Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
So, just what does my GPA have to be, anyway? If you are at junior class rank or above as defined by the Registrar's Office, then you must have a 2.000 cumulative GPA or you lose eligibility for federal aid. If you're below junior class rank status, then you should consult B-W's Catalog for the corresponding minimum GPA related to credits earned. If you're not maintaining GPA, then Uncle Sam says you're not entitled to any federal aid (gift, loan, and work-study) until you are in compliance with SAP requirements.
That's it? No, not quite. You also need to earn sufficient credits in order to graduate within 150% of the normal time frame that it takes a student to graduate. Therefore, if a normal full-time liberal arts degree takes four years to earn, you're allowed up to six years to complete degree requirements -- that's 150% of the time frame.
This doesn't mean that you have six years until someone starts checking on you. Each year the Financial Aid Office reviews each student's SAP requirements to see if the student is keeping pace with the 150% rule. A first-year student normally needs to earn 15.5 credits by the end of each semester in order to graduate in four years. Uncle Sam's SAP regulations require that the student earns 10.33 credits of the 15.5 credits taken by the end of each semester. This enables a full-time student to earn sufficient credits to graduate by the end of six years.
A full-time student who doesn't stay on the pace of earning the minimum of 10.33 credits per semester pace becomes ineligible for aid until sufficient credits are earned which places the student at least at the minimum required level of earned credits needed toward graduation.
Are there any other consequences for students who fail to achieve minimum standards of SAP? Yes, if SAP pertains to GPA. If you're placed on B-W's probation or suspension list, your B-W Grant may be permanently reduced from your award status. Here's the penalty: $250 for academic probation and a $500 loss for in gift aid support for one of these categories -- academic suspension, board of appeals classification, and warning probation.
Return to index.