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To be eligible for Title IV aid, a student must maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP). The SAP policy includes quantitative and qualitative measures that are reviewed annually at the end of the spring semester. Students who are not making SAP are not eligible for Title IV aid, unless they are approved for an appeal. If a student who is receiving financial aid is academically dismissed from the University, the student’s financial aid will be immediately cancelled.
Qualitative & Quantitative Measures
The SAP standards below apply to all students seeking Title IV aid, regardless of whether the student received Title IV aid in the past. Students must meet all three measures to be eligible for Title IV aid.
Qualitative Measure – Cumulative Cheyney grade point average (GPA)
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- Must achieve a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA
Note: Credits with the following grades will be included in the GPA calculation: A, B, C, D and F.
Quantitative Measure – Cumulative Pace of Completion
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- All students must complete 67% of the total cumulative attempted credits. Pace of completion is calculated by dividing the number of cumulative credit hours successfully completed by the cumulative number of attempted credit hours.
Credits are considered successfully completed when a grade of A, B, C, or D is earned. Transfer credits with a TR or CR are also included as successfully completed and attempted. Credits with the following grades will also be included in attempted credits: F (Fail), I (Incomplete), AW (Administrative Withdraw), W (Withdraw), WC (Official Withdraw), TR and CR (Transfer Credit), and NGR (No Grade Recorded).
Maximum Time Frame for Degree Completion-completing program of study within 150 percent of program length. The following are included in the maximum time frame calculation: attempted credits, part-time attendance, transferred credits, and credits waived under the academic amnesty policy. Credit hours for which the student did not receive financial aid are also included in the calculation. If the student exceeds the maximum time frame allowed, the student will not be allowed to receive Title IV funds, unless the student is granted an appeal.
Most degree programs at Cheyney require 120 credits. Therefore, 150% of 120 credits equals 180 cumulative credits attempted (includes both Cheyney credits attempted and transfer credits accepted).
Evaluation Periods
The Student Financial Services Office evaluates SAP annually at the end of the spring semester for all students. Students who complete summer courses will need to notify SFS to review SAP again. Cheyney does not have a financial aid warning period for students who are not making SAP. However, if a student is not making SAP, but has been granted an appeal approval by SFS, the student will be placed on probation for one payment period.
Appeals
Students who are not making SAP may submit an appeal, if they have experienced extenuating circumstances that affected their ability to meet the SAP requirements. In general, extenuating circumstances can include, but are not limited to, significant injury or illness of the student, death of relative, or other extenuating circumstances. The appeal must document what contributed to the student’s inability to meet the minimum standards of academic progress and what has changed to allow the student to reestablish SAP.
The appeal will need to include the following:
- Satisfactory Academic Appeal Form
- A signed statement explaining the extenuating circumstance(s)
- What has changed to allow you to meet satisfactory academic progress
- Supporting documentation of the extenuating circumstances
Academic Success Plan
Once a student’s appeal has been approved and they have filed an approved academic success plan, the student’s progress will be reviewed at the end of the current payment period. Failure to submit the approved academic success plan will cause the student to forfeit the approval of the SAP appeal. Failure to adhere to the academic plan created for the student and the achieving of a 2.0 will result in termination of Title IV aid.
Regaining Eligibility
Students who do not meet the satisfactory academic progress standards will not be eligible for Title IV aid. Once Title IV aid has been discontinued, it may be considered for reinstatement provided:
- The student has successfully achieved the qualitative and quantitative requirements for SAP AND/OR
- The student has requested reinstatement in writing and has been readmitted to the institution after successful semester(s) at a community college and is now meeting standards or has an approved appeal.
If a student is deficient in credits and/or GPA at the end of the academic year, summer school classes may be used to eliminate the deficiency. If a student has a GPA deficiency, courses taken elsewhere may not make up this deficiency. Only courses taken at Cheyney or through the Visiting Student Program at another Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education University will count towards the cumulative GPA, as other transfer credits are transferred in as a NG (No grade assigned) which has no impact to the GPA. Visiting Student Program forms are available in the Registrar’s Office and should be approved prior to registering for the coursework.
It is the student’s responsibility to notify the Student Financial Services Office of grade changes that impact SAP. Once a student meets the minimum SAP standards financial aid will be reinstated. Awards cannot be paid retroactively for the payment period(s) during which eligibility was lost.
Treatment of Special Grades
I Incomplete Grades – given for courses taken and not completed within the semester due to illness or a grave emergency. Students will have a maximum of 12 months after receiving the incomplete to finish all coursework and receive a change of grade. After 12 months the grade will automatically convert to an “F”.
IP In Progress – department designated self- paced courses. Credits may be earned by completion of the required assignments through consecutive enrollment. Interruption in enrollment will result in the IP converting to an F.
CR/TR Accepted/Transfer credits; count in attempted and earned credits, not calculated in the GPA
WC Official Course Withdrawal- official withdrawal from a course given after the end of the drop period; count as attempted credits.
W Semester Withdrawal- used for a total semester withdrawal; credits count as attempted credits.
AUD Audit- given for courses taken for audit; grades are not calculated in GPA nor counted as attempted credits.
NGR/NG No Grace Recorded- These credits count as attempted credits but not in the GPA calculation.
AW Administrative Withdrawal- These credits count as attempted credits.
Remedial Coursework – courses are included in the qualitative cumulative GPA calculation for SAP, quantitative pace of completion, and maximum time frame for degree completion. A student will not be allowed to receive Title IV aid for more than 30 semester credits.
Repeat Coursework – a course that is repeated in a semester subsequent to when it was originally taken. All courses are included in attempted credits but only the last grade earned is used in the calculation of cumulative GPA. Any failed course may not be repeated more than 3 times.
Readmit Students – a student is readmitted to the University, SAP will be based on the student’s previous attendance at Cheyney and credits transferred.
Consortium Coursework – if permitted by the Registrar’s office, courses will be treated as CR or TR credits.
Change of Major – all credits are counted towards the maximum time frame for degree completion, SAP is not reset.
Second Degree – SAP is reset.
Grade Definitions
- A – 4 quality points
- B – 3 quality points
- C – 2 quality points
- D – 1 quality point
- F – 0 quality points.
Forms
2023-2024 SAP Appeal Form
DownloadLocated in Burleigh Hall, 2nd Floor
Office Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
Email: financialaid@wolf.cheyney.edu
Phone: (610) 399 – 2302
Fax: (610) 399 – 2411