Satisfactory Academic Progress

Federal Regulations mandate that a student receiving financial aid under Title IV programs must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in their program of study regardless of whether financial aid is awarded each semester. Kentucky State University evaluates the SAP status of each financial aid recipient at the end of every semester. Students are responsible for understanding and adhering to the SAP requirements. Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is a federal government requirement which obligates the financial aid office to evaluates the progress of all students receiving government and State aid. KSU's previous Satisfactory Academic Progress policy can be reviewed here. 

As of July 1, 2024, Kentucky State University will review each financial aid recipient’s SAP requirements at the end of each term.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements:

  1. Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA)
    Degree Program Minimum Cumulative GPA
    Undergraduate 2.00
    Graduate 3.00
  2. Completion Rate

    A student must successfully complete 67% of the total amount of credit hours attempted at the career level pursued. Successful completion for this purpose is defined as receiving a grade of “D” or better. This includes transferred courses and repeated coursework (Quantitive Standard)

    Attempted hours are defined as those for which a student receives a grade of A, B, C, D, F, I, W, WP, or WF.

    Grades A, B, C, and D shall be considered as credits earned.

    Grades F, W, WP, WF, I and Audit—count as attempted hours for the purpose of determining Satisfactory Academic Progress. Withdrawing from courses at any point after the drop/add period will negatively affect the student’s completion rate.

    A Student who repeats courses, withdraws frequently or takes courses not related to a degree objective is not making progress toward graduation and is subject to loss of eligibility for financial aid.

  3. Maximum Time Frame

    All undergraduate and graduate students are expected to finish their program within a maximum time frame which cannot exceed 150% of the published length of their program.  All attempted credit hours are considered toward the maximum time calculation, regardless of whether or not you received financial aid.  Test, Transfer, and remedial/developmental hours are also included. (See example below)

    Program Hours
    Needed to Graduate
    Total Attempted
    (all years)
    Attempted x 150%


    MTF SAP Standing
    48 credit hours Student A: 60 hours Meeting SAP < 72 Hours Meets SAP
    66 credit hours Student B: 90 hours Meeting SAP < 99 hours Meets SAP
    128 credit hours Student C: 197 hours Meeting SAP < 192 hours Not Meeting SAP

    A student who changes their major is still responsible for completing their desired degree in the maximum time frame. The allowed time frame does not automatically increase if the major is changed or a double major is pursued.

     

Other Important Information

  • Warning Status: If your overall completion rate and/or GPA were to fall below SAP standards, you will be placed on a warning semester to allow you the opportunity to achieve SAP status once again. During your Warning semester, you will still be eligible for Financial Aid. Also, if your overall completion rate and/or GPA were not back to meeting SAP standards after the warning semester you will be on SAP Suspension and ineligible for Federal and State awards.

  • Academic Bankruptcy:  deletes an early academic record from the cumulative GPA (earned hours) but does not remove the attempted hours from the total cumulative hours.

  • Remedial/Developmental Courses: counted as both earned and attempted hours; however, they do not count towards a degree.  If you enroll in more than 30 hours of remedial/developmental courses, you will not make satisfactory academic progress and can lose your aid eligibility.

  • Transfer Hours: count in both the total attempted and earned hours.

  • Students pursuing a second associates or bachelor degree will be monitored on an individual basis.

SAP Appeal Process

All SAP Appeals and documentation are reviewed in the order that they are received. Appeals are reviewed and voted on by a committee. Students may only submit one appeal per semester. The decision of the SAP Committee is final unless a student can provide new or additional documentation that has not already been submitted for an appeal. 

The following forms are required upon submitting the SAP papers for review:

  • Letter to SAP appeals committee – Students must submit a typed letter to the appeals committee detailing any and all extraordinary circumstances which may have adversely affected academic performance. The letter should outline any changes made that will lead the student to academic success.
  • SAP Appeal Form
  • Any supporting documents that explain relevant circumstances

Important Dates:

  • Summer Semester 2024 SAP Appeal Dates: May 1, 2024 - May 31, 2024 
  • Fall Semester 2024 SAP Appeal Dates: May 17, 2024 - August 14, 2024
  • Spring Semester 2025 SAP Appeals: November 1, 2024 - January 8, 2025