The Office of Financial Aid is required by federal and state regulations to monitor the academic progress of potential and current financial aid recipients. 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 currently applied for financial aid, or is not currently receiving aid, this policy still applies and 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

Successful completion includes credits with the following grades: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D- or P

NOTE:

1. If a course requires a grade of “C” or higher, any grades below this will not count as a successful completion of that course.

[back to top]

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.

This policy states:

Undergraduate Students:

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 his/her program and the University. An undergraduate student will not be dismissed prior to attempting a minimum of 20 semester hours of coursework.

Graduate Students:

Warning: a graduate student whose cumulative GPA falls below a 3.0 will be placed on warning, indicating academic difficulty.

Probation: a graduate student on warning whose cumulative GPA falls below a 3.0 will be placed on probation, indicating serious academic difficulty.

Dismissal: a graduate student on probation whose cumulative and semester GPA fall below a 3.0 will automatically be dismissed from his/her program and the University. A graduate student will not be dismissed prior to attempting a minimum of 12 semester hours of coursework.

Law Students:

Probation: a law student whose GPA falls below a 2.0 at the close of the first semester will be placed on probation, indicating academic difficulty.

Dismissal: a law student whose cumulative GPA falls below a 2.0 after the second or any subsequent semester will be dismissed.

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 for Academic Reasons 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.

[back to top]

Pace of Completion Requirement:

Undergraduate and graduate students must successfully complete 67% of the total number of all attempted credits taken at the University inclusive of the transfer credits accepted by the University at the end of each academic year. The completion rate is checked annually at the end of the spring semester. The percentage is calculated by dividing the total number of all credits earned including transfer credits, by the total number of all credits attempted including transfer credits accepted by the University.

• Effective Summer 2012: Students may NOT use the summer semester to make up PACE deficiencies to restore financial aid eligibility.

• Eligibility for the Summer 2013 and subsequent academic years will be determined by the total number of all attempted/earned credits taken at the University, inclusive of the transfer credits accepted by the University at the end of each Spring semester.

Maximum Time Frame Limitation:

The timeframe 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 include attempted credits at the university and transfer credits accepted in satisfaction of course requirements for the degree. Noncredit and/or remedial courses are not included in the quantitative measurements. Time Frame is reviewed at the end of each semester.

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

Note: Timeframe cannot be appealed.

[back to top]

Courses taken at another institution will count towards Timeframe 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.

[back to top]

Students may re-establish their eligibility for financial aid consideration through the appeal process or by improving their academic standing in subsequent evaluation periods to satisfy the qualitative and quantitative sections of the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy. Students not meeting Pace may regain financial aid eligibility  if the student chooses to attend (without financial aid) and they must meet the 67% cumulative requirement at the end of the Spring semester.  Pace will look at the total number of all attempted/earned credits taken at the University inclusive of transfer credits accepted by the University for eligibility.

Students who are dismissed from the University for Academic Reasons are ineligible to receive financial aid until they have been reinstated to the University, have submitted an appeal and have re-established eligibility through the appeals process. A student may also regain eligibility by raising the overall GPA to a 2.0 (undergraduate) or 3.0 (graduate).

[back to top]

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

1.      Complete and submit the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form via the link available in the student’s my.fiu.edu "To Do List".

2.      Submit an appeal letter 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 on the academic progress.

3.      Submit an academic plan developed by an academic advisor to demonstrate that the student will be able to progress successfully.  The academic plan must include course information for three consecutive semesters.

The academic plan is an advising form that must be completed by an academic advisor. The student will be responsible for fulfilling the plan accordingly. If the student does not meet the SAP requirements and fails to fulfill the academic plan after the initial suspension of aid, then the student will automatically be denied aid for the academic year. An academic plan for an approved appeal may state specific conditions that must be met. The plan details the academic requirements that ensures the student will meet the SAP requirements in the following semesters. A student is responsible for understanding and abiding by the academic plan.

4.      Submit supporting documents that corroborate with the circumstances explained in the appeal letter for the specific semesters in which the student did not meet the SAP requirement (s).

Appeals submitted without supporting documentation will NOT be reviewed. Students must provide documentation to corroborate their extenuating circumstance(s). Otherwise, the appeal will be REJECTED. The student will have to resubmit the entire appeal package. The appeal letter is NOT considered supporting documentation.

Students will have the right to appeal. Students whose initial appeal is denied will have the right to appeal the decision by submitting a Final Appeal application. If the Final Appeal application does not have the supporting documentation to justify the appeal, the Final Appeal will be denied for the entire academic year.

Through the appeal process the University can determine that the student is meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress, even though the student does not satisfy the qualitative or quantitative requirements.

Note: Time Frame cannot be appealed.

Examples of valid reasons for an appeal are the death of an immediate relative, an injury or illness of the student, or other special circumstances that can be documented.

Examples of invalid reasons for an appeal are change of major, double major, taking courses for a minor, personal conflict not explained and documented, and/or the need for financial assistance.

Students will be notified of the decision approximately 30 days after receipt of their appeal.

[back to top]

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.

The policy allows a student to receive financial aid under the following situations:

• To repeat any failed course until a passing grade is received.
• To repeat one time any course in which you previously received a passing grade.

Please Note: Regardless of the grade received, courses are not eligible to be covered by financial aid after a 2^nd attempt has been made for a course that has at any time previously earned a passing grade.

[back to top]