Satisfactory Academic Progress: SPS Graduate Programs Policy

Federal regulations require recipients of financial aid to maintain satisfactory academic progress in their program of study. It is the University's expectation that students will make progress towards completion of the degree, certificate, or professional development program in which they are enrolled. These requirements apply to part-time as well as to full-time students for all terms of enrollment within an academic year, including those terms for which no financial aid was granted.

SPS Graduate students must demonstrate satisfactory academic progress in four fundamental ways:

1. Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher

The satisfactory Academic Progress regulations require that you earn and maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) in order to remain eligible for financial aid. This cumulative GPA is a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).

2. Complete two-thirds (66.67%) of all units attempted

In order to meet the minimum standard of academic progress, students must complete at least two-thirds of all cumulative units attempted since the start of their SPS program.

Courses dropped after 11:59pm on the 7th calendar day of each term will be counted towards units attempted. Grades of F, NP (No pass), Y (incomplete), W (withdrawal), or X (unofficial withdrawal) do not satisfy the requirements for the two-thirds (66.6%) completion rate. Please note that this requirement is more stringent than the school's Drop policy, which may be found in the Graduate School Handbook.

Students who drop from half-time or above (1.5+ units) to less than half-time before 11:59 PM on the 7th calendar day of the academic term, but after receiving their federal student loan disbursement for the current quarter, may subject to a delay in their federal loan disbursements for future terms. This delay will apply only to future quarters and will last until after the add/drop period ends for the quarter.

3. Complete your program within a specified timeframe

Students have a maximum timeframe of 150% of the length of their standard program to complete their degree requirements based on the number of courses required for degree completion. For example, if a program’s curriculum requires 12 courses, a student may not exceed 18 attempted courses to complete their degree.

Additionally, Graduate degree programs in the School of Professional Studies must be completed within five years of the first quarter of enrollment. All certificate students must complete their program within 2.5 years or 10 .

Students must be on track to complete their degree within their in order to maintain their financial aid eligibility. A student’s federal aid eligibility will be suspended if it is no longer mathematically possible to complete their degree requirements in good standing for SAP.

4. Maintain satisfactory academic standing within the School of Professional Studies

Students who are placed on Academic Probation through the School of Professional Studies do not meet the minimum requirements for Satisfactory Academic Progress. The policy for Academic Satisfactory Academic Progress is outlined in the Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures manual on the SPS Website. A student may be placed on academic probation if they have any of the following:

A cumulative GPA under 3.00
An F grade in a course
Two incomplete (Y) grades
Other reasons as determined by SPS

Other SAP Policies:

Repeated/Remedial Coursework

Remedial and repeated coursework is counted in the same manner as all other coursework for the purposes of Satisfactory Academic Progress.

P/NP Coursework

Grades of Pass (P) are not awarded a grade point and so will not contribute to the overall GPA calculation but do count as attempted and completed coursework. Grades of No Pass (NP) will be included in the GPA calculation at a 0.00 rate and count as an attempted course. A student who receives all Ps during their first term of enrollment and meets all other SAP requirements will not have an established GPA, but they will be considered to be successfully maintaining satisfactory academic progress.

Change of Concentration/2nd Concentration

Students who earn credits through a consortium/contractual agreement, students who change concentrations, or students working on a second concentration/major do not qualify for additional terms of eligibility.

Degree program change

For students who officially change degree programs, only coursework that may be applicable to the new degree program will count toward units earned or attempted for SAP purposes.

Practicums and Thesis Research

Students registered in Practicums (579/580) or Thesis Research (589/590) are only eligible for federal financial aid for the term in which they are formally registered for that course, even if their Practicum or Thesis Research extends beyond one quarter. Grades of K (in progress) in these courses will count as satisfactory for the purposes of SAP.

Continuous Registration (SPS-512)

Continuous Registration (SPS-512) does not carry any units of credit, so it cannot be used to establish eligibility for financial aid programs. Therefore, it does not count as a course attempted or completed for any purpose under the policy for Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid.

Completed Coursework, Additional Courses and Electives

Students who have completed all required coursework for his or her degree or certificate but have not yet received the degree or certificate cannot receive further federal or state financial aid for that program. Courses that do not count toward a student’s degree, certificate, or other recognized credential also cannot count toward enrollment status for the purposes of federal financial aid eligibility.

Evaluation of Satisfactory Academic Progress

Evaluation of satisfactory academic progress is made at the end of each academic term, including summer, by the Chicago Office of Financial Aid once grades are published in the university system. This review is completed through a review of grades received, courses attempted, pace toward graduation and GPA. All students who enrolled for the term under review and received financial aid will be placed in one of three categories:

SAP- Good Standing

Students who are in good standing for all requirements under SAP maintain their eligibility for federal aid. Students will not receive a notice or communication regarding SAP when they are in good standing.

SAP Warning

If a student fails to meet any of the requirements for Satisfactory Academic Progress during any evaluation period, he/she is placed on SAP warning for one academic term. During this warning period, the student will still be eligible for federal financial aid, including federal loan assistance, but he/she must meet the following criteria during their next term of enrollment:

Maintain or earn the minimum cumulative 3.00 GPA required for the program
Maintain or earn a two-thirds (66.6%) completion rate of all cumulative units attempted since the start of their degree program with a grade of C-, P, K, or higher.
- Courses dropped after 11:59pm on the 7th calendar day of each term will be counted towards units attempted.
- Grades of F, NP (No pass), Y (incomplete), W (withdrawal), or X (unofficial withdrawal) do not satisfy the requirements for the two-thirds (66.6%) completion rate.
Be on track to complete their degree within their maximum allowed timeframe.
Be in good academic standing through the School of Professional Studies

The student will be notified via his/her Northwestern email account that he/she has been placed on SAP Warning.

If a student does not enroll in the following term after a SAP warning is issued, the warning period will move to the next term of enrollment.

SAP Suspension

Students who do not meet the terms of Satisfactory Academic Progress warning quarter will be subject to a SAP Suspension, during which the student will not be eligible for federal financial aid.

In order to reinstate federal financial aid eligibility after a SAP suspension, students must meet the following criteria for reinstatement:

Maintain or earn the minimum cumulative 3.00 GPA required for the program

Maintain or earn a two-thirds (66.67%) completion rate of all cumulative units attempted since the start of their degree program with a grade of C-, P, K, or higher.
1. Courses dropped after 11:59pm on the 7th calendar day of each term will be counted towards units attempted.
2. Grades of F, NP (No pass), Y (incomplete), W (withdrawal), or X (unofficial withdrawal) do not satisfy the requirements for the two-thirds (66.6%) completion rate.
Be on track to complete their degree within their maximum allowed timeframe.
Be in good academic standing through the School of Professional Studies

Once a student meets all requirements for reinstatement of financial aid after a suspension, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the Chicago Office of Financial Aid to request a SAP review for reinstatement of federal financial aid eligibility. Once the Chicago Office of Financial Aid has reviewed the request and determines that a student is now in compliance with SAP requirements, aid will be reinstated for the following academic term in which they meet minimum enrollment requirements for a federal aid disbursement.

Appeals

If a student’s aid is suspended and their failure to meet the requirements of SAP is due to extenuating circumstances outside of the student’s control, the student may submit a written appeal to the Chicago Office of Financial Aid.

Appealable extenuating circumstances make include (but are not limited to):

Medical emergencies, including severe illness, health issues, accidents or major hospitalizations
Death of a family member or other significant person
Being the victim of a serious crime
Financial or personal catastrophe
Natural disaster
Other extenuating circumstances

An official appeal has two components:

A written statement and
Third-party documentation

The written statement should be in a Word or PDF document format (i.e. not email) and must include the following:

explanation of any relevant extraordinary circumstances,
address the reason(s) for failing to meet the minimum academic requirements, and
Explanation of how your situation has changed or issues have been addressed and resolved. Include as many specifics as possible, including corrective action(s) you have identified and will follow.

Supporting third-party documentation is also required. This may include medical records with dates of service included, police reports, obituaries, statements from employers, academic advisers, professors, professional health care workers, or other appropriate parties. Statements from family members or friends cannot be accepted as third-party documentation.

The appeal will be reviewed by a committee chaired by the Director of Financial Aid. All decisions made by the committee are final.

Appeal Deadlines:

The appeal must be received by the Office of Financial Aid prior to the 30^th calendar day following the notice of their suspension of aid eligibility under the policy for Satisfactory Academic Progress or prior to the first day of their next term of enrollment, whichever is later.

For example, if a student’s aid is suspended after fall quarter and they receive their official suspension letter on December 15^th, and the is student enrolled and begins attendance in the winter quarter, their appeal deadline would be January 14. If a student’s aid is suspended after fall quarter, and they receive the official suspension letter on December 15^th, but the student does not enroll in the winter term but plans to return the following spring, the SAP appeal must be received before the first official day of the spring term.

Appeals received after the deadlines noted above may not be considered.

Appeal Decisions

Upon completion of the review of an appeal, students will be notified if their appeal is granted or denied via an email to their Northwestern email account. Students who appeal will receive one of three decisions regarding their eligibility. These include:

1. SAP Probation

If a student is placed on SAP Probation after an appeal, he/she will be eligible for aid during one additional academic term. Upon completion of the probationary term, the student must be in good standing for all SAP requirements. If the student returns to good standing after one academic term, their aid will be reinstated for future quarters. If the student fails to meet any SAP requirements upon completion of their probationary period, their aid will be suspended.

If the terms of the original probation do not specifically prohibit appeals, students whose aid is suspended after a probationary term may appeal their subsequent suspension if it is still mathematically possible to return to good standing by the time the student’s degree requirements are completed. However, the new appeal must demonstrate that extenuating circumstances unrelated to the original appeal have occurred. All appeal requirements and deadlines remain the same for subsequent appeals.

In order to reinstate federal financial aid eligibility, including federal loan assistance, after a SAP suspension when a subsequent appeal has been denied or has not been submitted, students must meet the criteria for reinstatement listed above without the use of federal financial aid.

2. SAP Academic Plan

Students may be placed on an academic plan after submitting a successful appeal. If it is mathematically impossible for a student to resolve all deficiencies within a single term, the student may be placed on an academic plan aimed at achieving Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) within a reasonable timeframe, but before completing degree requirements.

The academic plan will have quarterly requirements and will remain in effect until the student is in good standing for all SAP components. The length of the plan is determined by the SAP committee based on the student’s individual circumstances and may not necessarily correspond to the exact number of terms needed to resolve deficiencies.

If the student continues to meet the criteria set forth in the approved Academic Plan during each quarterly review, the academic plan will continue to the next term of enrollment or until the deadline set for the Academic Plan at the time it is established. If the student fails to meet the plan’s criteria during any term review, their financial aid may be suspended.

If a student’s aid is suspended due to failure to meet the SAP academic plan requirements, they may only appeal the suspension if it is still mathematically possible to return to good standing by the time they complete their degree and if their original academic plan does not specifically prohibit appeals. The new appeal must demonstrate that extenuating circumstances unrelated to the original appeal have occurred. All appeal requirements and deadlines remain the same for subsequent appeals.

3. SAP Suspension- Appeal Denied

Some situations may not provide sufficient grounds for an appeal to be approved. These circumstances include, but are not limited to:

lack of awareness of withdrawal policies
lack of awareness of requirements for Satisfactory Academic Progress
unpreparedness for coursework
work responsibilities
scheduling conflicts
situations or circumstances that happened before or after the period of enrollment during which a student failed to meet SAP
need for financial assistance to continue in program

In order to reinstate federal financial aid eligibility, including federal loan assistance, after a SAP suspension when an appeal has been denied or has not been submitted by the deadlines outlined above, students must meet the criteria for reinstatement without the use of federal financial aid. Those requirements include:

Maintain or earn the minimum cumulative 3.00 GPA required for the program
Maintain or earn a two-thirds (66.6%) completion rate of all cumulative units attempted since the start of their degree program with a grade of C-, P, K, or higher.
- Courses dropped after 11:59pm on the 7th calendar day of each term will be counted towards units attempted.
- Grades of F, NP (No pass), Y (incomplete), W (withdrawal), or X (unofficial withdrawal) do not satisfy the requirements for the two-thirds (66.6%) completion rate.
Be on track to complete their degree within their maximum allowed time-frame.
Be in good academic standing through the School of Professional Studies

Special Considerations for First-time Financial Aid Applicants

Current students are required to meet the satisfactory academic progress requirements for all terms of enrollment, including those in which no federal aid was disbursed to the student. Only current students who are federal financial aid recipients will receive warning or suspension notices. If you are a currently enrolled student, you are applying for financial aid for the first time, and your previous academic record does not meet the minimum SAP requirements, you will need to complete a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) appeal for first-time aid filers in order to establish eligibility for financial aid. Your appeal should include the following:

Describe a specific reason, event, or circumstance that prevented you from meeting the academic progress requirements.
Provide a specific plan/corrective action to improve your academic progress.
Meet with your academic advisor to discuss your plan of action and obtain a signature from your advisor to document that you have discussed your plan/corrective action together.

First-time Aid applicants appeals will be reviewed and students will be placed in one of the appeal decision categories outlined above (Probation, Academic Plan, Appeal Denial).

The University reserves the right to make adjustments to these policies as needed.