Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy for Federal Student Aid
I. Policy Statement
This policy updates the university grading system for financial aid compliance.
II. Purpose of Policy
Federal regulations (Sections 668.16(e).668.32(f) and 668.34) require that schools monitor the academic progress of each applicant for federal financial assistance and that the school certify that the applicant is making satisfactory academic progress (or SAP) toward completing their program (e.g., their degree). This determination of satisfactory academic progress must be made at least once a year, typically at the end of the Spring semester, and before the Office of Financial Aid awards or disburses any federal student aid funds for the subsequent semester. Please note that decisions for academic probation and institutional scholarship eligibility are separate from this process.
III. Policy
Qualitative SAP Standards (GPA)
Students must meet the following GPA standards, depending on their programs:
A. 2.0 cumulative Grade Point Average for undergraduate students
B. 3.0 cumulative Grade Point Average for graduate students
C. Grades Not Included in GPA calculations:
- AP = Approved (noncredit certificate)
- GM = Grade Not Reported * **
- NA = Not Approved (noncredit certificate)
- NG = Used for a Lab there are no credits attached to these courses
- P = Pass * TR = Transfer *
- U = Unsatisfactory *
- W = Withdraw (no academic penalty) *
- Z = Unofficial Withdrawal * ***
- Audit courses do not count as credit and cannot be used for federal student aid purposes including SAP GPA calculations, and they are not reflected on transcripts.
* Grade will be included in credits attempted
** Grade will be included in credits attempted but not completed, but will be included in GPA when/if replaced with a permanent grade
*** Z Grades are no longer awarded. Where they have been awarded in the past, they will not be considered in GPA.
Quantitative SAP Standards (Pace)
Students must have earned at least 66.67% of their attempted course credits to be considered to be meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress minimum standards. A student’s Pace of completion is measured by dividing the cumulative number of successfully completed hours by the cumulative number of hours attempted. All courses counted towards the student’s program of study will be included.
- Transfer credits: Transfer credits accepted by The New School will count as attempted credits, toward the maximum timeframe, and as completed hours. Transfer credit hours not accepted by The New School will not count as attempted, toward the maximum timeframe, or as completed hours.
- Repeated Courses: The New School’s academic policies permit students to repeat up to three classes with divisional approval if the student earned less than a B- in those classes. Students may receive federal student aid for one repeat of a course in order to attempt to earn a higher grade from a prior passing grade (that is, a grade of D or higher). Courses repeated due to an earlier failing grade are eligible for federal student aid for an unlimited number of attempts if the course is a requirement for the student’s program, provided the student has not previously received a passing grade. However, for SAP purposes, each time a course is taken counts as attempted credits and toward the maximum timeframe, but only the last passing grade counts as completed hours.
- Withdrawals: Grades of W (withdrawal) and Z (unofficial withdrawal) are counted as attempted credits and toward the maximum timeframe. Attempted W or Z credits are those hours for which students were still officially registered at the conclusion of each semester's Add/Drop period but from which students later withdrew. Withdrawals (W or Z) are not counted as completed hours.
- Incomplete: Temporary Incomplete grades of I are counted as attempted credits and toward the maximum timeframe; they are not counted as completed hours until/unless the I grade is replaced with a permanent passing grade. Permanent Incomplete grades of N are counted as attempted credits and toward the maximum timeframe; they do not count as completed hours.
- Grade Not Reported (GM): Grade not reported grades of GM are counted as attempted credits and toward the maximum timeframe; they are not counted as completed hours until/unless the GM grade is replaced with a permanent grade.
- Audited Courses: Students do not earn any academic credits for audited courses. They do not count as attempted credits, toward the maximum timeframe, or as completed hours.
- Other Noncredit Grades: Grades of AP (approved noncredit certificate), NA (not-approved noncredit certificate), and NG (no-credit lab courses) do not count as attempted credits, toward the maximum timeframe, or as completed hours.
- Fail: Grades of F count as attempted credits and toward the maximum timeframe; they do not count as completed hours.
- Pass: Grades of P count as attempted credits, toward the maximum timeframe, and as completed hours.
- Unsatisfactory: Grades of U count as attempted credits and toward the maximum timeframe; they do not count as completed hours.
- Change in Majors: Students who change their majors will normally be expected to complete all degree requirements before reaching 150% of normal program completion.
Maximum Timeframe
Students are permitted to receive federal student aid only for an amount of credits up to 150% of the amount of credits it normally takes to complete their program (e.g., up to 180 credits for a 120-credit degree program). Students are not eligible to receive federal student aid for terms beyond this point, even if they did not receive aid for all of terms included in figuring whether they have exceeded 150% of the maximum time allowed to complete their program. If at any point it becomes mathematically impossible for a student to complete their degree within the 150% allowance, students will be placed on financial aid suspension.
The following are published lengths for academic programs at The New School for use in determining maximum timeframes for SAP evaluations:
- Associate’s degree – Students must complete the degree requirements within five (5) years.
- Bachelor’s degree – Students must complete degree requirements within ten (10) years.
- Master’s degree – Students must complete degree requirements within five (5) years, unless otherwise specified below.
- Master’s program in NSSR economics – NSSR master's program graduate students who have completed 30 credits are no longer permitted to register for courses unless they have been formally accepted into a PhD program.
- PhD – Students must complete degree requirements within ten (10) years at The New School for Social Research and eight (8) years at the Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment.
- PhD students who require more than the time limit above must apply for an extension with their department.
- The ten-year limit applies to the NSSR PhD in Clinical Psychology, but based on departmental internal deadlines, and in order for the program to meet American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines, students in that program may be subject to warnings and probation prior to approaching the ten-year limit.
Frequency of SAP Evaluation
SAP is reviewed annually, following the Spring semester. For students currently on financial aid probation, SAP standing is reviewed each semester, and in coordination with any academic plan in place. Students meeting all minimum SAP standards are packaged for a full academic year. Students not meeting all minimum standards are subject to loss of financial aid eligibility (Financial Aid Suspension) or, with an appropriate and granted appeal, financial aid probation.
Financial Aid Warning
Because The New School evaluates SAP annually, it does not utilize a Financial Aid Warning system.
Financial Aid Suspension
Students who are not meeting SAP will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension. Students on Financial Aid Suspension have lost eligibility to participate in federal student aid programs. Such students can regain that eligibility by enrolling at The New School without federal financial assistance, until they regain the minimum qualifying standards for SAP. Students also have the right to appeal Financial Aid Suspension and, if the appeal is granted, such students may be placed on financial aid probation and receive aid as provided below.
Students who have been academically dismissed from The New School and are subsequently given permission to re-enroll are not automatically eligible to continue to participate in federal, state, or institutional aid programs and must re-establish SAP. Admissions decisions are separate from funding decisions. Students’ previous coursework will still be considered as indicated above when determining eligibility for aid.
Notification
The Financial Aid Office notifies a student who The New School determines has failed to meet SAP standards by sending an email via the student’s official The New School email account within five business days of the determination. The email contains information about appeal options.
Right to Appeal
Students have the right to appeal any decision of Financial Aid Suspension based on the failure to meet SAP standards. Appeals must be filed within 30 days of notification that a student has been placed on Financial Aid Suspension. An Appeal must be made in writing to the Office of Financial Aid by completing the Satisfactory Academic Progress Request for Review and submitting it along with all required statements and documentation.
An appeal would normally be based upon an unusual situation or condition which prevented the student from passing more of their courses, or which necessitated that the student withdraw from classes and, not, for example, on a simple need for the assistance. Examples of possible situations include documented serious illness, severe injury, or death of a family member. The student must also demonstrate that the conditions that caused the student to fall below SAP requirements can reasonably be expected not to be an issue for subsequent semesters.
If the student does not have grounds for an appeal, or if the appeal is denied, the student will remain on Financial Aid Suspension but may still be able to regain eligibility for future semesters. This is done by enrolling at The New School at the student’s own expense -- without federal student aid -- and regaining the Qualitative (GPA) and Quantitative (Pace/Maximum Timeframe) standards listed above.
Appeal Approval Conditions (Academic Plans) & Financial Aid Probation
Appeals can only be approved if the Financial Aid Appeals Committee determines that the student should be able to meet The New School’s satisfactory academic progress after a reasonable probationary period or periods.
Students whose appeals are granted will be placed on financial aid probation, will receive aid on a conditional basis for a limited time (usually one semester), and will be placed on an academic plan designed to achieve SAP. The specific criteria of the SAP Academic Plan will be communicated to the student, including the academic requirements and duration of the plan. The student will be required to acknowledge and accept the details of their SAP Academic Plan in order to be placed on probation and receive federal student aid. If a student on an SAP Academic Plan has circumstances that may affect their ability to meet the requirements of that plan, that student should contact the Office of Financial Aid immediately when the situation becomes apparent.
The Financial Aid Appeals Committee will review the student's record at the end of each semester to determine if the student is meeting SAP or the terms of the academic plan and if the student remains otherwise eligible for aid.
- If the student meets SAP at the end of semester, the financial aid probation will end and the student will be restored to Satisfactory Academic Progress status.
- If the student still does not meet SAP but the student is meeting the terms of the academic plan and is otherwise eligible, the Financial Aid Appeals Committee may determine that the student may receive an additional semester of financial aid probation in which the student receives aid on a conditional basis for another semester (without an additional appeal), provided the student continues to comply with the terms of the academic plan (which may be revised by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee) and the student remains otherwise eligible.
- Students who fail to meet either SAP or the terms of their academic plans (or otherwise lose eligibility) at the end of the semester will again be placed on Financial Aid Suspension and will not be eligible to submit a subsequent appeal unless there are new, applicable circumstances. Subsequent appeals for students not meeting the requirements of their SAP Academic Plan will not be accepted.
IV. Appendices, References, and Related Materials
2022-2023 Federal Student Aid Handbook
V. Update Log
- 4/19/2023 - Submitted to Academic Policy Group, presented by Paul Kramer
- 6/6/2023 - Approved by the Academic Policy Group