Satisfactory Academic Progress
University Policy
College of Engineering Graduate Policy
The federal Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy states that “An institution must establish a reasonable satisfactory academic progress policy for determining whether an otherwise eligible student is making satisfactory academic progress in his or her educational program and may receive assistance under the title IV, HEA programs.” At the end of each payment period or term, a review of the student’s SAP is conducted. A student’s failure to meet SAP standards may result in the loss of federal financial aid eligibility. Students must make satisfactory academic progress, as specified below, to be eligible for renewal of financial aid and credit-based loan certification.
SAP minimum requirements mirror the standards required by the College of Engineering for a graduate student to maintain Good Academic Standing. These requirements state that a student must maintain a 3.00 cumulative grade point average and must complete at least 67% of all attempted courses. For master’s degree candidates, grades of C– or lower are considered failing; for PhD candidates, grades of C+ or lower are considered failing.
Any letter grade a student receives for a course, including a ‘W’ for Withdrawals and an ‘I’ for Incompletes, is considered an ‘attempted course’ and may impact a student’s eligibility for financial assistance.
If a student receiving federal financial assistance does not meet the minimum requirements, the student will be placed on a ‘Financial Aid Warning’ status for the next registered term or payment period. The student will still be eligible for that term to receive federal financial assistance. A student will receive an electronic notification to their Boston University email address regarding the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards that must be met by the end of the warning period in order to retain eligibility for future federal financial aid.
If the student continues not to meet the SAP minimum standards for a consecutive term, the student becomes ineligible for financial assistance, including federal and credit-based educational loans. All anticipated federal financial assistance will be cancelled and returned to the lender. A student has the right to appeal the loss of financial aid eligibility. Students who are denied federal financial assistance because their academic performance falls short of SAP progress standards can appeal the decision to the Graduate Programs office by completing the SAP Appeal Form.
A student must be registered for courses during the term for which they are submitting the appeal. Appeals will not be considered for students who have dropped courses or withdrawn. A student is responsible for all tuition and fee charges at the time the balance is due, even if they are planning to appeal or are waiting for a response. The decision of the SAP Appeals Committee is final, and students will receive an electronic communication to their University email address regarding the outcome. A student whose appeal has been approved will receive federal financial aid consideration for the current term. At the end of the term, the student’s academic progress will be reviewed again to determine financial aid eligibility for the following term. A student whose appeal has been denied is not eligible for financial aid until they meet satisfactory academic progress standards. The student may continue to enroll in courses but is responsible for all University charges.
