’s academic and departmental policies, guidelines, and procedures about academic standing and degree progression.

Students are expected to comply with the Financial Aid SAP Policy and the Academic Policy.  WAU strongly encourages to students to review both policies carefully.  Students can direct questions regarding the Financial Aid SAP Policy to the Fianancial Aid Office. Questions regarding WAU’s Academic Policy should be directed to the student’s academic chair’s office.

Making and Maintaining SAP

To successfully make and maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress, students must meet the following minimum standards:

• Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (“C” average) or higher at the end of the sophomore year for undergraduate students enrolled in programs of study longer than two academic years in length.
  • School of Graduate and Professional Studies (SGPS) professional undergraduate students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (“C” average) or higher.
  • SGPS graduate students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (“B” average or higher.)
• Earn 67 percent of total attempted hours.
• Not exceed 150 percent of the program’s published length for undergraduate programs (traditional and SGPS professional undergraduate students).
  • For SGPS graduate students, the maximum timeframe of seven years is defined by the University and based on the length of the programs.

Consequences of Not Making SAP

A student who does not make satisfactory progress towards completing their degree program loses the eligibility to receive Title IV and state financial aid.  The school determines the student failed SAP.

Students Monitored Under the Policy

The following students attending WAU are monitored under the Financial Aid SAP policy:

1. Traditional undergraduate students
2. School of Graduate and Professional Studies (SGPS) undergraduate and graduate students

Financial Aid Programs Subject to WAU’s SAP Policy

Programs subject to WAU’s Financial Aid SAP Policy include all federal and state financial aid programs.

Note: Some private alternative loan lenders and outside scholarships, grants, and tuition assistance or reimbursement programs may require that a student meet SAP.  WAU will adhere to the parameters set forth by private alternative loan lenders and other external financial aid programs or opportunities.

SAP Components

To remain eligible for financial assistance at WAU, a student must maintain quantitative (time-based) and qualitative (grade-based) standards to make satisfactory academic progress.  When a student meets SAP standards, the student is eligible for federal and state financial aid.  When a student does not meet SAP standards, the student is ineligible for federal and state financial aid.

There are three components to WAU’s SAP Policy that must be met:

1. Pace of Progression - Quantitative
2. Maximum Timeframe - Quantitative
3. Minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) - Qualitative

1. PACE

The pace is the measure of a student’s quantitative progress in a program.  In other words, students must earn a minimum number of units for credit per semester.  Students must maintain a pace consistent with graduation in a maximum timeframe to complete a degree to remain eligible for federal and state aid.  The pace of progression (credit hour completion rate) is calculated by dividing the cumulative number of credits completed (hours earned) by the cumulative number of credits attempted (hours attempted).

Pace of Progress = Cumulative hours earned ÷ Cumulative hours attempted

Credits attempted include college-level courses, remedial, repeated classes, transfer credits, and credits earned toward a prior degree.  All “W”s earned past the add/drop period are counted as attempted coursework.  Audited classes, Challenge, and CLEP exams are not included in attempted or completed credits.

Students are required to complete at least 67 percent (two-thirds) of cumulative attempted credits.  The policy includes both hours attempted at WAU and all transfer hours accepted by the university at the time of evaluation.

Pace of Progress ≥ 67% = SAP eligible for Pace

2. MAXIMUM TIMEFRAME

To be eligible for federal and state financial aid at WAU, a student must complete their degree within the maximum timeframe.  Maximum timeframe is the amount of time a student is expected to complete their study program and is related to pace.  Completing a degree within a maximum number of semesters enrolled and a maximum number or amount of attempted units ensures compliance with a maximum timeframe.

Maximum timeframe is measured in two ways:

• Semesters enrolled
• Credit hours attempted

Credit hours included in the maximum timeframe consists of the following credits applied to a student’s degree program:

• All transfer credits applied to the student’s academic program
• All credits attempted, regardless of passing or failing grades, and including incomplete grades, an unsatisfactory faculty rating, no grade, or a withdrawal from a course
• Courses taken for credit or no credit
• All classes taken, irrespective of a student’s change of academic program, and regardless of multiple majors or academic concentrations
• Remedial courses
• Repeated coursework

Note: Audited courses are not counted towards the maximum timeframe.

WAU’s Financial Aid SAP enables students to complete their program within the defined maximum timeframe.  The policy applies to traditional and SGPS Professional undergraduate and SGPS graduate students.

Traditional and SGPS Professional Undergraduate Students

The maximum timeframe for undergraduate students is 150 percent of the published length of the program.  A student meets the maximum timeframe requirement when they graduate with less than 150 percent of the credits required to complete a degree.

Example: The maximum timeframe with a published length of 120 credits is 180 credits, 120 multiplied by 150 percent.

A student becomes ineligible for financial aid when it is mathematically impossible to complete a program within the maximum timeframe.  A student is ineligible at the evaluation point when they will exceed max timeframe not at the point when they reach the maximum timeframe.

Example: At the end of the payment period, a student has attempted 165 credit hours out of a possible 180 credit hours allowed under max timeframe but has 20 hours left to earn to complete his degree.  The student is not meeting SAP due to exceeding the maximum timeframe.  He has more hours to earn than what is allowed to graduate within the maximum timeframe.

Hours Completed Requirements

SGPS Graduate Students

The maximum timeframe for graduate students to complete their program is seven years as determined by SGPS and based on their program’s length.

3. MINIMUM GRADE POINT AVERAGE (GPA)

Grade Point Average (GPA) measures a student’s academic achievement.  WAU calculates GPA by dividing the total number of grade points earned by the total number of credit hours completed.  Traditional and SGPS Professional undergraduate students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 (“C” average) or higher at the end of the second academic year. SGPS graduate students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (“C” average) or higher.  A second academic year is interpreted as the student being at the school for four semesters, regardless of a student’s enrollment status.

To demonstrate SAP, a student must maintain the following minimum cumulative GPA:

The following completed grades are counted in the cumulative GPA calculation: A +/- B+/- C +/- D +/- F

The following grade notations do not affect the computation of the cumulative GPA:

* Only for students who never attended a class
** Only for students who attended at least one class (refer to ATTENDANCE POLICY  )
*** Discontinued as of January 2021 

Note: The treatment of grades and courses attempted for Satisfactory Academic Progress is different from the university’s policy on academic standing and graduation requirements.

Evaluation

WAU accesses the qualitative (grade-based), quantitative (time-related), and maximum timeframe SAP components simultaneously when evaluating SAP.

The Financial Aid Office evaluates SAP at the end of the Fall and Spring semesters corresponding to the payment periods’ end.

SAP Determinations

1. Satisfactory SAP
2. SAP Warning
3. Unsatisfactory SAP
4. Probation
5. Maximum Timeframe

Definitions are as follows:

1. Satisfactory SAP

When a student meets SAP standards, the student has Satisfactory SAP and is eligible for financial aid.

2. SAP Warning

SAP Warning is a status a school assigns to a student failing to make satisfactory academic progress.  The school reinstates eligibility for aid for one payment period and may do so without a student appeal.

A student who does not meet the minimum requirements for the rate of completion or cumulative GPA will be sent an SAP Warning and will have one semester to meet SAP requirements.  A student is allowed a “warning term” to raise their GPA or credit hour completion rate to the minimum requirements. WAU will send a notification to students on SAP warning by U.S. Postal Service or to the student’s WAU email address.

At the end of the next period of enrollment, the student must complete all courses attempted for the semester with a minimum GPA of a 2.0 (“C” average) for undergraduate and SGPS professional students.  SGPS graduate students must complete all courses attempted for the semester with a minimum GPA of 3.0 (“B” average).  If the student does not meet the required minimum GPA or credit hour completion rate at the end of your warning term, their financial aid will be suspended.

A student will continue on a warning status if their cumulative GPA remains below the minimum requirements, but continues to meet the semester requirements.  Warning status only lasts for one payment period.  The student can receive more than one nonconsecutive warning period during their academic career.

Removal of Warning Status

The warning status will be removed once the student meets the minimum cumulative requirements.

When a Warning Status Becomes an Unsatisfactory Status

A SAP Warning status becomes an Unsatisfactory SAP status if the student fails to meet SAP requirements.  The student will be ineligible for financial assistance.

3. Unsatisfactory SAP

Students on Unsatisfactory SAP are ineligible for Federal Student Aid unless they submit an appeal and the appeal is approved.  Students who do not meet SAP standards (unsatisfactory) will receive a notification stating financial aid ineligibility.  Notification will be sent by USPS or email to the student’s WAU email address.  It will outline the academic standards, the reason(s) the student failed, and other pertinent information regarding appeal procedures.

If a student is placed on Unsatisfactory SAP, their federal and state financial aid awards will be canceled after the second week of the semester.

Suppose a student’s appeal is granted, and it is reasonable for the student to meet SAP standards in one semester.  In that case, the student is placed on Financial Aid Probation and can receive federal and state financial aid for one term.  At the end of the term, the student must meet the criteria for satisfactory academic progress.  If not, the student is once again placed on Unsatisfactory Academic Progress and is ineligible for aid.  The student can appeal again, but the later appeal must be based on a different reason from the first appeal.

If a student’s appeal is approved, their aid will be reinstated based on what funds are available at that time.  As a result of financial aid suspension, a student’s original award(s) may be reduced or lost.

4. Probation

Financial Aid SAP Probation is a status a school assigns to a student failing to make satisfactory academic progress and who successfully appeals.  Aid eligibility may be reinstated for one payment period.  Probation status is only granted after a student appeals by submitting an Appeal form and Academic Plan of Study form, and the appeal is approved. The student is expected to make SAP in the next semester or successfully follow their Academic Plan of Study.  The Academic Plan of Study is implemented to help the student meet SAP by a specific point in time.

If a student’s appeal is approved for the next semester, the student must complete all classes attempted and maintain a minimum GPA requirement.  If a student does not meet minimum SAP requirements after the probationary period, the student loses eligibility for financial aid and must then submit another appeal.  Probation status only lasts for one payment period.  A student can be placed on Probation for one payment period per appeal and can be placed on Probation more than once during their academic career.  The student cannot be placed on Probation during back-to-back payment periods.

Probation allows a student to regain financial aid eligibility and receive aid for one payment period.  A student on Probation may not receive aid for the subsequent payments except for the following situations.

• The student is now making SAP
  Example: A student completes all courses during the next period of enrollment, and their cumulative GPA meets the minimum requirements.  The probation status will be removed and eligibility reinstated.
• It is determined that the student met requirements specified by the Academic Plan of Study and is still covered by the academic plan
  Example: A student completes all courses attempted with the minimum semester GPA, but their cumulative GPA remains below the guidelines.  The student may stay on probation and receive subsequent financial aid until the minimum cumulative requirements are met.

Note: A student may be placed on probation only twice during an academic year.

5. Maximum Timeframe

As stated above, a student’s Academic Plan of Study must confirm the student can make SAP standards by a specific point in time.  At times, the maximum timeframe would be extended based on the student’s approved appeal.

Notification of Satisfactory Academic Progress Status

Students who meet SAP requirements will not receive a notification.

The Financial Aid Office notifies students in writing of a Warning status and an Unsatisfactory status.  Notifications outline the academic standards, reason(s) for the status, and other pertinent information regarding appeal procedures.

Notifications also explain how to access the Appeal and Academic Plan of Study forms.

Notifications will be sent by USPS or email to the student’s WAU email address.

Regaining Title IV Financial Aid Eligibility

Students who fail to make satisfactory academic progress and lose eligibility for Title IV financial aid can regain eligibility by:

• Registering for at least six credits for traditional and SGPS Professional undergraduate students or three credits for SGPS graduate students without receiving federal and state financial aid and paying for classes on their own to:
  • Increase the pace of progression
  • Raise the cumulative GPA
• Taking classes at another institution and transferring the credits to WAU to:
  • Increase the pace of progression
  • Raise the cumulative GPA
• Appealing, having the appeal approved, and being placed on Probation
• Meeting the SAP standards or the conditions outlined in their Academic Plan of Study
• Being placed on Warning Status and meeting SAP at the end of the Warning period

SAP Appeal Defined

A SAP appeal is the reconciliation process allowing a student who is not meeting WAU’s SAP standards to petition for the reconsideration of eligibility to receive financial aid.  As stated above, WAU evaluates SAP at the end of the Fall and Spring payment periods.  The student may appeal the pace of progression, maximum timeframe, and GPA elements of the WAU SAP policy.

A student must submit an appeal if they fail to meet SAP following a financial aid Warning Status.

Students Who Do Not Appeal

Students who choose not to appeal lose eligibility for financial aid at WAU.  The student will be required to meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards before regaining eligibility for financial aid.

A student who does not file an appeal may be able to regain eligibility by attempting at least six credits for traditional and SGPS Professional undergraduate students or three credits for SGPS graduate students at their expense.

Suppose the student successfully passes all attempted courses with a term GPA of 2.0 for traditional and SGPS Professional undergraduate students or 3.0 for SGPS graduate students or better.  In that case, WAU will review the student’s status at the end of the enrollment period for the following term.  The student may also secure an alternative loan or enter into a Payment Plan with Student Accounts to arrange monthly payments.  Once the student regains SAP, the student is eligible to receive federal and state financial aid.  However, the student cannot automatically restore eligibility by paying for classes for a semester, sitting out a semester, or taking courses elsewhere. SAP requirements must be met at the subsequent evaluation.

SAP Appeal Conditions and Circumstances

Initiating an Appeal

To be considered, students must submit an Appeal form and an Academic Plan of Study form.  An appeal must explain why the student failed to make satisfactory academic progress and what has changed in their situation that will allow them to make SAP at the next evaluation.  Both forms are available in the Financial Aid Office.

Appeals must be submitted no later than the following deadlines:

• October 3, 2025, to receive aid in Fall 2025
• February 13, 2026, to receive aid in Spring 2026

An appeal is expedited when a student submits a detailed, complete, and signed Appeal and Academic Plan of Study forms to the Financial Aid Office.  All documents must be submitted together. Incomplete or late forms may jeopardize the reviewing of the appeal in a time frame that would allow the disbursement of financial aid if the appeal is approved.

Specific SAP Appeal Circumstances

An SAP appeal must describe and clearly define the mitigating or extraordinary situation that caused the student to fail SAP.  The following circumstances for an appeal include, but are not limited to:

• Death of a relative
• Injury or illness of the student
• Other exceptional circumstances as determined by the school, for example:
  • Family problems like divorce, accident, and illness
  • Interpersonal issues with friends, roommates, significant others, and the like
  • Difficulty balancing school and work, athletics, family responsibilities, and the like
  • Financial difficulties
• Military service

Items a Student Must Include in the Appeal Documentation

WAU requires a student wishing to submit a SAP appeal to submit:

1. A completed SAP Appeal Form
2. A completed Academic Plan of Study Form
3. The reason the student believes they failed to make SAP
4. What has changed in the student’s situation that will allow them to demonstrate SAP at the next SAP evaluation
5. Documentation supporting the mitigating circumstance such as, but not limited to:
   • Signed testimony from a third party professional or unbiased third party familiar with the student’s extraordinary issue
   • Statement from a physician or mental health counselor
   • Letter from the student’s academic adviser
   • Police report
   • Hospital bills
   • Obituary or death certificate
   • Divorce decree or letter from an attorney
   • Financial difficulties

The Academic Plan of Study is developed and monitored by the student’s academic advisor.  The plan is tailored to the student’s individual needs and considers the student’s circumstances described in the Appeal.  Plans may limit the number of credits hours or stipulate particular courses for which the student may enroll.

Appeal Review Process

Appeals will be reviewed by either the director of the Financial Aid Office, the Financial Aid SAP Committee, or both on a case-by-case basis.  The student may be required to have an in-person interview before a decision is made.  The student’s circumstances outlined in the appeal documentation are considered during the review process.

The Financial Aid SAP Committee

The Financial SAP Committee, composed of members with Title IV expertise from the Financial Aid Office and other institutional personnel, will review appeals and decide whether to approve or deny them.

Action Taken on an Appeal

WAU documents the following actions taken as a result of an appeal:

• Date of the appeal decision
• Why the decision was made
• Who made the decision
• That the school notified the student of the outcome

Outcomes of Appeals

An appeal may be approved on probation with an Academic Plan of Study for one or more semesters, approved for the remainder of the academic year without conditions, or denied.

1. Approved on Probation
2. Denied

Definitions are as follows:

1. Approved on Probation

If the appeal is approved, the student will be placed on probation and eligible to receive financial aid for one semester or more in some circumstances.  The student must satisfy the specific conditions outlined in the Academic Plan of Study to demonstrate progress toward degree completion.

The Financial Aid Office evaluates all students with an Academic Plan of Study at the end of the Fall and Spring semesters.  If a student meets the terms of the plan’s terms, but is not back in compliance, the Academic Plan of Study may be extended for another semester.  However, a student who fails to meet the plan’s terms will lose financial aid eligibility until the student meets all the SAP standards.

Suppose the student is not meeting SAP at the end of their probationary semester, but they are meeting the terms of their Academic Plan of Study.  In that case, their Plan may be rolled over to the next semester, and the student will continue to be aid eligible.  If the student is on probation and does not meet the SAP requirements or the terms of their Academic Plan of Study, they will be suspended from receiving financial aid in future semesters.

In approving the appeal, the Director of Financial Aid or the Financial Aid SAP Committee may establish additional requirements that a student must fulfill to receive aid.  The conditions can include accessing the Betty Howard Center for Student Success, campus tutoring, or the Counseling Center.

Note: If it is not mathematically possible for a student who is appealing to reach satisfactory academic progress by the end of the next term, the student can be placed on an Academic Plan of Study for a specific number of terms.  The Academic Plan of Study will evaluate the student’s satisfactory academic progress simultaneously, as other students, until it expires.

2. Denied

An appeal may be denied based on missing the deadline to submit the Appeal and Academic Plan of Study or insufficient detail, documentation, or evidence of academic or personal difficulties being addressed or resolved.  As stated in the Initiating an Appeal section, appeals must be submitted no later than the following deadlines:

• October 3, 2025, to receive aid in Fall 2025
• February 13, 2026, to receive aid in Spring 2026

If an appeal is denied, the student may pay for the classes out of pocket, secure an alternative loan, or enter into a Payment Plan with Student Accounts to arrange monthly payments.

Students will regain eligibility for federal, state, and institutional aid once they meet SAP standards.

Regaining Title IV Financial Aid Eligibility After a Denial

A student whose appeal is denied and loses eligibility for Title IV financial aid can regain eligibility by:

• Registering for at least six credits for traditional and SGPS Professional undergraduate students or three credits for SGPS graduate students and paying for classes on their own and:
  • Increase the pace of progression
  • Raise the cumulative GPA
• Taking classes at another institution and transferring the credits to WAU to:
  • Increase the pace of progression
  • Raise the cumulative GPA

Notification of Committee’s Decision

The director of Financial Aid or the committee’s decision may be communicated to the student verbally by telephone or in-person, or via email to the student’s WAU email address.

Note: All decisions by the committee are final. Second appeals are not accepted.

SAP Professional Judgment

The WAU Financial Aid director is allowed to use professional judgment on a case-by-case basis to make a SAP appeal determination exception.  Professional judgment determinations consider:

• Why the student failed to make SAP
• What has changed that will allow the student to make SAP the next time the SAP calculation is run

Appeal Limit

A student may submit an SAP appeal twice within an academic year. If the second appeal is based on the same circumstances as the previous appeal, the student must provide information about what has changed to allow SAP during the next evaluation.  All SAP appeal decisions are final and cannot be reopened.

A student will be ineligible for financial aid and placed on Unsatisfactory SAP if they fail to meet SAP standards again after being granted an appeal.

Additional Information

Academic Standing

A student who is academically suspended from the University is not eligible to receive financial aid.  Academic standing is administered through the Betty Howard Center for Student Success.

Change of Major

If a student transfers into a new program or graduates from WAU and returns to a new program, credits attempted toward their previous program are counted when calculating the length of time it takes to complete the new program requirements.  As a result, the student may not complete the new program within the 150 percent limit.  The student will be required to submit a Plan of Study once they reach the 130 percent mark.  Credits and grades that do not count toward the new major are excluded in the satisfactory progress determination.

A student who graduated from WAU and is enrolling in a new program must submit a Plan of Study.  A student who has not met the entrance requirements for a new program and must enroll in General Studies to complete prerequisites may not be eligible for financial aid.  The student must notify the Financial Aid Office once they have been accepted into their program of choice.

Example: A student who graduated from WAU with a degree in Communication/Public Relations and is now applying to the Nursing program.  However, the student is not accepted into Nursing because they need specific prerequisites.  Instead, the student is accepted into General Studies.  The student is not eligible for financial aid.

Note: You cannot graduate from WAU and return to the same program.

Periods of Enrollment

All periods of the student’s enrollment count when assessing progress, even periods in which the student did not receive federal financial aid.

Incomplete Grades and Deferred Grades

A student whose SAP status was unsatisfactory in part due to an incomplete grade and deferred grades must contact the Financial Aid Office immediately upon receiving a grade change.  The Financial Aid Office will recalculate the student’s SAP based on the grade change.

Remedial Coursework

A student may receive aid for remedial coursework up to a maximum of 30 remedial credits in addition to the 150 percent maximum program length.  All remedial courses are included in the GPA and rate of completion.  Remedial credits over 30 credits are included in the total number of attempted credits.

Example: AAS in Computer Science is a 64-credit program. A student can attempt up to 126 credits; 96 credits of college-level courses plus 30 credits of remedial coursework.

The student is not eligible to receive financial aid for remedial coursework above the 30-credit limit.  If the student attempted 30 remedial credits and needs to enroll for additional remedial coursework, the other course’s cost will be at the student’s expense.

Repeated Coursework

The Financial Aid SAP policy follows the university policy on repeated courses.  Students may repeat a course once to be counted toward federal aid; however, only the last grade to calculate the GPA.

All repeated courses are included in attempted courses.

Transfer Credits

Transfer credits accepted toward completing the student’s program are included in the number of credits attempted, calculated in the GPA, and counted toward the rate of completion.

Double Majors and Second Degrees

Students with double majors and second degrees are monitored like any other student under WAU’s Financial Aid SAP Policy.

Students pursuing double majors and second degrees should note that once a student has completed the requirements for one major or degree, financial aid eligibility may be limited.