Pell Grant Information Site

Satisfactory Academic Progress

You will hear this phrase many times during your college career, only if you get financial aid though. Each college probably has a different set of rules for Satisfactory Academic Progress, so it is very important that you check out the specifics for the school you are going to attend. Each financial aid office is required by law to make the Satisfactory Academic Progress information available to you in the financial aid office.

Satisfactory Academic Progress just means that if you want to continue to receive federal financial aid, you must meet certain academic requirements and remain in good standing.

The first point that is looked at is GPA per number of cumulative credit hours taken. If your GPA falls below a certain number, you will not be eligible for more federal financial aid. For example, if you have taken a total of 25 credit hours and your cumulative GPA is below 1.5, you will be put on academic suspension. The higher the credit hours you have accumulated, the higher the GPA expected.

The second point is credit hours registered versus credit hours completed. For example, if you have registered for a total of 36 credit hours in your college career, but only have completed 21, then this would not be satisfactory academic progress and you will be put on academic suspension.

Once point that is not school based, but federally based satisfactory academic progress is that you MUST maintain a C average after completing your second year in college. If you cannot maintain a C after going to college for 2 years, you might want to rethink your life plan.

The last federal regulation is called the 150% rule. This means that you have 150% of the time allotted to complete your degree or program. If you are going for a 4 year degree, you must have that degree completed in 6 years or you will lose all financial aid eligibility.

Satisfactory Academic Progress is a very good plan put in place to make sure students are doing well in school if they are getting financial aid and not taking away from other students.

Most schools do have an appeal process if you feel like you have messed up in the past and are now on the right track. See you financial aid office at your school.