Overview:

As of July 2011, SMU has updated their Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy to accommodate the changes to the Federal Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements as prescribed by the Program Integrity Regulations of 2010. All undergraduate students will be evaluated at the end of each term to determine if they are meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress(SAP).   The change from annual evaluation to term evaluation gives SMU the ability to use the Warning term for students that fail to meet SAP for the 1st time.

Updating and Dissemination of UG SAP Policy and Procedures:

Undergraduate SAP Policy and Procedures will be reviewed and updated each fall term by a Committee of FA Advisers and a panel of Students . The Director of Financial Aid will approve any updates. Any policy changes will become effective at the end of each  term when SAP is measured.  These Policies and Procedures will be published on the Financial Aid Website.

Measures of SAP:

• Qualitative Measure of Satisfactory Academic Progress
  
 
• At the end each term, a undergraduate student must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress measured by the student's cumulative gpa of 2.000 or better since that is the standard for graduation at SMU.
   
• Graduates students must meet the cumulative GPA requirements listed in their school catalog. Many programs require 3.000 GPA.
   
  
• Quantitative Measure of Satisfactory Academic Progress
   
  • At the end of each term, a graduate or  undergraduate student should completed  at least 75% of all classes attempted including transfer credits.  All classes will be included in the attempted hours regardless of completed status.

SAP Status:

Students  will be assigned one of the Satisfactory Academic Progress statuses listed below at the end of every term:

• Meets SAP - this will be assigned to all students that have an SMU Cumulative GPA greater than or equal to 2.000 and has completed at least 75% of all classes attempted.
   
• Warning status - Students enter  warning status when they were in Meets  SAP status  at the beginning of the term and  fails one of the SAP tests above  at the end of the term. The student  will be sent a warning letter from the Financial Aid office within the  next term.  The student will be awarded aid for the next term without further action required by the student.  Academic Advisor on record in Access.SMU will be notified of student's status via email.
   
  
• Probation status - A student that begins the term on Warning Status and now fails one of the SAP tests above.  The student  will be sent an electronic notice with the appeal procedures required for that student to regain eligibility for aid for the next term.  After the student submits the appeal documentation, the advisor will approve  appeal or submit the appeal to the Financial Aid Appeals committee for approval. Once the appeal is approved, then the advisor will award the appropriate Federal, State and institutional aid for one term.
   
  
• Academic Plan - A student that begins the term on Probation or Academic Plan and fails one of the SAP tests above will be sent a notice from the Financial Aid office, and  the student's progress on their academic plan will be assessed. 
   
  
  • If student is complying with establish academic plan, student will be awarded aid for the next term.
     
    
  • If  Student  is not complying with the established agreement  the student will be allowed to appeal one more time for aid.  The appeal documents will be sent electronically to the student.  Aid will be awarded if the appeal is approved by the Financial Aid Appeals committee. Students whose appeal is denied will be contacted electronically by the financial aid advisor and will be given a detail plan on how to regain eligibility for aid.
     
    
  • A Financial Aid Hold blocking enrollment may be placed on students with an academic plan.
     
    
• Disqualified Status - Student may be denied aid if they meet one of the following criteria:
   
  
  • Attended more than 6 academic years for full- time status or 12 years at a part-time status.  All terms will count regardless of whether Federal, State or Institution aid is received.
     
    
  • Attempted more than 150% of the hours required to complete a degree at SMU.
     
    
  • At any point could it be determined that the student will not complete their degree within the above stated limits.
     

The Appeal Process:

Student is notified by email that financial aid cannot be awarded due to SAP.  This communication explains how to appeal and instructions on how to proceed.  The Financial Aid Advisers have the responsibility of reviewing and approving an appeal.  At the Financial Aid Advisor discretion the appeal can be reviewed by the Appeals Committee.

The Appeals Committee is made up of the various staff members of the Division of Enrollment Services, as selected by the Associate Director of Undergraduate Advising. The Appeals Committee will meet when necessary.

Requirements for Making an Appeal:

• A personal letter/email from Student to his/her Financial Aid Advisor is required. The letter should explain student's mitigating circumstances.
   
• Mitigating circumstances are considered to be any circumstance that prevents the student from successfully completing the required number of hours attempted or earning the required 2.000 cumulative GPA necessary for satisfactory academic progress.
   
• Examples of mitigating circumstances - student illness, family illness, other family problems, emotional upsets, interpersonal problems with other students, problems adjusting to college life, balancing school, work, etc.  (the FA Adviser has the responsibility, using professional judgment, to determine if other circumstances documented by the student can be considered)
   
• The Student's Academic Advisor should sign the Appeals Instructions Letter for the student confirming student was advised that Financial Aid may be in jeopardy if a 2.000 cumulative GPA and full time enrollment are not maintained. A detailed  course plan will be require for students  with a GPA of  less than 1.8 and/or a completion rate of less than 70%.
   
• If an Appeal is approved, the Financial Aid Adviser will award aid (using professional judgment) for one term only, override the SAP status on the Maintain Student SAP data page within Access.SMU and make a comment on this page,  place documents in imaging and notify the student via email and self service (access.smu) that aid has been awarded for  one term only. Valid SAP override codes are:
  
  • ACPL for students required to follow an Academic Plan
    PROB for students who will clear the SAP deficiency in 1 term
     
    
• This email will suggest that the student can receive help with classes if needed through resources offered at The Learning Enhancement Center. This on campus center offers help with class-work for all enrolled students through tutoring, testing, and counseling.  The Adviser should also attach a document to the email giving student information, location, phone number and website of the LEC.  http://www.smu.edu/alec/home.html
   
  
• If the appeal is denied, the Financial Aid Advisor will notify the student via there SMU email account.

Time Limits:

• 150% Rule
   
  • Undergraduates and Graduates students will not be allowed to complete more than 150% hours required for their degree plan. If a student exceeds this number of hours prior to complete their degree, the student  will be no longer awarded federal, state and institutional aid. Students are allowed to file an appeal for extension of time.
     
  • Changed Majors:  A student who has attempted 150% of the hours needed to earn his/her degree because the student has changed majors, is an example in which professional judgment can be used to allow additional hours to be attempted.
     
    
  • Transfer Students: if the student originally came to SMU as a Transfer Student Financial Aid may exclude transfer hours from the maximum number of hours attempted and, using Professional Judgment, create a situation in which the student could be awarded.
     
    
  • The above represents two examples of when a decision could be made to allow aid after a student has reached the maximum time/hours frame for quantitative and quantitative measures.  Documentation supporting professional judgment by the Financial Aid Adviser should be placed in imaging and appropriate comments made on the FA Screens.
     
    
• Maximum Terms
   
  • Undergraduate students are limited to 12 terms or six academic years.
     
  • Graduate students are limited to the time frame listed in their schools catalog.
     
  • Students are allowed to appeal for aid if they are exceeding this time limit.
     
  • Students attending less than full time will be allowed extra terms to complete their degree.

Withdraws/Repeats/Incompletes/Failures:

Earned hours and attempted hours all count toward the quantitative measure of 150% of   hours a student may attempt when working toward a degree.

• Withdrawals and failures = included in attempted hours  but not earned hours
   
• Transfer hours and consortium hours - included in attempted and earned hours not toward GPA.
  
•  Repeated classes and First Year Repeat - failed classes count toward attempted hours and will adversely affect your GPA but will not count as earned hours. First year repeats will not be excluded from attempted hours and will be included in a student's attempted hours. Successful completion of hours will be included in earned hours.
   
• Incompletes - count toward attempted hours and if never completed student is assigned a failing grade and this grade counts toward gpa.  Incompletes that are completed count toward attempted and earned hours and GPA. 
   
• Summer hours count toward attempted and earned hours and GPA
   
•  Pass /Fail courses - Passing is counted in attempted and earned hours (not counted in GPA).  Failing is counted in attempted hours but not earned hours.
   
• Earned hours count toward attempted hours and toward GPA

Non Credit or Remedial Courses:

SMU does not offer Federal Financial Aid to students who enroll in non-credit or remedial courses or to those students who attend the University in the summer for probationary or remediation status before the first year (Upward Bound Program, Athletes and Academic Prelude).

Definition of an Academic Year at SMU:

An Academic Year is defined by  fall and spring terms (15 weeks each) and 30 weeks of instructions.  Summer Term is defined as a trailer to the Academic Year and consists of 4 mini terms for Undergraduates.  These include May Term, Summer I, Summer II, and August Term.  Weeks of instructions in summer = 10.