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Satisfactory Academic Progress

Pace Calculator

Satisfactory Academic Progress requires students maintain a completion rate of 67% or higher to remain eligible for financial assistance. To determine how many hours you need to earn to comply with the SAP policy, you can enter your information into the SAP Calculator to assist you. You can find most of the information required in your unofficial academic transcripts located in your MyFIU portal. Financial Aid is required by regulation to include all attempted course work when calculating your GPA and progression rate.

Disclaimer: The Pace Calculator is intended to serve as a planning tool for students to determine their progression rate. The results are unofficial. Official Pace results are determined by the Financial Aid Office. If you have transfer credits*, please add the number of accepted credits to your total amount of attempted hours.

*Maximum 60 credits

Total Credit Hours from Unofficial Transcript
Would you want to enter anticipated credit hours for next/current semester?
Results

Total Hours

  • Attempted: 0
  • Earned: 0

Progression Rate: 0%

You have a completion rate of 67% or higher. You meet Satisfactory Academic Progress.

You do not have a completion rate of 67% or higher. You do not meet Satisfactory Academic Progress. Please Contact OneStop or check your FIU email account for instructions.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

The Office of Financial Aid is required by federal regulations to monitor the academic progress of financial aid applicants. Financial aid applicants must comply with the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy as a condition of initial or continued eligibility. Please note, that even if a student has not previously received financial aid, the Satisfactory Academic Progress policies still apply. All prior academic progress will be evaluated to determine eligibility for financial aid.

Satisfactory Academic Progress is measured both qualitatively and quantitatively. The qualitative measure requires maintaining a satisfactory grade point average. The quantitative measure requires successfully completing a required ratio of attempted credits and receiving a degree in a timely manner.

For the purpose of maintaining financial aid eligibility, the following defines attempted credits and successful completion of attempted credits:

  • Attempted Credits include all credits with the following grades: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, P, F, FO, IN, IP, NR, DF, DP, WF, WP, DR, WI, NC
  • Successful completion includes credits with the following grades: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D- or P

Dual enrollment credits attempted at FIU are excluded from quantitative calculations. As such, PACE and time frame calculations are adjusted to exclude dual enrollment credits attempted at FIU from these quantitative measures.

Qualitative Measure of Progress (GPA)

Students must maintain the required grade point average (GPA) necessary to continue as degree candidates at the University. Therefore, they must maintain an academic standing consistent with the University's Academic Retention Policy as outlined in the University Catalog. If a student is dismissed from the University, their financial aid will be suspended.

Academic Standing is reviewed at the end of each semester.

Whenever students are placed on warning or probation, their academic standing satisfies the qualitative measure for maintaining financial aid eligibility. 

Students who are dismissed from the University are ineligible to receive financial aid until they have been reinstated to the University, have submitted a financial aid appeal and have re-established eligibility through the appeal process.

Warning: an undergraduate student whose cumulative GPA falls below a 2.0 will be placed on warning, indicating academic difficulty.

Probation: an undergraduate student on warning whose cumulative GPA falls below a 2.0 will be placed on probation, indicating serious academic difficulty.

Dismissal: an undergraduate student on probation whose cumulative and semester GPA fall below a 2.0 will automatically be dismissed from their program and the University. An undergraduate student will not be dismissed prior to attempting a minimum of 20 semester hours of coursework.

Quantitative Measure of Progress (Pace/Time Frame)

Federal PACE Regulation:

Undergraduate and Graduate students must successfully complete 67% of the total number of all attempted credits taken at the University, inclusive of transfer credits accepted by the University. The Pace requirement will be evaluated at the end of each academic term. The PACE percentage is calculated as follows:

PACE = CUMULATIVE HOURS EARNED ÷ CUMULATIVE HOURS ATTEMPTED

The first term a student falls below the 67% PACE requirement they will be placed on a "Warning" status. A notice will be sent to the student and their advisor. The Federal PACE criteria will be re-evaluated in the subsequent term. If the student fails to meet the 67% cumulative total, they will no longer be eligible to receive financial aid. 

Accepted transfer credits are included in both “attempted” and “earned” credits. In addition, the University uses standard rounding rules when calculating percentages under the 67% PACE requirement, i.e. 66.5% PACE percentage is rounded to 67%.

Maximum Time Frame Limitation

The time frame of a student’s eligibility for financial aid is limited to 150% of the number of credits required to complete a degree as defined in the university catalog. Credits counted towards time frame include all attempted credits, inclusive of all transfer credits applied by the university. Noncredit and/or remedial courses are not included in the quantitative measurements. Time Frame is reviewed at the end of each semester. Once the student reaches their maximum time frame limit, they will no longer be eligible to receive financial aid. Students who reach maximum time frame are not eligible for appeal.

In addition, a student becomes ineligible for financial aid (via the maximum timeframe element) when it becomes mathematically impossible for them to complete the program within 150% of its length for undergraduate and graduate programs. At each evaluation point students who are in Warning for Time Frame will be reviewed to determine if it is mathematically impossible for them to complete the program within 150% of the length of their programs.

This determination of mathematical impossibility may be appealed by the student. An appeal will only be approved if the student can present an academic plan, inclusive of changes to their degree program and/or the number of credits that apply to their degree program, that demonstrates it is possible for the student to complete their degree within the 150% Time Frame limit. Note, only students who receive a determination of mathematically impossible may appeal such determination.

  • Second Bachelor Degree

    A student's financial aid grant eligibility is limited to the completion of their first bachelor degree. A student must apply for graduation after fulfilling the degree requirements of their first bachelor degree.

    A student pursuing a second bachelor degree before graduating from their first bachelor degree will be at risk of losing their grant aid which is only applicable to their first bachelor degree. 

  • Academic Amnesty/Salvage

    The university has approved two policies, which provide academic renewal to students who previously showed poor academic performance at FIU. Returning students may have their FIU GPA recalculated by applying the Academic AMNESTY or the Academic SALVAGE policies.

    • Students readmitted under the Academic Amnesty policy may re-establish their eligibility for financial aid through the appeal process.
    • Students readmitted under the Academic Salvage policy must adhere to SAP policies after being reinstated in the University. Pace will be calculated beginning with the term the student has been re-admitted under Academic Salvage policy.

    The Academic Amnesty and Academic Salvage Policies do not apply to the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements for Time Frame.

Re-establishing Eligibility

Students who failed to meet the Federal PACE criteria may re-establish aid eligibility through the appeal process or by increasing their cumulative Pace percentage to 67%, on their own.

SAP Appeal Process

Students who do not meet the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress may appeal the suspension of financial aid eligibility.

  • How to submit a SAP appeal

    A complete appeal packet consists of the following:

    1. A signed and initialed Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form provided via the link available in the student’s my.fiu.edu "To Do List".
    2. A written and signed statement explaining the unforeseen circumstances which caused the student to fail academic progress. Furthermore, the student must state how the circumstances have changed and what steps will be taken to improve their academic progress.
    3. Official supporting documentation that corroborates the circumstances explained in the appeal letter. Documentation must be specific to the terms in which the student did not meet the SAP requirements.

    A student is only eligible to submit one initial appeal throughout their academic career.

  • Incomplete appeals will be REJECTED

    The student will have to resubmit the entire appeal packet. The appeal letter alone is NOT considered supporting documentation. 

  • Examples of valid reasons for an appeal 

    The death of an immediate relative, an injury or illness of the student, or other special circumstances that can be documented.

  • Examples of valid supporting documentation 

    Statement from physician on letterhead with stamp, death certificate, police reports, signed witness statements or testimonials that speak to the extenuating circumstance.

  • Examples of invalid reasons for an appeal

    Change of major, double major, taking courses for a minor, personal conflict not explained and documented, and/or the need for financial assistance.

Approved Appeal & Academic Plan

If a student re-establishes their aid eligibility through the appeals process, the term in which their initial appeal is approved will be considered a “Probationary” term.

During the student’s Probationary term they must adhere to the following academic plan in order to continue to be eligible for aid on a probationary basis.

  • For GPA - Must maintain a minimum term GPA of 2.25 for Undergraduate and 3.25 for Graduate students
  • For PACE - Must successfully complete all credit hours attempted within the term
  • For GPA and Pace - Must maintain a minimum term GPA of 2.25 for Undergraduate and 3.25 for Graduate students, AND must successfully complete all credit hours attempted within the term

If a student subsequently fails to meet the criteria of their Probationary term, it will result in the suspension of their eligibility to receive financial aid.

  • How to Submit a Mathematically Impossible Frame appeal

    A complete appeal packet for a Mathematically Impossible Time Frame consists of the following:

    1. A signed and initialed Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form, provided via the link available in the student’s my.fiu.edu "To Do List".
    2. A completed and signed “Application for Mathematically Impossible Time Frame” form  which attests that the student met with their advisor and formulated an academic plan demonstrating it is possible for the student to complete their degree within the 150% Time Frame limit. 
    3. A written and signed statement explaining what steps the student has taken to make it possible for the student to complete their degree within the 150% Time Frame limit. 
    4. Official supporting documentation that corroborates the actions taken by the student to ensure degree completion within the 150% Time Frame limit. Documentation must be specific to the academic plan formulated by the student and their advisor.

    A student is only eligible to submit one Mathematically Impossible Time Frame appeal throughout their academic career.

  • Examples of valid supporting documentation 

    Student petition, Change of major/track form, and additional transfer credit form.

Final Appeal Process

Students who have either failed during their probationary period, or have had their initial appeal denied, will have the right to appeal the decision by submitting a final appeal application.

Final appeal requests grant the students an opportunity to meet with a committee of University personnel.

  • The student will be notified via email the date and time of their final appeal appointment.
  • A FINAL decision will be made the day of the appointment, whether the student is present or not.
  • A student is only eligible to submit one final appeal throughout their academic career.

If the final appeal is APPROVED, the student will be placed on a “Probationary” status and must adhere to the conditions of their probationary term. (Please refer to conditions of Approved Appeal above).

Failure of the final appeal probationary period will result in suspension of financial aid. Consequently, in order to regain eligibility, students must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress criteria without the assistance of financial aid.

SAP Appeal Deadlines

Students will NOT be able to submit Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) appeals after these dates:

  • After the last day of the  Fall semester (as per academic calendar) any appeals received for the academic year, will be processed for Spring semester  ONLY. Students cannot receive aid retroactively.
  • After the last day of the  Spring semester (as per academic calendar), students cannot appeal for the academic year.
  • After the last day of the  Summer semester (as per academic calendar ), students cannot appeal for the Summer semester.

In order for a student’s appeal to be considered for a particular term, he/she must submit the request prior to the last day of the term as stated on the official  Academic Calendar.

Repeat Course Policy for Financial Aid

Changes in federal regulations (34 CFR Section 668.2) now require that the  Financial Aid Office monitor and adjust a student’s enrollment level for Title IV aid if, or when, they repeat course work for credit that they have already earned. Students can retake courses and receive federal aid if they had previously failed a course, but can only receive financial aid one more time for a course that has been previously passed. A passing grade is defined as D- or better.

Please note that the repeat course policy for financial aid is separate from institutional academic polices regarding repeat courses. Regardless of the grade received, courses are not eligible to be covered by financial aid after a 2nd attempt has been made for a course that has at any time previously earned a passing grade.

Transient Enrollment

Courses taken at another institution will count toward Time Frame and Pace. A student’s percentage will be calculated based on the credits passed/ attempted at FIU and credits passed/ attempted at the other institution. The combined percentage will determine whether a student is eligible or not.

Concurrent Enrollment and Consortium students must submit a copy of an official transcript from the Host institution as soon as grades are available.