Overview

Students applying for, and those receiving Federal and State of Colorado financial aid from UCCS are required to maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) towards a degree. Maintaining SAP requires that students meet completion rate, maximum fundable credit hours, and minimum grade point average requirements. The chart below outlines requirements based on an undergraduate student's credit hours and number of enrolled terms. Fall, spring and summer make up individual enrolled terms. Graduate students are required to maintain minimum SAP standards regardless of the number of enrolled terms.

Note: Regarding number of enrolled terms, first or second terms are defined to not exceed 30 attempted credit hours and third or fourth terms are defined to not exceed 60 attempted credit hours. These credit hours also include all transferred credit hours. However, a student may have fewer than 30 or 60 attempted credit hours yet be beyond four enrolled terms.

The complete SAP policy is detailed below:

I. Introduction

The Higher Education Act of 1965 (amended by Congress) mandates that institutions of higher education establish minimum standards of satisfactory academic progress toward a student's degree for financial aid applicants whether or not they have previously received aid. Therefore, students at UCCS applying for all institutionally awarded funds, the Federal Stafford Loan (Subsidized and Unsubsidized), the Federal Perkins loan and the Federal PLUS Loan, as well as all state and federal financial aid funds must meet the University's SAP policy.

Students who do not meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements are ineligible for financial aid including loans (however may be eligible for alternative loans). Satisfactory Academic Progress appeals are reviewed by the Financial Aid Advisory Committee (FAAC). Please see the section on appeals.

II. Qualitative Standards

Grade Point Average (GPA)

The Financial Aid Office will use the cumulative University of Colorado GPA for all students regardless of whether or not the student has used financial aid previously.

Qualitative analysis will be performed at the conclusion of fall, spring and summer terms.

A. Undergraduate students must maintain a minimum of 2.0 cumulative GPA in the CU system at the end of four terms.

If a first or second term student falls below a 1.5 GPA the student will be ineligible for financial aid. In order to be considered for any further financial aid the student must raise the cumulative GPA to at least the minimum requirement at their own expense. The student may also appeal their ineligibility to the FAAC. If the appeal is approved, financial aid may be reinstated according to the conditions of the FAAC.

If a first or second term student falls below a 2.0 GPA but not below a 1.5 GPA the student will receive a warning from financial aid. The student will be given a chance to correct the problem without further penalty. A warning letter will be sent to the student explaining the situation and advising the student to seek assistance at the Office of Frist Year Experience and Student Retention.

If a third or fourth term student falls below a 1.75 GPA the student will be ineligible for financial aid. In order to be considered for any further financial aid the student must raise the cumulative GPA to at least the minimum requirement at their own expense. The student may also appeal their ineligibility to the FAAC. If the appeal is approved, financial aid may be reinstated according to the conditions of the FAAC.

If a third or fourth term student falls below a 2.0 GPA but not below a 1.75 GPA the student will receive a warning from financial aid. The student will be given a chance to correct the problem without further penalty. A warning letter will be sent to the student explaining the situation and advising the student to seek assistance at the Office of Frist Year Experience and Student Retention.

If a fifth or further term student falls below a 2.0 GPA the student will be ineligible for financial aid. In order to be considered for any further financial aid the student must raise the cumulative GPA to at least the minimum requirement at their own expense. The student may also appeal their ineligibility to the FAAC. If the appeal is approved, financial aid may be reinstated according to the conditions of the FAAC.

B. Graduate students must maintain a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average in the CU system.

If a graduate student falls below a 3.0 GPA the student will be ineligible for financial aid. In order to be considered for any further financial aid the student must raise the cumulative GPA to at least the minimum requirement at their own expense. The student may also appeal their ineligibility to the FAAC. If the appeal is approved, financial aid may be reinstated according to the conditions of the FAAC.

III. Quantitative Standards

Attempted and Completed Credit Hours

Quantitative analysis will be performed at the conclusion of fall, spring and summer terms.

NOTE: Credits hours attempted at UCCS are defined as the credits hours a student is enrolled in on the day following the census date (as published in each terms class schedule).

Withdrawals after the census date, repeated courses, failures, and incomplete courses all count as attempted credit hours.

All transfer credit hours are included together with credit hours attempted in the CU system as the total attempted credit hours. Transfer credit hours (from schools other than the CU system) affect the cumulative completion percentage requirement (see A below) and affect maximum credit hours (see B below).

All students must complete a minimum of 67% of all credit hours attempted in the CU system.

A. If a student falls below the 67% completion rate the student will be ineligible for financial aid.In order to be considered for any further financial aid the student must raise the cumulative completion rate to at least 67% at their own expense. The student may also appeal their ineligibility to the FAAC. If the appeal is approved, financial aid may be reinstated according to the conditions of the FAAC.

B. Undergraduate students may receive financial aid for a maximum of 150 percent of the minimum number of credit hours required to complete their current degree program.

A warning letter will be sent to the student when the student is within two semesters (24 credit hours) of this limit.

Undergraduate students may submit a SAP appeal to be considered for additional credit hours beyond 150%.

C. Graduate students may receive financial aid for a maximum of 200 percent of the minimum number of credit hours required to complete their current degree program.

A warning letter will be sent to the student when the student is within two semesters (12 credit hours) of this limit.

Graduate students may submit a SAP appeal to be considered for additional credit hours beyond 200%.

Appeals

Students who are ineligible for financial aid due to failure to meet the SAP Policy may appeal such decisions to the Financial Aid Advisory Committee (FAAC).

The FAAC will be made up of at least three members to include at least one student, one faculty, and one staff. The FAAC will also have as a member a non-voting facilitator who will be a staff member in the financial aid office.

The facilitator will be responsible for supervising the FAAC which will also be concerned with scholarship and other financial aid matters as well as those related to appeals for ineligibility of aid.

The recommendations of the FAAC to approve or deny appeals will be forwarded to the director of financial aid. The student will be notified via the students UCCS email of the result of the appeal. If the student wishes to appeal further after following the appropriate initial appeal procedures, a final appeal may be submitted to the director of financial aid. An appeal to the director of financial aid will be the final decision as there is no recourse for further appeals.