Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

 Financial Aid Appeal Letter Sample sm

SUBMIT YOUR PETITION HERE

Federal regulations governing student financial aid require that an institution develop standards to measure academic progress toward a degree. All students will be monitored for financial aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) whether or not financial aid was applied for or received during any academic period in which the student was previously enrolled. You will not be eligible for financial aid if you do not meet the financial aid SAP requirements. Student academic progress is reviewed at the end of each semester at UNM-Valencia for all certificate and degree programs (Please see SAP policy for UNM Albuquerque and all other branches). For students not meeting the University's standards financial aid will be canceled.

The three components of the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy are explained below. Academic renewal does not satisfy academic progress standards for financial aid.

1. Course Completion Rate

Students must successfully complete at least 67% of the total credit hours they attempt. Classes in which grades of A, B, C, D, and CR are earned will be considered completed. Repeated courses were already counted as a completed course and credit will not be earned twice. All attempted credit hours are counted whether or not financial aid was received. This calculation includes all hours in which a student is registered at the time of withdrawal. All earned transfer hours are considered to be earned and attempted for this calculation as well (whether aid was received or not). Remedial classes and English as a Second Language (ESL) classes are also counted as attempted credit hours. Courses taken for AUDIT are not counted in the student's total course load for purposes of financial aid eligibility. For graduate students, 100- and 200-level classes count as hours attempted, but not hours earned, because they will not count toward the completion of a graduate degree.
2. Minimum GPA Requirement
Students must meet the following GPA requirements in order to maintain their eligibility for financial aid (Please see GPA policy for UNM Albuquerque):
  • Undergraduate students with fewer than 31 credits must have at least a 1.7 cumulative GPA.
  • Undergraduate students with 31 or more credits must have at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA.
3. Maximum Time Frame
Undergraduate students must complete their program of study within 150% of the published length of the program, measured in credit hours attempted. Example: if the published length of an academic program is 128 credits, the maximum time frame for completion is 192 attempted credits. All attempted credit hours from any university, including non-degree hours, and hours attempted in completing a prior certificate or degree will count toward the maximum allowable credits regardless of whether financial aid was received. Courses with assigned grades of F, WF, W, WP, I, NC, and "repeated" courses all count as attempted credit hours. In addition, remedial classes and ESL classes are counted in this calculation, even though these classes do not count toward students' graduation requirements. To receive financial aid graduate students must complete their degree within the maximum time frame allowed by their graduate program.

Courses with assigned grades of F, W, WF, WP, I, NC, and "repeated" courses all count as attempted credit hours. In addition, remedial classes and ESL classes are counted in this calculation, even though these classes do not count toward students' graduation requirements. To receive financial aid graduate students must complete their degree within the maximum time frame allowed by their graduate program.

Remedial Coursework
Students enrolled in a degree or certificate-granting program may receive financial aid for remedial coursework. However, Federal regulations prohibit the receipt of financial aid for more than 30 semester hours of work. ESL (English as a Second Language) courses do not count against this limit.

Students who are not meeting satisfactory academic progress standards due to extenuating circumstances may request an exception by submitting a petition to the Student Financial Aid Office. A committee will review each petition. The student will be notified of the decision and conditions through UNM email.

Students may not request an exception to fund a semester that has already ended.

Petitions must contain the following:

  1. The reasons for poor academic performance, specifically addressing extenuating circumstances beyond your control such as personal injury or illness which occurred during an enrollment period, death of an immediate family member or legal guardian, or other documented circumstances that were unexpected in nature.
    1. Circumstances that prevented you from meting the academic requirements of maintaining financial aid.
    2. What has changed since this circumstance occurred that will allow you to meet the requirements in the future.
    3. What are your plans to ensure you are successful at meeting the requirements in the future.
  2. Documentation: For example, if you had an illness that prevented you from attending classes you must provide a statement from your physician or photocopies of medical bills or statements containing a description of the illness and the dates that indicate when you suffered from that illness.
  3. An action plan, specifically addressing issues or circumstances, which you indicate, had a negative impact on your prior academic performance. Include what you plan to do in order to return to good standing. This is not to be simply a statement of "good intentions".
  4. Degree summary signed by academic advisors for students, who are close to, or exceeding, the maximum time frame.
  1. Upload unofficial transcripts and LoboTrax audit from LoboWeb.
  2. Meet with your academic advisor to complete a degree summary and review your LoboTrax audit.
  3. Uplaod your personal statement (refer to #1 above). Statements that do not include a personal success plan will not be accepted.
  4. Upload relevant documentation if applicable(refer to #2 above).

Petitions are reviewed every Friday three weeks prior to a subsequent semester.

Please refer to LoboWeb at MyUNM to follow the review process. For additional information, you may contact the UNM-Valencia Campus Financial Aid Office at 505-925-8590 or email us at: vcfinancialaid@unm.edu.

Students will be notified via LoboWeb and email of the decision approximately 10 working days after the petition was submitted. If approved an appointment will be set up for you in advance and an email confirmation will be sent via Lobo Mail. If you are unable to attend at the time selected please contact our office within 24 hours of the scheduled time to cancel and reschedule. If your petition has been denied you may contact our office to schedule an appointment to meet with the Financial Aid Manager to discuss your options.

PLEASE CONTINUE TO ATTEND ALL CLASSES DURING THE APPEALS PROCESS.

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