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Student Financial Assistance, UCF

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On this page:

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Satisfactory Academ ic Progress Monitoring

Measures of Progress
Credit Hour Com pletion Ratio Calculator
Maxim um Tim e Fram e for Degree Com pletion

Effective Fall 2014:

Federal regulations require the University to establish Standards of Satisfactory Academic
Progress (SAP) as a general eligibility requirement for financial assistance. A student must
maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress in a course of study regardless of whether the
student received financial aid or transferred in from another institution.
To monitor Satisfactory Academic Progress, the following two criteria are evaluated:
Qualitative Measure of Progress
Quantitative Measure of Progress
Please note that other programs, such as the Florida Student Assistance Grant (FSAG),
Bright Futures, Pegasus and other scholarships have additional requirements. For program
details, please refer to the Grants and Scholarships sections of our Web site.

SAP & Second Degree-Seeking Students

SAP & Graduate Certificate Program s
SAP & Transient Enrollm ent
Satisfactory Academ ic Progress Notification
Satisfactory Academ ic Progress Warning
Satisfactory Academ ic Progress Probation
Satisfactory Academ ic Progress Academ ic Plan
Re-establishing Eligibility After Cancellation

Receiving Aid
Hom e
Conditions for Receiving Aid
Repeat Coursew ork Policy

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Monitoring

The qualitative and quantitative components for SAP at UCF will be monitored
at the end of each semester in order to provide a formal intervention by the
institution for those who do not meet the SAP standards.
The Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress must include the students
total academic history (UCF, accepted AP, dual enrollment/transient and
accepted transfer hours towards degree completion). In order to receive Title
IV aid, a student must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress regardless
of whether he or she previously received Title IV aid.

Program Eligibility Chart

Satisfactory Academ ic Progress Policy
Students' Rights and Responsibilities
Deferm ents of Tuition & Fees
Disbursem ent of Financial Aid
Estim ated Financial Aid
Funds for Books
Planning Tools

Qualitative Measure of Progress

Undergraduate Level Students must maintain a 2.0 cumulative grade
point average once at the junior/senior level classification.
Graduate Level Students must meet a 3.0 cumulative GPA with graduate
hours. (This includes approved Professional Certificate Programs)

Quantitative Measure of Progress

Completion Ratio Requirement for Undergraduate & Graduate
Students:
All students must complete 70% of all credit hours attempted including
accepted transfer hours.
NOTE: To access your specific hours completion ratio and the associated
instructions click on the following link:
Completion Ratio Calculator
Students who do not earn 70% of all credit hours attempted will be placed on
financial aid warning for the next term/semester. At the end of the following
semester, the student must meet the 70% standard or aid will be canceled for
future terms until student either meets the standards or the student has an
appeal approved putting them on academic probation with an academic plan

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on file demonstrating the requirements for the student to get back on track
towards graduation.
Successful completion is defined as earning a grade of A, B, C, or S. (A
grade of "D" is only acceptable if a "D" is considered passing by the
department of major)
Unsuccessful completion is defined as earning a grade of F, I, W, X, N, U,
WF, NC, WH, WM, or WP.
Please note that all unsuccessful grades will count towards your attempted
hours and will not count towards your completion ratio.
Students on probation must meet standards each term as assigned by the
Satisfactory Academic Progress Probation Policy.

Maximum Time Frame for Degree Completion

Federal regulations require that the maximum time frame for a student to
complete their education program as 150 percent of the required number of
credit hours needed to graduate.
Students who reach their attempted hours limit will be placed on a
cancellation status, effective the next term enrolled.
Students may not receive Title IV financial aid for courses that do not count
toward program completion. This includes graduate students who should be
enrolled in graduate courses only, unless the undergraduate courses have been
required as prerequisites or have been approved by the department.
Graduate students must complete their degree within the attempted UCF
hours limit assigned by this policy.
Students are required to graduate within the number of hours allowed by the
Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy. Students are allowed a specific
number of attempted hours, based on their classification. This includes
accepted transfer hours plus all UCF hours.
See chart below.

Classification

Maximum Hours Allowed

For Completing Degree

Undergraduate
Second Undergraduate

180 Attempted Hours

70 Attempted hours

Masters

70 Attempted Hours

Specialist

100 Attempted Hours

(including all Graduate Level
Hours)

Doctoral

120 Attempted Hours

(including all Graduate Level
Hours)

Programs that require more hours than usual will be monitored on a case-bycase basis through the appeal process.
Once a student has attempted the maximum hours for a classification level,
the student will be canceled including those workings towards a second
degree, dual degree, minor, second Masters degree, etc.

Second Degree Seeking Students

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Second undergraduate degree seeking students are also reviewed as
undergraduate students for Satisfactory Academic Progress purposes. Second
degree undergraduate students will be placed on an Academic Plan. Students
must meet with their academic advisors to complete the Second Degree
Academic Plan for Financial Aid form. They will be allowed up to a total of
70 hours, based upon the Academic Plan submitted to complete this degree.
Once they exceed 70 hours or have completed the coursework listed on the
Academic Plan submitted, they will be placed on cancellation status. They
should keep a copy and submit the completed form to SFA.
Second masters degree seeking students will be reviewed as graduate
students for Satisfactory Academic Progress purposes. They will be allowed
a total of 70 graduate hours, including all accepted graduate hours.

Third or more Degree

Students seeking a third bachelors or masters degree are not eligible for
federal financial aid

Graduate Certificate Programs

Satisfactory Academic Progress will be reviewed at the end of each
semester.
Students must successfully complete at least 70% of the attempted hours
each semester in coursework pertaining to the certificate program.
Attempted hours cannot exceed 150% of the certificate program
requirements.
Failure to attend or successfully complete any hours towards the certificate
program in a given semester will result in SAP cancellation status effective
next term enrolled.
The appeal process is the same as indicated below. In cases of
unsuccessful completions or reaching the maximum hours limit, the
Academic Plan is required

Transient Enrollment
All attempted transient enrolled hours at another institution are added to the
attempted UCF hours, and these hours will affect a students completion
ratio. To avoid Financial Aid Cancellation for insufficient hours completed,
students must submit their grades (official transcript) from the other
institution to the UCF Registrar's Office for all terms that they were enrolled
in transient hours.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Notification

All students receiving financial aid who are not meeting SAP standards will
receive a written notification via email to their UCF Knights email account.
Students may also view their updated status on myUCF, under View Financial
Aid Status.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Warning

Students who do not meet the SAP standards will be placed on Financial Aid
Warning at the end of the semester in which they did not meet the
standard(s). They will be eligible to receive federal financial aid funding for
the following semester. Students given this status are not required to petition
for possible reinstatement of their financial aid eligibility.
Students placed in the Financial Aid Warning status will be sent a notification
advising them of their status, the impact of their future financial aid eligibility,

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and the importance of seeking guidance/advising/counseling from appropriate
staff.
Students who do not meet SAP standards after this period of Financial Aid
Warning will be denied eligibility for future semesters and placed on a SAP
Cancellation status until they meet the SAP standards or submit an SAP
Appeal that is approved.
It is possible for a student to be subject to more than one period of financial
aid warning throughout the course of their academic career.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Probation

Students who do not meet the SAP standards after being placed on Financial
Aid Warning will be placed on cancellation status for future financial aid until
they meet SAP standards or submit a SAP Appeal that is approved.
Students who submit a SAP Appeal that is approved will be placed on
Financial Aid Probation. The student will continue on probation as long as
he/she is successfully complying with the prescribed academic plan
requirements that is submitted as part of the SAP Appeal. The probation
status will stay on the students financial aid file until the student meets
Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards or completes his/her degree.
Probation Requirements
The students progression will be monitored during the probationary period at
the beginning and end of each semester to ensure the student is following the
prescribed academic plan and successfully matriculating through their
program of study. All probation students must successfully complete 70% of
the credit hours that they attempt each semester. In addition, students on
probation for GPA and/or completion ratio must make positive progression in
the appropriate area(s). Disbursements will not be made for a semester unless
it is verified that the students prior review (if applicable) was acceptable and
student is in the proper classes for the term in question.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Academic Plan

Students who are seeking a second degree will be placed on an Academic
Plan once SFA is aware that they are officially a second degree seeking
student. They are required to submit the Second Degree Seeking Academic
Plan completed by the student and advisor to our office for review.
Plan Requirements
The students progression will be monitored at the beginning and end of each
semester to ensure the student is following the prescribed academic plan and
successfully matriculating through their program of study. Disbursements
will not be made for a semester unless it is verified that the students prior
review was acceptable and student is in the proper classes for the term in
question.

Re-establishing Eligibility after Cancellation

Any student with extenuating circumstances, (i.e., death of a relative, an
illness or injury of the student, etc.), who is placed on a cancellation status,
may appeal to the Financial Aid Review Committee for reinstatement based on
his/her special case.
If the student was canceled for failure to complete 70% of the attempted
hours, and since cancellation, has brought up the percentage to a minimum of
70%, the student will be reinstated during the end of semester review
process.
If a student was canceled for not meeting the GPA requirement, they will be
placed back on a reinstated status once their GPA has been brought up to the
proper level during the end of semester review process.

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To appeal, the student must:

Complete the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form.
Attach documentation that supports the specified circumstance(s) to the
appeal form.
Meet with their Academic Advisor and work with them to complete the
Academic Plan portion of the SAP Appeal.
Submit the appeal and the supporting documentation to the Office of Student
Financial Assistance.
After a thorough evaluation of the written request and all supporting
documentation, the Financial Aid Review Committee will make a decision and
notify the student of the decision by e-mail communication. The student may
also view his/her updated status on myUCF, under View Financial Aid Status.

Applying for Aid | Receiving Aid | Types of Aid | Forms | General Info | Contact Us
Copyright 2014 [Office of Student Financial Assistance]
University of Central Florida, a Division of Student Development and Enrollment Services
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